• Mansa Musa Keita (c. 1280–1337) was the Emperor of the Mali Empire from 1312 to 1337.
• He was the 10th Mansa (emperor) of the Keita Dynasty, and his reign was marked by significant territorial expansion, as well as great economic prosperity.
• Mansa Musa was a highly devout Muslim and undertook a famous pilgrimage to Mecca in 1324–25, during which he displayed the immense wealth of the Mali Empire, making him well-known throughout the Islamic world and even in Europe.
Why He Is Popular in European Writings
• Mansa Musa's fame in European writings is mainly attributed to the accounts of his pilgrimage to Mecca.
• European travelers, merchants, and scholars who visited or heard about Mali during this period were astounded by the empire's wealth and luxury.
• The accounts of Mansa Musa's lavish spending, his enormous entourage, and the abundance of gold in his kingdom captured the imagination of Europeans and contributed to his popularity in their writings.
• These accounts helped spread knowledge about West Africa and its wealth, particularly the fabled city of Timbuktu, which became associated with learning and scholarship in the Islamic world.
• Mansa Musa's name and the reputation of Mali as a wealthy and powerful empire became prominent in European writings and maps of the time.