When you talk about the richest people, you might immediately think of the names Elon Musk, Bill Gates, or Jeff Bezos. But did you know that there are still many people whose wealth far exceeds them? History records that the richest man of all time was named Mansa Musa. Who's he?
According to various sources, Mansa Musa was a king in West Africa in the 14th century. According to Rudolph Butch Ware, a professor at the University of California, as reported by the BBC, the ruler has immeasurable wealth, making it impossible to represent it in the form of numbers.
Getting to know Mansa Musa
Mansa Musa is a descendant of the ruler of the Kingdom of Mali who was born in 1280. Initially, the holder of the status of king was his brother named Abu-Bakr. The brother then went on an expedition across the Atlantic Ocean in a fleet of 2000 ships, but never returned. Therefore, the reins of leadership was then held by Mansa Musa.
Under the leadership of Mansa Musa, the Mali Empire grew rapidly. The area stretches along 3,128 kilometers. This vast area makes natural resources even more limitless, including gold and salt. This made the wealth of the kingdom very abundant, and everything belonged to the king.
Journey to Mecca
Mansa Musa is known as a devout Muslim leader. At one time, he traveled to Mecca to perform the pilgrimage. Through the Sahara Desert and Egypt, he brought with him officials, judges, soldiers, people, slaves, and a total of approximately 60 thousand people.
According to historians, the sight was extraordinary because the group looked like a city in motion. They wore the finest clothes of gold and silk, and carried hundreds of kilograms of pure gold.
Charity Makes Gold Prices Drop
The arrival of Mansa Musa's entourage in Cairo had a significant impact. In addition to performing the pilgrimage, they also perform large-scale alms. During his three months in Cairo, he had caused the price of gold there to plummet because of the extravagant alms given.
In its review, Smart Asset estimated that Mansa Musa's alms caused an estimated loss of Rp. 21.4 trillion in the Middle East region at that time. This condition certainly angered many parties. But in historical records, Mansa Musa had tried to restore Egypt's economic conditions when on his way back to his kingdom.
Relics of Mansa Musa
Even though he was known as a rich king, Mansa Musa was a person who really cared about education. Apart from being the person who started education in Africa, during his lifetime Mansa Musa has funded many schools and libraries. In the end, Timbuktu, his territory, became the center of education for many people from various parts of the world. The place was known as Sankore University.
Outside Africa, the name Mansa Musa is not widely known, but historians have noted that the king was the figure behind the construction of the Djinguereber Mosque. The mosque was designed by Abu Es Haq es Saheli who is a direct descendant of the Prophet Muhammad.
End of Mansa Musa
Mansa Musa died in 1337, at the age of 57 years. His children became the heirs of the Mali Kingdom, but unfortunately they could not take care of them properly. Until finally, the Mali Empire collapsed after the arrival of Europeans to mainland Africa.
According to historians, the story of the rich king was not very popular because the Europeans came after his departure. Besides, the Mali Empire might not have ended so easily if European explorers had arrived while Mansa Musa was still in power.