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

Mansa Musa, jedan od najbogatijih ljudi koji su ikada živeli - Džesika Smit (Jessica Smith)

Prevodilac: Mile Živković Lektor: Milenka Okuka

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

Kada bi vas neko pitao da navedete najbogatije ljude u istoriji,

who would you name?

koja imena biste naveli?

Perhaps a billionaire banker or corporate mogul,

Možda bankara milijardera ili korporativnog mogula,

like Bill Gates or John D. Rockefeller.

poput Bila Gejtsa ili Džona D. Rokfelera.

How about African King Musa Keita I?

A recimo afrički kralj Musa Kita I?

Ruling the Mali Empire in the 14th century CE,

Vladavši Kraljevinom Mali u 14. veku nove ere,

Mansa Musa, or the King of Kings,

Mansa Musa, ili kralj nad kraljevima,

amassed a fortune that possibly made him

stekao je bogatstvo koje ga je verovatno načinilo

one of the wealthiest people who ever lived.

jednim od najbogatijih ljudi koji su ikada živeli.

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

Ali njegovo ogromno bogatstvo bilo je samo deo njegove bogate zaostavštine.

When Mansa Musa came to power in 1312,

Kada je Mansa Musa došao na vlast 1312,

much of Europe was racked by famine and civil wars.

veći deo Evrope bio je razoren glađu i građanskim ratovima.

But many African kingdoms and the Islamic world were flourishing,

Ali mnoga afrička kraljevstva u islamskom svetu su cvetala

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

i Mansa Musa je igrao važnu ulogu u tome da plodove ovog procvata

to his own realm.

dovede u svoje kraljevstvo.

By strategically annexing the city of Timbuktu,

Time što je strateški aneksirao grad Timbuktu

and reestablishing power over the city of Gao,

i ponovo uspostavio moć nad gradom Gaom,

he gained control over important trade routes

dobio je kontrolu nad važnim trgovačkim putevima

between the Mediterranean and the West African Coast,

između Mediterana i zapadne afričke obale,

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

nastavivši period proširenja koji je drastično uvećao površinu Malija.

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

Teritorija carstva Mali bila je bogata prirodnim resursima

such as gold and salt.

poput zlata i soli.

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

Svet je prvo video količinu bogatstva Mansa Muse 1324,

when he took his pilgrimage to Mecca.

kada je otišao na hodočašće do Meke.

Not one to travel on a budget,

Pošto nije bio neko ko putuje ekonomskom klasom,

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

poveo je karavan koji se protezao dokle god su oči sezale.

Accounts of this journey are mostly based on an oral testimony

Zapisi o ovom putovanju uglavnom su zasnovani na usmenim

and differing written records,

i različitim pisanim svedočenjima,

so it's difficult to determine the exact details.

tako da je teško utvrditi tačne detalje.

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

Ali svi se slažu da je putovanje bilo na ekstravagantnom nivou.

Chroniclers describe an entourage of tens of thousands of soldiers,

Istoričari opisuju pratnju od desetine hiljada vojnika,

civilians,

civila

and slaves,

i robova,

500 heralds bearing gold staffs and dressed in fine silks,

500 glasnika sa zlatnim štapovima, obučenih u finu svilu

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

i mnoge kamile i konji koji su nosili pregršt zlatnih poluga.

Stopping in cities such as Cairo,

Zaustavljao se u gradovima poput Kaira

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

i Mansa Musa je navodno trošio ogromne količine zlata

giving to the poor, buying souvenirs,

deleći siromašnima, kupujući suvenire

and even having mosques built along the way.

i čak usput gradivši džamije.

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

Zapravo, njegovi troškovi možda su destabilizovali ekonomiju regiona

causing mass inflation.

i prouzrokovali masovnu inflaciju.

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

Ovo putovanje navodno je trajalo godinu dana, i dok se Mansa Musa vratio,

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

priče o njegovom neverovatnom bogatstvu proširile su se do luka Mediterana.

Mali and its king were elevated to near legendary status,

Mali i njihov kralj uzdignuti su skoro do statusa legendi

cemented by their inclusion on the 1375 Catalan Atlas.

koji je potvrđen uključivanjem u Katalonski atlas iz 1375.

One of the most important world maps of Medieval Europe,

To je bila jedna od najvažnijih mapa srednjovekovne Evrope

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

i prikazivala je kralja kako drži skiptar i svetlucavi grumen zlata.

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

Mansa Musa je bukvalno sebe i svoje kraljevstvo stavio na mapu.

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

Ali kralj nije brinuo samo za materijalno.

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

Kao posvećenog muslimana, naročito ga je interesovao Timbuktu,

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

koji je već bio centar religije i obrazovanja pre aneksiranja.

Upon returning from his pilgrimage,

Nakon povratka s hodočašća,

he had the great Djinguereber Mosque built there

tu je izgradio veliku džamiju Džingereber

with the help of an Andalusian architect.

uz pomoć arhitekte iz Andaluzije.

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

Takođe je osnovao veliki univerzitet i tako dalje uzdigao reputaciju grada

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

i privukao akademike i studente iz celog sveta Islama.

Under Mansa Musa, the Empire became urbanized,

Pod vladavinom Manse Muse, carstvo se urbanizovalo

with schools and mosques in hundreds of densely populated towns.

i škole i džamije dizane su u stotinama gusto naseljenih gradova.

The king's rich legacy persisted for generations

Bogato nasledstvo kralja trajalo je generacijama

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

i do današnjeg dana postoje mauzoleji, biblioteke i džamije

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

i do današnjeg dana stoje kao potvrda ovog zlatnog doba u istoriji Malija.