-
Essay / Mansa Musa's Journey to Mecca and Its Effects on the Malian Empire
In the book Mansa Musa and the Mali Empire, Mecca was a city in Saudi Arabia which was a holy place where Muslims gathered together every year in mass, called the Hajj. It is believed that a Muslim should visit this heavenly place at least once in his life. As a Muslim, Mansa Musa, a kingdom in the medieval Kingdom of Mali, also made a very important visit to Mecca during his reign. During his journey, it is said that he carried with him a ton of gold and spent it extravagantly. However, the gold was spent in such a way that the consequence of his journey was of incredible importance to his kingdom. This brought about an extraordinary change in his kingdom. Yet at the same time, his luxurious spending on gold had a negative effect on Egypt. This article will detail Mansa Musa's journey to Mecca talking about its favorable circumstances and its disadvantages. I will begin by examining the points of interest that this trip brought to the Kingdom of Mali. These preferences were the recognition of Mali in the different nations which added to the exchange, the strengthening of Islam and the progress of training. After that, I will examine his charges spending gold to the detriment of Malians and furthermore the effect this had on the Egyptian gold exchange. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an Original Essay To begin with, Mansa Musa's journey is considered one of the best of the medieval era. Rose E. Dunn (2004) emphasized this view by expressing that "the hajj of Mansa Musa in its entirety constituted Mali's vital place among the kingdoms of Africa and Asia in the time of Ibn Battuta" . Obviously, his trip to Mecca was extremely essential for his kingdom. His journey and spending in gold allowed Mali to be seen outside Africa as one of the most extravagant and notable kingdoms of that era. This recognition may have prompted the creation of political associations with Europeans and Middle Eastern countries, which could have encouraged gold trade. Thanks to these relationships, Mali had the capacity to establish new exchange links which could have increased the wealth of its kingdom. Dunn (2004) noted that Mansa Musa's reign came at a time when relations with Muslim merchants and with conditions in North Africa were particularly vital due to the strong gold market. In this way, during his trip, he very probably introduced Mali to these Muslim shippers and to the Maghrebis, in this way they perhaps made new exchange accomplices. Likewise, having numerous exchange relationships could imply that the gold market of the Kingdom of Mali may have been fortified. Thanks to this exchange income, Mali became a prosperous kingdom. Despite the exchanges, the other remarkable thing that Musa's journey conveyed to his kingdom was the fortification of Islam. It has been said that "Mansa Musa was generally one of the most highly regarded Muslim peoples, both in Mali and in the wider Islamic world." Thus, Musa, being a pioneer focused on Islam, helped propagate and fortify this religion in his kingdom. Regardless of how Islam was presented in Mali before Musa's reign, after his trip Islam was found to be strong there. His journey may demonstrate that he was a determined Muslim who needed to lead others to convert to Islam. One of the ways in which Mansa Musa contributed to the spread of Islam was through his liberality during his journey. When he was spending the gold, many people could have been attracted..