Mansa Musa's Lost Fleet: The Mali Navy and Transatlantic Trade
The Mali Empire: The Richest Civilization in History — Fexingo HistoryPlay episode
Show notes
Lucas and Luna dive into one of the most tantalizing controversies in West African history: did the Mali Empire build a navy capable of crossing the Atlantic? Based on the writings of al-Umari, the legendary voyages of Abu Bakr II, and recent archaeological evidence of West African crops in the Americas, this episode explores the Mali navy's organization on the Niger River, their use of dugout canoes and sewn-plank vessels, and the mysterious 1311 expedition that Mansa Musa's predecessor led into the Atlantic. Lucas also examines the 14th-century Malian presence in the Americas theory, the role of the Mali Empire in trans-Saharan trade networks, and how the empire's wealth funded technological innovation. Special attention is given to the historical debate surrounding the Mali navy's capabilities, with references to Ibn Fadlallah al-Umari's 'Masalik al-Absar', the Tarikh al-Sudan, and the work of historians like Gaoussou Diawara and Ivan van Sertima. #MaliEmpire #MansaMusa #MaliNavy #AbuBakrII #AtlanticExpedition #WestAfricanHistory #TransatlanticTrade #AfricanMaritimeHistory #AlUmari #MasalikAlAbsar #NigerRiver #DugoutCanoe #AfricanExplorers #ControversialHistory #MedievalAfrica #PreColumbianContact #FexingoHistory #History #SundiataKeita #Timbuktu Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
