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

Mansa Musa, yek ji mirovê herî dewlemend di dîrokê de

Translator: Mehmet Sıddık Dilek Reviewer: ronya bewran

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

Eger yek ji we re pirsî

Di dirokê de mirovê herî dewlemend

who would you name?

kî ye?

Perhaps a billionaire banker or corporate mogul,

Belkî bîlyonerê wek Bill Gates

like Bill Gates or John D. Rockefeller.

û John D.rockefeller be.

How about African King Musa Keita I?

Lê qralê ji Afrîka King Musa Keita I?

Ruling the Mali Empire in the 14th century CE,

Di sedsala 14'an de serokê Malî,

Mansa Musa, or the King of Kings,

Mansa Musa,an Qiralê Qirala.

amassed a fortune that possibly made him

Bi serweta ku kom kirî

one of the wealthiest people who ever lived.

bû xwedîyê dewlemediyekê dîrokî.

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

Lê tenê ne dewlemend e.

When Mansa Musa came to power in 1312,

Dema Mansa Musa 1312 de tê ser desthilatê,

much of Europe was racked by famine and civil wars.

Ewrûpa di nav şer û xelayê de bû,

But many African kingdoms and the Islamic world were flourishing,

lê Afrîka û İslam pêşketî bû.

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

Mansa Musa ev pêşketîbûn,

li Malî jî pêk anî.

to his own realm.

By strategically annexing the city of Timbuktu,

Bi standina bajarê bazirganiye Timbuktu,

and reestablishing power over the city of Gao,

û destkeftina bajarê Gao,

he gained control over important trade routes

rêyên bazirganiyê yê di navbera

between the Mediterranean and the West African Coast,

Deryaya Spî û Afrîka de kontrol kir.

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

Bi serkeftinên wî Malî pir mezin bû.

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

Çavkaniyê siruştî wek zêr û xwê jî

such as gold and salt.

bi dest xistin.

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

Dinya bi dewlemediya Mansa Musa

when he took his pilgrimage to Mecca.

dema ku çû hacê pê hesiya. li [1324] dibe şahid.

Not one to travel on a budget,

Ne têne bi xerckirina zêrê xwe,

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

bi kerwanê xwe yê pir dirêj jî deng ve da.

Accounts of this journey are mostly based on an oral testimony

Çirokê kerwana wî ya hacê bi devkî ne

and differing written records,

û ji hev cuda hatine nivîsandin.

so it's difficult to determine the exact details.

Lewra hûrgilîyê wê ne zelal in.

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

Lê dîrok, mezinbûna kerwana wî dibêje.

Chroniclers describe an entourage of tens of thousands of soldiers,

Dîroknas, qala bi dehhezaran leşker,

civilians,

sivîl,

and slaves,

û kole dikin.

500 heralds bearing gold staffs and dressed in fine silks,

500 mirovê sandoqê zêr hildidin,

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

û gelek hespê barê wan zêr jî hene.

Stopping in cities such as Cairo,

Li ser rêya Mekke li bajarê wek Qahîre,

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

Mansa Musa gelek zêr xerc kirin,

giving to the poor, buying souvenirs,

li xizana belav kirin, xelat kirîn,

and even having mosques built along the way.

û li ser rê mizgeft çêkirin.

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

Bi xerckirina wî, di aboriya hereme de,

causing mass inflation.

enflasyon çêbûye.

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

Li seranserê Deryaya Spî,

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

çirokê dewlemendiya wî belav bûne.

Mali and its king were elevated to near legendary status,

Malî û qiralê wê bi awayekî efsûnî,

cemented by their inclusion on the 1375 Catalan Atlas.

di nexşeya Catalan de derbas dibin.

One of the most important world maps of Medieval Europe,

Di pirtûkê Ewrûpî ye serdema navîn de,

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

di destekî de hêka zêr destê din de asaya zêr heye.

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

Mansa Musa bi xwe li ser nexşeyê ye.

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

Lê derdê wî ne têne malê dine bû.

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

Wek misilmanekî, bala xwe da bajarê Timbuktu.

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

Timbuktu bajarakî navenda ol û zanistê bû.

Upon returning from his pilgrimage,

Piştî ji hacê vegeriya,

he had the great Djinguereber Mosque built there

mizgefta navder a Djinguereber çêkiriye,

with the help of an Andalusian architect.

bi alîkariya avahîsazê Endulus.

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

Bi çêkirina zanîngeha pir mezin ,gelek zana û xwendekar,

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

ji dinyaya İslamê hatin bajer.

Under Mansa Musa, the Empire became urbanized,

Di serdema wî de Malî pir bajarî bû,

with schools and mosques in hundreds of densely populated towns.

di bajara de gelek dibistan û mizgeft çêbûn.

The king's rich legacy persisted for generations

Mîrata dewlemend a Qiral bi sedsala domand,

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

îro jî muze,pirtûkxane û mizgeft

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

nîşaneyê serdema zêrîn ya Malî ne.