Mali's Empress Kassi: The Women Who Ran an Empire
The Mali Empire: The Richest Civilization in History — Fexingo HistoryPlay episode
Show notes
When Mansa Musa left for his legendary hajj, he didn't leave a power vacuum — he left his wife, Empress Kassi, in charge. But Kassi wasn't just a regent. She ran the Wangara gold trade, commanded the imperial treasury, and, after Musa's death, staged a coup that placed her son on the throne. This episode digs into the life of one of history's most powerful — and least known — women. We explore the Tarikh al-Sudan's account of Kassi's rise, the role of the Wangara merchant guilds, and how Kassi's coup unfolded in Niani. We also examine the jeliw oral traditions that remember Kassi as both a queen and a sorceress, and the debate among historians over whether she was an ally or a rival to Mansa Musa. It's a story of gold, power, and the women who built the Mali Empire. #MansaMusa #EmpressKassi #Wangara #MaliEmpire #TarikhAlSudan #Jeliw #Niani #GoldTrade #WestAfrica #MedievalAfrica #Coup #QueenRegent #OralTradition #SundiataKeeta #Sahel #History #FexingoHistory #WomenInHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
