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The Journey Of Mansa Musa Dbq

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One journey, thousands of pounds of gold, thousands of slaves and servants, a hundred camels, and one man spread the Islamic religion for a hajj of four thousand miles. The journey of Mansa Musa was a famous trip that stretched from the ancient city of Mali to Mecca, the birthplace of Islam. Mansa Musa, a rich, prosperous man who took advantage of situations to benefit himself, not only wanted to spread Islam throughout his hajj, but to show off his wealth, to give compulsorily, and accumulate trade partners. The journey of Mansa Musa was a long and famous journey that took place in the northern part of Africa. However, the journey was not just a religious venture, but one to show off Mansa Musa’s wealth, to establish trade partners, and to …show more content…

Mansa Musa brought over ten thousand personal slaves as well as entertainers, flag bearers, guards, and other extravagant people (Document A). One does not need even over a thousand personal slaves for an estimated 2,000 miles long journey. Nor does one need flag bearers or musicians. Mansa Musa brought so many slaves and servants to show common folk how rich he was and how much power he held. The poorer people who saw him on his hajj would then spread the word of Mansa Musa’s wealth and power. Mansa Musa went on the journey to establish trade partners, such as with a village called Taghaza. Taghaza was a village far north of the original trade route. Mansa Musa went out of his way to a small village that consisted of slaves and mines. The salt mines were precisely the reason why Mansa Musa stopped at Taghaza. Salt was “needed for taste, nutrition, dehydration, and food preservation. It was literally worth its weight in gold” (Document B). Because salt was such a valuable import, Mansa Musa was willing to travel out of his way to become trade partners with a small village. Mansa Musa went on his hajj to give alms to the poorer people of the

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