Hodder Education History catalogue 2024 - Catalog - Page 7
CHANGING HISTORIES
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13 A golden country:
the empire of Mali
What does the story of Mansa Musa
reveal about medieval west Africa?
It is 1323. Mansa Musa, the emperor of Mali,
sits on an ebony throne. Behind him, thirty
enslaved people from Turkey and Egypt stand
to attention. One of them holds a silk
sunshade, topped by a golden falcon, over the
emperor’s head
This is a land of gold and many will come to see
Mansa Musa’s rule as a golden age. South of the
Sahara Desert, the African empire of Mali has
grown rich from huge nuggets of gold mined
from the goldfields of Wangara. One of the
miners was at the palace today, bringing a
camel laden with gold as a gift for the mansa.
The word ‘mansa’ means ‘emperor’ or ‘king’.
Mansa Musa is the emperor of the biggest
empire that Africa has ever known.
Two great elephant tusks stand beside the
mansa’s throne. On his raised platform in the
palace courtyard, Mansa Musa can see the
rounded roofs of clay houses stretching into the
distance. Several horses stand calmly nearby.
Mansa Musa will soon be inspecting them, ready
for a long journey. This journey is a pilgrimage.
Mansa Musa cannot wait to get going, but he
must. He must make sure that his empire is safe
before he leaves. Today, he will discuss his plans
with the emirs (chiefs), who each govern
different parts of the empire.
Mansa Musa shifts a little on his throne. A bow
and three arrows, each made of pure gold, rest
heavily on his knees.
The mansa’s musicians begin drumming. The
buzz of balafons fills the air. The visitors must
be here. Mansa Musa does not stand when the
emirs arrive in the palace courtyard.
Your enquiry
Mansa Musa’s pilgrimage made him
famous. Stories of his wealth and his
generosity became legends. People from
as far away as England wanted to hear
more about his kingdom. Historians, today,
still find him remarkable. By studying
Mansa Musa, historians have built
fascinating new knowledge about the
medieval world. In this enquiry, you are
going to show what the story of Mansa
Musa reveals about medieval West Africa.
83
Sample pages from Connected Worlds, c.1000–c.1600
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