The Effects of Mansa Musa and His Hajj in 1324-1325

Mansa Musa was Malis ruler from 1312 CE to 1337 CE, during whose reign, Mali was one of the richest African regions. To date, he is still considered as one of the richest persons on the face of Earth even when compared to current times wealthiest people on the planet. The following paper aims at assessing the strength of sources used for the research proposal that highlighted the effects of Mansa Musas pilgrimage and his wealth in 1324-1325.

Part 1

The research paper aims to analyze four primary and two secondary sources used for the research proposal. The sources strengths and weaknesses would be evaluated so that the research could be viewed as reliable and authentic. The thesis is about Mansa Musas role during hi Hajj in 1324-1325 that had lasting effects on Islams spread. It opened doorways to European trade connections, and the immense wealth that he distributed over there in the form of gold devalued the worth of gold in Mecca, Medina, and Cairo for the next ten years.

The primary source documents that have been sued in the research proposal are the accounts of the people that belonged to those times when Mansa Musa was present. These sources provide verification of his wealth and the pilgrimage details. The sources are in the form of accounts of people related to him, people who traveled to his region, or those who knew him or have witnessed him in real life. These primary sources offer proof of his wealth and the sources from where he found it. It was even certified that he was rich and did not put a false show when he visited for pilgrimage. This is again confirmed by the primary sources and accounts of people who valued his wealth in actual weight and measurement scales, such as 500 mithqals of gold[footnoteRef:1]. Many of these sources are eye-witnesses of those times and the king himself, which implies these primary sources strength. There is no such weakness except the slight inclination that some of the primary sources are written in the 1700s, including peoples accounts from those times. These prices of information that were written later might be subjective as they were written after a few decades. [1: Melanie Lund, Unit 3: Mansa Musa primary source analysis, YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OpdGGei_18k, October 22, 2020]

The background of the under discussion sources is that they are from the times when Mansa Musa, the greatest and wealthiest emperor of Mali in 1312-1337, visited Mecca from the pilgrimage. His visit had prominent effects on the economics of the places he journeyed, including Medina and Cairo. The gold he brought to these places devalued the golds worth but opened European trade links that flourished these places business and industries. The primary sources indicate that he had a fortune in abundance, which the eye-witnesses verify. Even the drawings of that era specify this kings true picture by the details and miniature demonstrations on the illustrations[footnoteRef:2]. Despite being a rich man, his personality traits were detailed by people who met other people who were present at the time of his arrival in Egypt. He was a humble king and prioritized his Pilgrimage visit as he only wanted to perform his Holy duty first and did not want to meet any other emperor or kiss his court ground[footnoteRef:3]. He was even true to his Muslim roots despite all the wealth and did not show any pride. He did not tolerate stealth, corroborated by Ibn e Batutas written accounts of the Negro governor in Mansa Musas times[footnoteRef:4]. He stated that the king had a white man who tried to steal his gold and run away; however, the king caught him and handed him over to the cannibals. [2: Abraham Cresques, "Mansa Musa (Catalan Atlas-detail)", Majorcan Cartographic School, Spain, 1375] [3: Al-Umari, Kingdom of Mali Primary Sources: Primary Source Document, 1981] [4: Ibn e Batuta, Ibn e Batuta travels to Mali, 1352]

The secondary sources used in the research proposal...…states economy could be examined by the tax systems, trading policies in the region, and regulation of copper and gold mines so that people of all tribes could thrive happily and could have stable living standards. The primary sources confirmed these details but did not find any contradiction in information since some of the sources mentioned this prosperity in a few words. In contrast, the others explained the situation comprehensively.

The economic motivations and better standards of life motivated the Africans to convert to Islam that elevated their lifestyles. It has been justified in the research papers selected sources where literacy rates were seen soaring, giving rise to the whole empires uplift. The African rulers stuck to Islam and gained prosperity where the containment and mixing of territories were also witnessed. The internal influence had already been there in the form of Islamic. In contrast, external influence could be seen mingling of culture with regional trade, building structure and mosques, education, and cosmopolitan environment[footnoteRef:7]. [7: Margari Hill, The spread of Islam in West Africa: Containment, mixing and reform from the eighth to the twentieth century, January 2009, https://spice.fsi.stanford.edu/docs/the_spread_of_islam_in_west_africa_containment_mixing_and_reform_from_the_eighth_to_the_twentieth_century ]

Part 3

The thesis would be summarized here by saying the Mansa Musa was a wealthy Mali ruler in reality who was a devoted Muslim and spread his alms in the shape of gold and innumerable gifts to the places he visited during his pilgrimage. His pilgrimage reasons have been aided by the backing of other primary sources selected for this research paper. The aura that he created with his presence and affluence in Mecca, Medina, and Cairo were presented by the primary sources that match each other well. The effects on trade and the value of gold had been again supported by numerous primary sources that stood true to each other. These sources endorse these facts repeatedly, making them an authentic piece of information. West Africa, the place Mansa Musa emerged from, became a rich origin of Islamic values, teachings, inspirations, wealth, and trade for the rest of the world since it has…