Mansa Musa's Gold and the Cairo Inflation Crisis
The Mali Empire: The Richest Civilization in History — Fexingo HistoryPlay episode
Show notes
When Mansa Musa passed through Cairo on his 1324 hajj, he distributed so much gold that the Egyptian economy didn't recover for over a decade. This episode explores the mechanics of that famous inflation episode through the eyes of contemporary witnesses like al-Umari and al-Maqrizi. We trace Musa's route from Niani through Walata, Tuat, and Cairo, examine the specific gold gifts he gave to Mamluk officials, and calculate what his spending spree actually meant for Cairo's gold market. We also look at how Musa tried to fix the crisis by borrowing gold back at interest from Cairene moneylenders—a practice that challenged Islamic law—and how al-Maqrizi's chronicles document the slow recovery. Along the way, we touch on the Wangara gold sources, the mitqal standard, and what happened when a Mamluk emir tried to profiteer from Mansa's generosity. A focused look at the most famous economic disruption in medieval history. #MansaMusa #MaliEmpire #Hajj #Cairo #GoldInflation #MamlukSultanate #alUmari #alMaqrizi #Wangara #mitqal #Niani #Walata #Tuat #MedievalEconomics #IslamicHistory #WestAfrica #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
