Bienvenue au Mali!
Mansa Musa
Following a trend of overlooked
historical figures, this week I learned the story of the wealthiest
man to ever live. I read "Mansa Musa and the Empire of Mali" about the emperor of the Malian
empire at it's height in the early 1300s – an empire whose riches in gold and salt
made him a man worth $400 Billion in today's money. Musa's wealth
allowed him to carry out the greatest Hajj in history, destabilize an
entire economy by his personal spending, and build a river to a
desert. Even the story of his ascendance to the Malian throne is a
remarkable one. Musa's uncle left the empire in his nephew's care
when he set out to explore the ocean to the West of them, determined
to find whatever lands lay beyond it or end of the world. While it
is not confirmed, some historians believe Musa's uncle successfully
reached South America hundreds of years before Christopher Columbus.
Wherever his adventures brought him, he never returned, and Musa
remained king for the rest of his life.
The Malian empire at its height
What Mansa Musa is most remembered for
is his elaborate Hajj, the journey to Mecca that under the 5 pillars
of Islam all Muslims who are able must complete at least once in
their lives. Musa was not one to do things by halves. Not only did he
make the journey across the continent of Africa, he brought a moving
city of 60,000 people with him – family members, slaves, courtiers,
powerful families who might attempt to usurp his throne in his
absence, and thousands of ordinary people who would never again have
a chance to reach the holy city. The caravan included 80 camels
carrying between 50 and 200 pounds of gold dust each, which Musa gave
out as alms to the poor he encountered along his journey.
Musa's route to Mecca
This reckless spending did not go
without consequence. When he stopped in Cairo to restock his mobile
city, he spent so much money the markets flooded with gold and
inflation destabilized the Egyptian economy for 12 years. On his
return through Cairo he realized his mistake and borrowed vast
amounts of gold at high interest to balance out the damage he had
done. On the way home Musa also managed perhaps one of the grandest
gestures of love in history. One of his wives was miserable after
months of traveling through the desert, filthy from the constant
gritty wind and unable to sleep. So one night while she and her
ladies rested Musa organized thousands of people to dig a deep
channel in the desert sand and line it with rocks, and then diverted
water from an oasis to fill the artificial river. Musa left Mali a
unique and beautiful architectural heritage, and many Mosques are
still leftover from Musa's time. (He is rumored to have had a new
mosque built every Friday.)
A Mosque commissioned by Mansa Musa
Another example of beautiful Malian architecture
Mali today is far from its glittering
heritage. One of the poorest countries in the world, the economy has
been crippled by cotton subsidies in wealthy countries which make it
impossible for them to compete on an international market. A civil
war was recently ended with French intervention, and the country
currently struggles with terrorism and separatist movements. But
despite this, Mali has a flourishing democracy and a vibrant musical
scene which I have enjoyed exploring this week. You can check out
some contemporary and classic musical stars here!
Salif Keita - one of Mali's greatest stars
Tata Pound - a contemporary rap musician who uses his music to call for political reform and democracy
I also tried Malian food! I tried this
recipe – which I heartily recommend. I couldn't find plantains so I
substituted bananas which made it sweeter, but all the more
delicious! The recipe is below.
Plantain and Coconut Stew
From The Soul of a New Cuisine: A
Discovery of the Foods and Flavors of Africa, by Marcus Samuelsson
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
1 medium Spanish onion, roughly chopped
1 cup coconut milk
the juice of 2 limes
2 Tablespoons white wine vinegar
½ cup peanut or canola oil
5 yellow plantains, peeled, quartered
and cut into 1 inch pieces
2 teaspoons chopped cilantro
½ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper
Combine the onion, chilies, coconut
milk, lime juice and vinegar in a medium saucepan and bring to a
simmer over low heat. Simmer for 10 minutes, then remove from heat
and set aside. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat;
add the plantain and fry for 1-15 minutes, turning now and then so it
browns. Remove the plantain and drain on paper towel. Add the
plantain, cilantro, and ginger to the coconut milk mixture, and bring
to a boil. Serve immediately, with salt and pepper to taste.
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