Mansa Musa's Gold and the Cairo Economy Crash
The Mali Empire: The Richest Civilization in History — Fexingo HistoryPlay episode
Show notes
In 1324, Mansa Musa of Mali embarked on a hajj to Mecca that would become legendary for its display of wealth. But his generous distribution of gold in Cairo had an unintended consequence: it crashed the local economy. Drawing on the accounts of al-Umari and Ibn Battuta, this episode explores how Mansa Musa's spending spree caused a gold glut, leading to inflation that lasted over a decade. We discuss the Mamluk Sultanate's response, the market mechanics of medieval Cairo, and how Mali's rulers later managed their gold exports to avoid repeating the crisis. A fascinating case study in early global economic interdependence. #MansaMusa #MaliEmpire #GoldInflation #MedievalEconomy #MamlukSultanate #Cairo #Hajj #AlUmari #IbnBattuta #GoldTrade #Inflation #MedievalMarkets #WestAfrica #SaharanTrade #Economics #History #FexingoHistory #Podcast #SundiataKeita #Timbuktu Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
