Mansa+Musa~+Ellee+Kennedy

Ellee Kennedy Word count: 490

**The Golden Reign of Enlightenment**

A good ruler is someone who meets the needs of his people, whether it is financial or religious. Mansa Musa’s reign, (1312-1337), resulted in long-lasting religious progress in both the immediate region of Mali and the broader world of Islam. Mansa Musa’s actions put his country on the world map, making it known as one of the most prosperous countries of the golden age. He accomplished this by gaining attention from the world on his extravagant pilgrimage to Mecca. His devotion to Islam, and his goal to provide Mali with economic security made Mansa Musa the greatest ruler of all time.

The biggest contribution Mansa Musa made to Mali was making it recognized by the rest of the world. He accomplished this on his pilgrimage to Mecca, by giving exorbitant gifts of gold to all of the countries he stopped along the way. During his visit in Cairo Musa gave the country so much gold that it caused hyperinflation for twelve years. His pilgrimage made an impact, causing people all around the world to notice Mali for its immense wealth.

Musa’s pilgrimage to Mecca not only made Mali famous, but gave him religious enlightenment as well, which he shared with his country. Religious values are important for any great leader because it develops a sense of community and trust within a country. Musa declared Islam the official religion of Mali, but he was not completely opposed to the practice of other religions, making him even more liked by his people.

Musa had a love for architecture, which he shared with his country by building beautiful buildings, monasteries, and schools. For example the University of Timbuktu, a religious university of Islam, that in time became one of the best religious schools for Islamic learning in the world. The Islamic culture brought lots of people from all around the world to Mali giving the country even more attention and wealth.

Mali, being directly between the Sahara Desert and costal forests was not considered the ideal location to start a civilization. And having only two seasons, rainy and dry, made it even harder to farm on the already difficult terrane. But Mansa Musa was still able to make Mali one of the most prosperous countries of all time even with the location and weather barriers. Overcoming this challenge proves Mansa Musa could over come anything, making him a great ruler.

Financial prosperity is the most important element in keeping a country intact. When governments begin losing money they raise taxes which leads to rebellion, war, death, and the end to a dynasty. Musa grew his empire’s wealth through philanthropy, not war, unlike most other rulers. His actions gained him the trust and respect from his people, making him not only a strong and smart ruler but a respected one as well. Mansa Musa country was well developed religiously and economically which is why he was the best ruler of all time.


 * Bibliography**

N. Levtzion. "The Thirteenth- and Fourteenth-Century Kings of Mali." Jstor. Cambridge University Press. April 9, 2012. [|__http://www.jstor.org/stable/pdfplus/180027.pdf__]

Thomson Gale. "Encyclopedia of World Biography on Musa Mansa." Book Rags. Thomson Corporation. April 9, 2012. [|__http://www.bookrags.com/biography/musa-mansa/__]

"Mali Empire." Gambia. Access Gambia. April 9, 2012. [|__http://www.accessgambia.com/information/empire-mali.html__]

"History of Timbuktu." Timbuktu Educational Foundation. Timbuktu Educational Foundation. April 8, 2012. [|__http://www.timbuktufoundation.org/history.html__]

Marissa Moss. "Tales From Timbuktu." National Geographic. National Geographic Society. April 8, 2012. [|__http://magma.nationalgeographic.com/ngexplorer/0903/articles/mainarticle.html__]

Wikipedia contributors. "Mali Empire." //Wikipedia. The Free Encyclopedia.// April 10, 2012. [|__http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mali_Empire&oldid=486568708__]

1 N. Levtzion, "The Thirteenth- and Fourteenth-Century Kings of Mali," Jstor, Cambridge University Press, April 9, 2012, [|__http://www.jstor.org/stable/pdfplus/180027.pdf__] 2 Thomson Gale, "Encyclopedia of World Biography on Musa Mansa," Book Rags, Thomson Corporation, April 9, 2012, [|__http://www.bookrags.com/biography/musa-mansa/__] 3Thomson Gale, "Encyclopedia of World Biography on Musa Mansa," Book Rags, Thomson Corporation, April 9, 2012, [|__http://www.bookrags.com/biography/musa-mansa/__] 4 N. Levtzion, "The Thirteenth- and Fourteenth-Century Kings of Mali," Jstor, Cambridge University Press, April 9, 2012, [|__http://www.jstor.org/stable/pdfplus/180027.pdf__] 5 Thomson Gale, "Encyclopedia of World Biography on Musa Mansa," Book Rags, Thomson Corporation, April 9, 2012, [|__http://www.bookrags.com/biography/musa-mansa/__] 6 "Mali Empire," Gambia, Access Gambia, April 9, 2012, [|__http://www.accessgambia.com/information/empire-mali.html__] 7 Marissa Moss, "Tales From Timbuktu," National Geographic, National Geographic Society, April 8, 2012, [|__http://magma.nationalgeographic.com/ngexplorer/0903/articles/mainarticle.html__] 8 "History of Timbuktu," Timbuktu Educational Foundation, Timbuktu Educational Foundation, April 8, 2012, [|__http://www.timbuktufoundation.org/history.html__] 9 Wikipedia contributors, "Mali Empire," //Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia,// April 10, 2012, [|__http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mali_Empire&oldid=486568708__]