Mansa Uli: The Unsung Emperor Who Expanded Mali
The Mali Empire: The Richest Civilization in History — Fexingo HistoryPlay episode
Show notes
While Mansa Musa gets all the glory, his predecessor Mansa Uli (also known as Wali) was the emperor who actually turned Mali into a military and economic superpower. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore Uli's reign from the 1250s to 1270s, when he conquered the goldfields of Bambuk and Bure, captured the former Ghanaian capital of Koumbi Saleh, and made the first pilgrimage to Mecca from Mali — 70 years before Musa's famous hajj. They discuss the legend of his meeting with the Mamluk Sultan Baybars, the expansion of the empire to the Atlantic coast, and why Uli's accomplishments are often overshadowed by his more famous nephew. The episode also considers the role of the jeliw in preserving Uli's story, the contested dates of his reign, and the archaeological evidence from the upper Senegal River region. It's a deep dive into the foundational reign that made Musa's gold rush possible. #MansaUli #MaliEmpire #WestAfricanHistory #Bambuk #Bure #GoldTrade #KoumbiSaleh #GhanaEmpire #Baybars #MamlukSultanate #Hajj #Mande #Jeliw #OralTradition #AfricanEmpires #MedievalAfrica #History #FexingoHistory #MansaMusa #SundiataKeita Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
