Musa I of Mali (Merveilles des Morte)

Musa I Keita
Mansa of Mali
Depiction of Musa on the Catalan Atlas
Mansa of Mali
Reign	1315-1346
Predecessor	Saomaro
Successor	Abu Bakr III
Mansa of Bornu
Reign	1323-1346
Predecessor	Selma
Successor	Ayyob
Queen	Aisha Al-Kani Fatima Sefawa Mariam bint Suleiman
Issue
Musa the Younger Abu Bakr III Ayyob
House	Keita Dynasty
Father	Fagelaye
Mother	Sogolon
Born	1280 Segou
Died	1346 Niani
Religion	Sunni Islam

Mansa Musa I Keita (1280-1346) was the eleventh Mansa, or Emperor, of the Mali Empire, which dominated the Sahel region of West Africa. Musa's life and legacy is very key for the growth and development of the Mali Empire, and his memory is enshrined as the most powerful and most influential ruler in the nation's history. Coming from a humble background, Musa was forced into exile from the empire upon reaching maturity, but was eventually able to establish a powerful political base in the northern regions of Nigeria. During the civil war caused by Somaoro's coup in 1312, Musa returned to Mali and usurped control for himself, reigning from 1315 until his death.

Musa was known as an avid administrator, and completely transformed Malian society to a fully feudal, urbanized civilization. He established Mali's first road system, their mass education system and standardized the economy. Externally, Musa's conquests brought Mali to its largest extent, dominating the majority of the West African sphere. The global trade network that Musa became a facet of, the Hindu-African Trading Pact, helped to make Mali the wealthiest nation in the known world, and Musa himself became the wealthiest individual in recorded history. Although official sources on his life come from oral tradition, many contemporary accounts document the years of his reign, including Ibn Battuta, James II of Aragon, and Hendrickus Pisacus. 

Legacy

Mande migrations