The Richest Person to Ever Exist (1) Mansa Musa

   Who is the richest person of all time? Many will be quick to jump to Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates as two of the richest men on earth. But in all reality, the richest man on earth is someone who is rarely ever mentioned. This man was so rich Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates combined could not touch his wealth. He was so rich when he went to other countries his presence destabilized their economies. Today it is believed that Africa is a place of immense poverty and exotic animals, inhabited by tribal savages. Those that are educated know better, but this idea of Africa as a starving uncivilized continent has been burned into the minds of American students. Being that the continent is supposedly a land of savages, it is not surprising the idea that Africa has no place in history is so widespread, often being referred to as 'the dark continent' in reference to the supposed lack of history. So what does this have to do with the richest person of all time? It may be shocking to find out that the richest man to ever exist was a Malayan ruler on the continent of Africa, and his name was Mansa Musa.

   Society knows well of the Renaissance and the actors spearheading said cultural revolution in Europe; Society is well aware of 'the Black Death' that took millions of lives, in Europe; there is even some mention of the Hundred Years War between England and France, taking place in Europe. But most people would be surprised to find out the richest man to ever live was their historical contemporary. Our historical knowledge is so limited to the confines of Europe that we don't get the chance to learn about Mansa Musa, a king traveling the world giving out donations so grand the economies he interacted with were left in ruin. Born in 1280 CE, Musa I would become the 10th Mansa (Ruler) of the Mali Empire by the time he was 32 years old. The most famous of his feats as ruler was his pilgrimage to Mecca, in which he brought a caravan of 60,000 men all sporting Persian silk garments along with 80 camels each carrying 300 pounds of gold. The kingdom of Mali spread across modern-day Mali, Senegal, Gambia, Guinea, Niger, Nigeria, Chad, Mauritania, and Burkina Faso with a landmass greater than that of France and Sweden combined by 1350. Already a rich nation, Mansa's expansion of trade catapulted his wealth to extraordinary levels. Being a patron of the scholars and a devout Muslim, on his return from Mecca, Musa erected Mosques and Universities all along his path, most famously in Timbuktu which drew architects and scholars from around the world.

   Why is it important to teach about Mansa Musa? The suppression of African history has been so utterly blatant at this point it's laughable. We learn so much about different leaders and rulers, but our history classes and culture often leave out the great contributions of African leaders and rulers. The idea that Africa has no history is utterly idiotic and needs to be remedied with the truth. The continent of Africa has and will always be a land of vast resources and for millennia it has been an integral part of world trade and politics. The suppression of Black and African history is a relatively new invention, only coming around in the last few hundred years, but in the history of mankind African nations have been powerful players on the world stage. While it is nearly impossible to teach students the entire history of mankind, it is imperative that they at least know the most significant world events. Musa's story is our first step. His is a story of Black people, Black intellect, and Black wealth that will begin to pry the vice grip of White Supremacy from the neck of our students.


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How will you incorporate Mansa Musa into your curriculum? (write it out)

What are the first steps in your plan? (take action)


Further Reading:

Article - Who was the Richest Man in History - https://www.history.com/news/who-was-the-richest-man-in-history-mansa-musa

Article - Mansa Musa - https://www.worldhistory.org/Mansa_Musa_I/?visitCount=1&lastVisitDate=2021-3-5

Teachable Content:

Animated Ted-Ed: Mansa Musa, one of the wealthiest people who ever lived (3 min) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3YJMaL55TM

Khan Academy: Mansa Musa and Islam in Africa (10 min) - https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/whp-origins/era-4-regional/42-systems-restructure-betaa/v/mansa-musa-and-islam-in-africa-crash-course-world-history-16

Comments

  1. Ms. DunleyMay 20, 2021 at 8:02 AM

    Where do you want to see Mansa Musa incorporated in the curriculum? Course? Grade level? Multiple places?

    ReplyDelete

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