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''Mansa'' ( ''mansaw'') is a Maninka and Mandinka word for a ruler, generally translated as "king". It is particularly known as the title of the rulers of the
''Mansa'' ( ''mansaw'') is a Maninka and Mandinka word for a ruler, generally translated as "king". It is particularly known as the title of the rulers of the Mali Empire
The Mali Empire (Manding: ''Mandé''Ki-Zerbo, Joseph: ''UNESCO General History of Africa, Vol. IV, Abridged Edition: Africa from the Twelfth to the Sixteenth Century'', p. 57. University of California Press, 1997. or Manden; ar, مالي, Māl ...
, such as Mansa Musa
Mansa Musa ( ar, منسا موسى, Mansā Mūsā; ) was the ninth '' mansa'' of the Mali Empire, which reached its territorial peak during his reign. Musa is known for his wealth and generosity. He has been subject to popular claims that he is ...
, and in this context is sometimes translated as "emperor".
The word ''mansa'' ( ar, منسا, mansā) was recorded in Arabic during the 14th century by North African writers such as Ibn Battuta
Abu Abdullah Muhammad ibn Battutah (, ; 24 February 13041368/1369),; fully: ; Arabic: commonly known as Ibn Battuta, was a Berber Maghrebi scholar and explorer who travelled extensively in the lands of Afro-Eurasia, largely in the Muslim ...
and Ibn Khaldun
Ibn Khaldun (; ar, أبو زيد عبد الرحمن بن محمد بن خلدون الحضرمي, ; 27 May 1332 – 17 March 1406, 732-808 AH) was an Arab
The Historical Muhammad', Irving M. Zeitlin, (Polity Press, 2007), p. 21; "It is, o ...
, who explained it as meaning " sultan". Cognates of ''mansa'' exist in other Mandé languages, such as Soninke ''manga'', Susu ''menge'', and Bambara ''masa''. According to Misiugin and Vydrin, the original meaning of the root word was probably "chief of hunters" or "chief of warriors". An alternate translation of ''mansa'', which Jansen attributes to the followers of Marcel Griaule, is that ''mansa'' means "god", "the divine principle", or "priest-king". Jansen notes that they have not provided their reasoning for choosing this translation.
References
Works cited
* * * * * * * {{coord, 23, 25, 48, N, 72, 40, 12, E, region:IN_type:city_source:kolossus-viwiki, display=title Mali Empire Titles of national or ethnic leadership