The Mali Empire's Mansa Abubakari II and the Lost Atlantic Fleet
The Mali Empire: The Richest Civilization in History — Fexingo HistoryPlay episode
Show notes
This episode explores the story of Mansa Abubakari II (also known as Mansa Abu Bakr II), the predecessor of Mansa Musa who, according to accounts from al-Umari and Ibn Battuta, abdicated his throne to lead two massive expeditions into the Atlantic Ocean, never to return. Lucas and Luna examine the historical evidence—the writings of al-Umari in Masalik al-Absar, the testimony of Mansa Musa himself in Cairo, and the later claims by figures like the Malian historian Gaoussou Diawara and the Senegalese scholar Cheikh Anta Diop, who argued that these voyages reached the Americas before Columbus. They weigh the credibility of oral traditions preserved by the griots (jeliw) of the Keita clan against the lack of archaeological corroboration. The episode also discusses the possible motivations: control of Atlantic trade routes for gold, salt, and new resources, or a spiritual quest. Controversies include whether the fleet was destroyed by ocean currents or actually landed in Brazil, and what happened to the survivors. The conversation stays grounded in the primary source materials, avoiding sensationalism while taking the possibility seriously. #MaliEmpire #MansaAbubakariII #AtlanticExpedition #AlUmari #MasalikAlAbsar #MansaMusa #CheikhAntaDiop #Jeliw #KeitaClan #WestAfrica #PreColumbianContact #OralTradition #Exploration #Mande #GoldTrade #History #FexingoHistory #LostFleet Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
