Mansa Musa, the ruler of the Mali Empire, is touted as the richest man to have ever lived as portrayed in the available historical records. The Mali Empire was made up of eight present-day countries including Mali, Mauritania, Chad, Senegal, Guinea, Gambia, Niger, and Nigeria. The vastness of this Empire coupled with the abundant presence of precious minerals, such as gold, allowed Mansa Musa to establish himself as one of the richest human beings to have ever lived. This status explains why he is portrayed as an equal to European rulers, such as Otto III. This paper argues that medieval Europeans depicted African rulers as equals as opposed to being exotic others and that Northern Africa was seen as part of an interconnected Mediterranean world.
Based on the depiction of Otto III and Mansa Musa, it suffices to claim that medieval Europeans portrayed African rulers as equals, not as exotic others. The image of Mansa Musa as portrayed in the article by Daley has numerous parallels when compared to that of Otto III. First, the two rulers are holding gold in their hands and they both have gold crowns. The image of Mansa Musa being referred to in this context was drawn in the Catalan Atlas, which was “produced on the island of Majorca around 1375” (Daley).
Majorca is one of the largest Balearic Islands off the eastern coast of Spain, Europe. Therefore, given that Mansa Musa, as portrayed in the Catalan Atlas, drawn in Europe, has many similarities to the depiction of Otto III, it shows that medieval Europeans treated African rulers, such as Mansa Musa, as equals not as exotic others. If African rulers were portrayed as exotic others, Mansa Musa would be shown as being significantly different from Otto III, who was one of the European rulers.
Similarly, Northern Africa was seen as part of an interconnected Mediterranean world as opposed to being separate from Europe. In the Catalan Atlas map showing Europe and Africa, the images drawn from the two continents are the same. Without looking keenly, one would not be in a position to tell Europe from Africa based on what is presented on the map. The Mediterranean trade routes are interconnected running from North Africa to Europe and back. From the map, North Africa and Europe appear to be physically connected through the Strait of Gibraltar whereby the two continents seem to contact each other.
Additionally, the Catalan Atlas presents what appears like a road running from Africa to Europe, which effectively makes each continent a continuation of the other. The portrayal of the two continents on the map is similar in terms of colors and landmarks used. Therefore, based on the arguments presented above, one could argue that Northern Africa was not seen as separate from Europe; on the contrary, it was portrayed as part of an interconnected Mediterranean.
In conclusion, Mansa Musa is one of the richest world rulers to have ever lived in the history of humankind. He ruled an empire consisting of eight present-day countries, which were rich in natural resources and precious metals. Due to this status, medieval Europeans portrayed him as an equal to Otto III based on images found in the Catalan Atlas, which was produced in Spain. This assertion allows for the claim that medieval Europeans depicted African rulers as equals, not as exotic others. The portrayal of North Africa in the Catalan Map also shows that the region was seen as part of the Mediterranean.
Works Cited
Daley, Jason. “New Exhibition Highlights Story of the Richest Man Who Ever Lived.” Smithsonian Magazine. Web.