Mansa Musa set off on his hajj and traveled thousands of miles through deserts, and strange cities to get to Mecca. Although this was a very religious journey, was this pilgrimage really all for religious purposes? Religion may have been a large motivating factor for this trip, but Mansa Musa did not journey on his hajj just for religious purposes. There were many other motivating factors for why Mansa Musa took this journey. Some motives were to set up better trade for the future, and gain popularity for his kingdom Mali and himself.
He was described as “the most noble king in all the land”. (document b). At the time, the Catalan Atlas was known as "the zenith of medieval map-work". (Wikipedia). This shows that Mansa Musa really inspired people and got featured on a very powerful and successful
The lucrative location of the beginnings of Islam lead many merchants to trade while spreading the culture. Mecca, Islam’s headquarters, was in the crossroads of the world and in a perfect location for trade, which led to the spread of the culture. In a map created
Much like Buddhism that did for those along the Silk Road, conversion to Islam created a sense of community that among those involved thus helping to facilitate commercial many transactions. The Swahili civilization played an important role in the world of Indian Ocean commerce. They provided commercial A centers that would accumulate goods from the interior of sub-Saharan Africa and then would exchange them for products of the Indian Ocean trading network. They not only were A involved economically in this commerce. They also participated culturally in the larger Indian Ocean world.
The religion led many military campaigns throughout Asia, Africa, and Europe. (Document C). While they went through war they conquered many people, by teaching them their religion and laws. Their strong military forces gave them the opportunity to expand the Muslim population greatly and affected the growth of religion hugely as well. Another reason war and conquest played a big role in the expansion of religion were related to the ghazu raids.
During the time period between 600 CE and 1450 CE, Afro-Eurasia experienced a deepening of old and new human interactions across the region. This resulted in an increase in wealth and cross-cultural exchanges. During this time, the prophet Muhammad spread Islam throughout the Afro-Eurasian region. Also, the expansion of empires like imperial China, the Byzantine empire, and Mongol empire helped Afro-Eurasia trade and communication as new people developed their conquerors economies and trade networks, as well as ideas. Like many empires, migrations also had a significant environmental impact on the Afro-Eurasia region.
Have you ever heard of Mansa Musa, the tenth king of the wealthy ancient West African Mali Empire? Mansa Musa changed life for Africans (specifically the Malian culture) during his rule and through his relationship with African societies and people. His journey to the Holy City of Mecca, the birthplace of Muhammad, changed lives for the supposed better in more ways the one. The pilgrimage of Mecca, which he led, explicitly changed Malian lifestyle. In his twenty-five year reign, Musa demonstrated and gave insight of the African culture to the neighboring countries.
In Eli Weisler’s memoir titled “Night” he shares his traumatic experience of the dehumanization and torturous treatment the Jews had to endure during the Holocaust and being held in concentration camps during the period of WW2. Weisler repeatedly uses the phrase “Night” as a symbol. The word “Night” does not only represent the time of day when the presence of light is missing. The word “Night” is a symbol of trauma and loss of faith. Night symbolizes trauma that was caused as a result of being in the concentration camps.
He conquered Constantinople, one of the most important cities, locating the Bosporus Strait. He also opened Constantinople to different religions. Mehmed II had a grandson named Selim the Grim. He took control of Muslim holy cities such as Mecca and Medina. He also took control of Cairo and Egypt, the intellectual center of the Muslim world.
In Africa during the Post-Classical era, 600-1450 CE, the Saharan was no longer a barren wasteland hardly suitable for travel, but, an essential part of both North African and Sub-Saharan West African societies. Camels and caravans allowed for quicker and more effective traveling. With trading becoming increasingly popular in this area, it provided the resources to build new and larger political structures. During this era, Africa’s economy began to change and the western part of Sub-Saharan was no different. With the Trans-Saharan trade routes ability to increase with the help of wealthier Islamic states, it allowed for the spread of religious and political ideas such as larger empires and the Islamic faith in which both greatly influenced
Mansa Musa, who ruled from 1312 to 1337 CE (often referred to as “the golden age of the Mali Empire”), was the tenth mansa, or king, of the Mali Empire, which was located in the Sahara Desert and “stretched across two thousand miles from the Atlantic Ocean to Lake Chad” (Alkhateeb; Tesfu). In 1324 CE, Musa, a Muslim ruler, decided to begin his pilgrimage to Mecca, called the Hajj, which is the fifth pillar of Islam. Mansa Musa’s visit to Cairo, Egypt during his Hajj to Mecca had an incredibly negative impact on the economy in Egypt for over a decade. Mahmud Kali, a native scholar and Islamic judge of Timbuktu, provided insight into Mansa Musa’s initial reason for deciding to set out on his pilgrimage to Mecca: Muhammad Quma, a scholar, had told Kali that “the Mali-koy Kankan Musa had killed his mother, Nana Kankan, by mistake. For this he felt deep regret and remorse and feared
The biggest impact of Mansa Musa's journey was in Mali itself, which became a religious and educational place based on the amount of exceptional people Mansa Musa recruited upon his return. He instituted mosques at Timbuktu and Gao. During his reign, Timbuktu became an important trade stop for caravans in the region, and an educational center that evolved into a university where history, law and theology were supported by royal funds. His influence on his people was to instill Islam into their lives, so much that his subjects became educated in religious and secular matters.
Before the 1500 ce Africa had many trades, cultures, and also some encounters with Islam. In 1000 ce Islam invaded the West African State, in Dr. Mayers, 2012 study of Africa he stated that the spread of Islam revealed the power of the religion, commercial, and also the military qualities. Many civilizations were being change without being close to at least one Islamic statement. Islam had spread so much in Africa that Islamization had served to connect with Africa and connected more with the outside world through trade, religion, and
Mansa Musa, king of the Malian empire, in specific was a large influence on the religion of the population. Other pieces of Muslim architecture, such as the great Mosque of Djenne, are evidence of the religion’s dominance in Sub-Saharan Africa. Along the Indian Ocean trade routes, we also see Islam as a dominant religion, but there is much more of a variety. Evidence of Islam in Eastern Africa can be found in the language itself. Swahili, the dominant language of the region, is influenced heavily by Arabic.
The religious influences helped empires to grow more wealthy and powerful. For example in the Mali Empire. Sundiata gained more power by taking religious authority of the mansa. The rulers after Sundiata were mostly Muslims. One of the most powerful and influential Muslim ruler was Mansa Musa.
