“Mansa Sakura was killed trying to perform the journey to the hajj, and some of our kindred have died with doom. The Tuareg Tribe is very dangerous in the Sahara. My mother Kolonkan used to tell me and my brother, where there is glory, doom lies waiting, also.”
“I’m a Keita and very discipline my cousin Abu, but there’s no perfect man, only perfect intentions. So, if I make that journey to the hajj, I will prepare the entirety of the trip.”
“You’re very smart cousin Musa, that’s why I chose you as my vizier and deputy of the palace, because I have an obsession I have to appease, and I need you to step up to another level. Please tell me you can cousin.”
“Cousin Abu, I’ve been at your beckon call as diligently as I could, why make such a statement?”
“Forgive me cousin Musa, I have full confidence in abdicating my throne to you.”
Musa was stunned, but deep inside knew his Mansa were on this most intriguing mission to satisfy this hypothesis he had burning on the inside of him. “Cousin Abu, I will take care of everything the same way as though you’ve never left, and until your return.”
“Thanks cousin Musa, I knew I could count on you. Nobility is not just a birthright, but it is defined by one’s actions. I need to gather all the astrologers and ship craftsmen to start the voyage.”
The great ship building has begun at the Senegambia seacoast of Mali. Mansa Abu Bakr sent out the announcement to let it be known throughout Mali and beyond. His anxiety caused him to call all his captains and generals to make a call far and beyond.
“To all who fished and sailed in the lakes and rivers and off the great sea’s coast. To all those who know about boats and water currents and wind currents and direction-findings by the stars. To all those who know about Marine Engineering and Nautical Sciences. Let the Somono people come forward, to whom Sundiata gave charge of ‘the monopoly of the water.’ Let the Bozo people come forward, who are known as the great boatmen of the Niger River. Call unto the boatmen of the Gambia and Senegal Rivers. Call unto the people of Lake Chad, where it was said that men still built boats on the principles of the ancient Egyptians. Let it be known that they all are needed at the Royal Courts of the Mali Empire,” Mansa Abu shouted.
Troops were withdrawn from wars and from minor campaigns to focus their energy on the ambitious shipbuilding campaign. There were blacksmiths, carpenters, potters, porters, caravan guides, who used the compass and the navigational instruments to plot their paths across the sandy sea of the Sahara. They were called upon to navigate across the ocean waters of the Atlantic. Mansa Abu obsession grew to the point of using weavers, jewelers, diviners, magicians, gold merchants and scholars from Timbuktu to contribute to assemble the shipbuilding effort. While the building of the boats progressed, many megalith structures were erected, and stone observatories used as astronomical calculations.
To pull such a task were greater than the building of the Egyptian Pyramids. Mansa Abubakari II ran the largest empire of the world, larger than the Arabs, larger than the Holy Roman Empire, and the civilized states of Europe. He was bored with the Muslim traditions, the pious duties and the pious men who repeats themselves endlessly. Mansa Abu wanted to do something different, something challenging, and something that would quicken his spirit with lifelong excitement. For this reason, he surrounded his presence with Scientist, Astronomers, Navigators, and Scholars of Timbuktu, like-minded in believing that there was a sphere-shape world and that there were other lands on the other side of the Atlantic. Like men in this time, the 21st century claiming that it’s possible to live on Mars.
After Mansa Abu scaled up his vast army of craftsmen and skilled boatmen, he was determined this time to build two thousand ships filled with men and women. Sacrificing the people for his own desire no matter what his subjects would critically say. One thousand ships filled with supplies, water, gold, medicines, fruit and necessities to last more than two years. The other ships had the finest men, sorcerers, physicians, sailors and navigators. This time he insisted on accompanying the ships personally. He was unwavering, and he stayed amongst the shipbuilders every day, disregarding the royal court of Niani as his vizier and deputy presumed the office of chief commander. He had his own special ship built just for him with a throne seat built on the stern deck, shaded by the bird-emblazoned parasol. As he led the expedition, he would command the fleets by means of the talking drums.
Then after completing the mission of the building of the ships, Mansa Abu Bakr, known as Mansa Abubakari Keita II took leave of Mali in 1311 AD, dressed in a flowing white robe with a brown leather belt trimmed in gold around his waist, and a jeweled turban. He gave up his throne to his cousin Musa Keita for science and discovery to set out with his fleet to travel west, across the Atlantic Ocean, to never return to Mali again.
In the latter year of 1313, Mansa Abubakari fleet of ships landed in a city in Brazil, known as Recife. In which they named this site Purnanbuca, the name from their rich gold fields in Mali called Boure Bambouk. They also extended on other South America lands such as Haiti and Honduras. They gave Manden names to most of the areas of their presence such as Mandinga Port, Mandinga Bay and Sierre de Mali.
CHAPTER III-Mansa Musa
Deputy Vizier Of Mali
In 2012 ‘Celebrity Net Worth’ took out a list of the worlds’ twenty-five wealthiest people of all times after adjusting to inflation. Mansa Musa was listed on top of the list above names like Bill Gates and Warren Buffett. It was calculated that Mansa Musa had a personal net worth of 400 billion at the time of his death. The Rothschild family was placed at number two at 350 billion. The primary reason behind Mansa Musa’s extraordinary wealth was that Mali was responsible for more than half the world’s salt and gold supply. Out of all the Muslim rulers of West Africa Mansa Musa was the most powerful, the richest, the most fortunate, and the most feared by his enemies and the most able to do well to those around him.
My journey didn’t start as an adult as it may seem, born in 1280, my life goes back to when I was knee high to a chicken. Even then I tried my best to catch that chicken after being pecked across the forehead a dozen times. After watching my father Faga Laye Keita catch and ring the chicken neck in five minutes, I knew without a shadow of a doubt that my father was a pro. My father was a great farmer, who were pleased with the normal way of life. No more or no less. He never wanted to become a Mansa like our forefathers and kindred.
My brother and sisters didn’t have to lack for anything because my father utilized us before we could talk. When the work seized in the hot scorching heat, my brother and sisters went to the playing fields where the other children would be practicing their sports with the kick ball or training with the wooden sticks pretending they were swords for war. After hearing all the foretell stories of our forefathers in their battles, we thought that it was our obligation to be the best soldier or warrior we could be.
So, unlike my father I wanted to become the best fighter that ever been, first and far more than the ‘The Lion King,’ my great uncle Sundiata. But no one could compare with him. My grandfather Abubakari I was a great warrior also, and he fought alongside my great-uncle and the great General Tiramakhan Traore, in which his great grandson Batula is my best friend. We played in the big open field until nightfall three times a week. The remaining part of the week we had to study our Holy Koran, and it was my most desirable time, because for some reason I thought I was really getting closer and closer to Allah.
During the summer months, we worked the fields and trained to be warriors, played kickball and during the winter we went to school to learn Arabic, math, science, and geography/astronomy. My younger brother Suleyman stayed very close to me, as I learned, he learned, but not as well. I was named after my mother Kankou, which is the Mande female name, but my name Kankan Musa Keita were more of a male flow. We had lots of cousins and a big family that reached far as the great Niger River.
When I graduated and finished head of my class, some of the dignitaries which were my relatives demanded for me to come to the inner courts. Then onto the antechambers