Mansa Musa

Musa I (c. 1280 – c. 1337), or Mansa Musa, was the ninth Mansa (a military title meaning “conqueror” or “emperor”) of the Mali Empire, an Islamic West African state.
At the time of Musa’s ascension to the throne, Mali in large part consisted of the territory of the former Ghana Empire, which Mali had conquered. The Mali Empire consisted of land that is now part of Guinea, Senegal, Mauritania, Gambia and the modern state of Mali. During his reign, Musa held many titles, such as “Emir of Melle”, “Lord of the Mines of Wangara”, and “Conqueror of Ghanata”.[Musa conquered 24 cities, along with their surrounding districts. During Musa’s reign, Mali may have been the largest producer of gold in the world, and Musa has been considered one of the wealthiest historical figures. However, some modern commentators have concluded that there is no accurate way to quantify Musa’s wealth.