Mansa Musa, one of the wealthiest people who ever lived - Jessica Smith

Translator: Hafizh Alfarisi Reviewer: Reno Kanti Riananda

If someone asked you who the richest people in history were,

Jika ada yang bertanya siapa orang terkaya dalam sejarah,

who would you name?

siapa yang kau sebut?

Perhaps a billionaire banker or corporate mogul,

Mungkin bankir miliuner atau petinggi perusahaan,

like Bill Gates or John D. Rockefeller.

seperti Bill Gates atau John D. Rockefeller.

How about African King Musa Keita I?

Bagaimana dengan Raja Afrika Musa Keita I?

Ruling the Mali Empire in the 14th century CE,

Sebagai pemimpin Kekaisaran Mali pada abad ke-14 Masehi,

Mansa Musa, or the King of Kings,

Mansa Musa, atau Raja para Raja, menghimpun kekayaan yang menjadikannya

amassed a fortune that possibly made him

one of the wealthiest people who ever lived.

salah satu orang terkaya yang pernah ada.

Namun, kekayaan itu hanya secuil dari warisannya yang melimpah.

But his vast wealth was only one piece of his rich legacy.

When Mansa Musa came to power in 1312,

Saat Mansa Musa berkuasa pada 1312,

much of Europe was racked by famine and civil wars.

sebagian besar Eropa dilanda kelaparan dan perang saudara.

But many African kingdoms and the Islamic world were flourishing,

Namun, banyak kerajaan Afrika serta dunia Islam yang berkembang.

and Mansa Musa played a great role in bringing the fruits of this flourishing

Mansa Musa berperan besar dalam membawa hasil perkembangan itu ke kekaisarannya.

to his own realm.

By strategically annexing the city of Timbuktu,

Dengan menguasai Kota Timbuktu secara strategis

and reestablishing power over the city of Gao,

dan membangun kembali kekuatan Kota Gao,

he gained control over important trade routes

dia meraih kendali atas jalur perdagangan penting

between the Mediterranean and the West African Coast,

antara Mediterania dan Pesisir Afrika Barat.

Dia melanjutkan masa ekspansi, yang memperbesar luas wilayah Mali.

continuing a period of expansion, which dramatically increased Mali's size.

Wilayah Kekaisaran Mali kaya akan sumber daya alam,

The territory of the Mali Empire was rich in natural resources,

seperti emas dan garam.

such as gold and salt.

Dunia baru menyaksikan luasnya kekayaan Mansa Musa pada 1324

The world first witnessed the extent of Mansa Musa's wealth in 1324

when he took his pilgrimage to Mecca.

saat dia naik haji ke Mekah.

Not one to travel on a budget,

Bepergian dengan hemat bukan gayanya,

he brought a caravan stretching as far as the eye could see.

sehingga dia membawa rombongan yang beriringan sejauh mata memandang.

Keterangan perjalanan ini kebanyakan didasari kesaksian lisan

Accounts of this journey are mostly based on an oral testimony

and differing written records,

dan catatan tertulis yang berbeda.

so it's difficult to determine the exact details.

Jadi, sulit menentukan rincian tepatnya.

Namun, yang paling banyak disepakati adalah ukuran rombongan yang luar biasa.

But what most agree on is the extravagant scale of the excursion.

Chroniclers describe an entourage of tens of thousands of soldiers,

Penulis sejarah menyebut rombongan itu meliputi puluhan ribu tentara,

civilians,

warga sipil dan budak,

and slaves,

500 ajudan yang membawa tongkat emas dan memakai sutra halus,

500 heralds bearing gold staffs and dressed in fine silks,

and many camels and horses bearing an abundance of gold bars.

serta banyak unta dan kuda yang membawa bongkahan emas.

Saat berhenti di kota-kota seperti Kairo,

Stopping in cities such as Cairo,

Mansa Musa disebut menghabiskan begitu banyak emas,

Mansa Musa is said to have spent massive quantities of gold,

giving to the poor, buying souvenirs,

menolong fakir, membeli suvenir,

dan bahkan mendirikan masjid sepanjang perjalanan.

and even having mosques built along the way.

In fact, his spending may have destabilized the regional economy,

Bahkan pengeluaran tersebut diduga telah mengacaukan ekonomi wilayah,

causing mass inflation.

yang menimbulkan inflasi besar-besaran.

Perjalanan berlangsung setahun lamanya, dan begitu Mansa Musa kembali,

This journey reportedly took over a year, and by the time Mansa Musa returned,

tales of his amazing wealth had spread to the ports of the Mediterranean.

kisah kekayaan menakjubkannya menyebar sampai pelabuhan-pelabuhan Mediterania.

Mali and its king were elevated to near legendary status,

Mali dan rajanya menjadi legenda,

cemented by their inclusion on the 1375 Catalan Atlas.

yang diperkuat dengan dimasukkannya Mali ke dalam Atlas Katala pada tahun 1375.

One of the most important world maps of Medieval Europe,

Sebagai salah satu peta dunia terpenting dari Eropa Abad Pertengahan,

it depicted the King holding a scepter and a gleaming gold nugget.

peta ini menggambarkan sang Raja dengan tongkat raja dan bongkah emas berkilau.

Mansa Musa had literally put his empire and himself on the map.

Mansa Musa telah menempatkan kerajaan dan dirinya sendiri di atas peta.

But material riches weren't the king's only concern.

Namun, kekayaan materi bukan satu-satunya perhatian raja.

As a devout Muslim, he took a particular interest in Timbuktu,

Sebagai muslim yang taat, dia punya ketertarikan khusus pada Timbuktu,

already a center of religion and learning prior to its annexation.

yang sudah menjadi pusat agama dan pengetahuan sebelum diambil alih.

Upon returning from his pilgrimage,

Sepulangnya dari berhaji, dia mendirikan Masjid Djinguereber di sana

he had the great Djinguereber Mosque built there

with the help of an Andalusian architect.

dengan bantuan arsitek Andalusia.

He also established a major university, further elevating the city's reputation,

Dia juga membangun universitas penting, yang semakin meningkatkan kejayaan kota

and attracting scholars and students from all over the Islamic world.

serta menarik cendekiawan dan pelajar dari seluruh dunia Islam.

Under Mansa Musa, the Empire became urbanized,

Di bawah pemerintahan Mansa Musa, kekaisarannya menjadi area urban

with schools and mosques in hundreds of densely populated towns.

dengan banyak sekolah dan masjid di antara ratusan kota padat penduduk.

The king's rich legacy persisted for generations

Warisan kekayaan sang Raja bertahan hingga beberapa generasi.

and to this day, there are mausoleums, libraries and mosques

Sampai hari ini, ada banyak monumen makam, perpustakaan, dan masjid

yang berdiri sebagai bukti zaman keemasan dari sejarah Mali.

that stand as a testament to this golden age of Mali's history.