Читать книгу The Demise Of An Emperor Before The Atlantic Slave Trade - Robert Harris - Страница 2

Mansa Abubakari Keita II, known by some the ‘Voyager King’ took over the throne in the 14th century in 1310. He was the ninth mansa of the Mali Empire that succeeded his nephew Mohammed Ibn Gao and preceded his first cousin Mansa Musa. Most Arab historians like Chihab Al-Umari abbreviated and documented his name as Abu Bakr II. In some occasions, I may do the same. Abu Bakr II was one of two sons of Kolonkan, sister of founding emperor Sundiata Keita.

He ran a tight kingdom during his reign because he was very discipline and loved order. He kept violence down to a low, making sure there were safety for the traders that arrived daily. He promised himself that peace amongst the people would assure correct stewardship in the salt mines, the gold mines and the crop fields, and that the people would remain creative in their crafts. Abu Bakr II patterned after his uncle, the great warrior, known as the Lion King, Sundiata Keita, by riding from provinces and states on the great Arabian Stallion built for a champion. He and his army would ride far as the twelve regions that he controlled from Gao to Jenne, along the Niger River, and to Taghaza.

Between the 13th to the 14th century Mali were the center of excellence in Abubakari time, and Timbuktu would grow to have the second oldest University of its time, with students numbering more than that of the University of New York. Courses such as mathematics, geography, history, astronomy, chemistry as well as Islamic studies flourished. Mali were the center for trade, and the exact spot to meet all who made the world spin.

By talking with Egyptian astrologers and ship builders, Abu Bakr II mind accelerated to a high capacity, and he became very curious of the navigations and exploration of the great sea, called the Atlantic Sea, and its limitations of another bank or land at the end of the great waters, much like the Niger River.

Mansa Abu Bakr Keita II commanded Egyptian builders along with his Malian craftsmen to build two hundred ships prepared for the tough sails. One hundred ships filled with men and one hundred filled with supplies, provisions, and gold. Mansa Abu was excited about the adventurous journey and was compelled to know the outcome of it. So, he demanded the captain of the voyage to report back with him in two years. Every morning since the departure of the ships Mansa Abu went down to the coast of Senegambia, where the ships were built and sailed out to appease his obsession of knowledge. Finally, one of the ships of the two hundred ships returned toward the end of the year. The captain leading the returned ship reported to Mansa Abu the tragedy that occurred during the middle of their journey.

The captain gasped for air in a panicking and despairing voice, “Mansa Abu Bakr we were doing fine until we ran into a wild, violent current that turned the ships around and around until it created a suction. All the ships continued in that same path until they all disappeared. I refuse to do the same, so I turned around.”

Mansa Abu rubbed his chin in deep concentration and welcomed the crew in their return, and offered them comfort. His curiosity grew stronger and stronger until he became obsessed with learning as much as he could about the currents of the four winds from the four corners of the earth. Scientifically, the Atlantic is governed by two main currents in Abu Bakr’s region that remains the same irrespectively of month or season. These are the Canary Current and the Guinea Current, and they are powerful enough to pull a ship to the Americas, while cohering with the South and North Equatorial Currents. Some of the griots called the Mansa Abu Bakr ‘The Mariner Nautical Navigator of Mali,’ and some called him ‘The Voyager King.’ Either way the griots thought that he was ludicrous for casting the throne away for a hypothesis idea. He gave up all power and gold to pursue knowledge and discovery.

Abu Bakr II called his young cousin, Musa Keita, who was presiding as the deputy vizier of the throne to his side to express his dream to him.

“Cousin, do you possess any dreams in the reservoir of your inner being?”

“Yes, cousin Abu, I’ve always wanted to travel through the Sahara Desert to Mecca for the hajj.”

“Mansa Sakura was killed trying to perform the journey to the hajj, and some of our kindred have died with doom. The Tuareg Tribe is very dangerous in the Sahara. My mother Kolonkan used to tell me and my brother, where there is glory, doom lies waiting, also.”

“I’m a Keita and very discipline my cousin Abu, but there’s no perfect man, only perfect intentions. So, if I make that journey to the hajj, I will prepare the entirety of the trip.”

“You’re very smart cousin Musa, that’s why I chose you as my vizier and deputy of the palace, because I have an obsession I have to appease, and I need you to step up to another level. Please tell me you can cousin.”

“Cousin Abu, I’ve been at your beckon call as diligently as I could, why make such a statement?”

“Forgive me cousin Musa, I have full confidence in abdicating my throne to you.”

Musa was stunned, but deep inside knew his Mansa were on this most intriguing mission to satisfy this hypothesis he had burning on the inside of him. “Cousin Abu, I will take care of everything the same way as though you’ve never left, and until your return.”

“Thanks cousin Musa, I knew I could count on you. Nobility is not just a birthright, but it is defined by one’s actions. I need to gather all the astrologers and ship craftsmen to start the voyage.”

The great ship building has begun at the Senegambia seacoast of Mali. Mansa Abu Bakr sent out the announcement to let it be known throughout Mali and beyond. His anxiety caused him to call all his captains and generals to make a call far and beyond.

“To all who fished and sailed in the lakes and rivers and off the great sea’s coast. To all those who know about boats and water currents and wind currents and direction-findings by the stars. To all those who know about Marine Engineering and Nautical Sciences. Let the Somono people come forward, to whom Sundiata gave charge of ‘the monopoly of the water.’ Let the Bozo people come forward, who are known as the great boatmen of the Niger River. Call unto the boatmen of the Gambia and Senegal Rivers. Call unto the people of Lake Chad, where it was said that men still built boats on the principles of the ancient Egyptians. Let it be known that they all are needed at the Royal Courts of the Mali Empire,” Mansa Abu shouted.

Troops were withdrawn from wars and from minor campaigns to focus their energy on the ambitious shipbuilding campaign. There were blacksmiths, carpenters, potters, porters, caravan guides, who used the compass and the navigational instruments to plot their paths across the sandy sea of the Sahara. They were called upon to navigate across the ocean waters of the Atlantic. Mansa Abu obsession grew to the point of using weavers, jewelers, diviners, magicians, gold merchants and scholars from Timbuktu to contribute to assemble the shipbuilding effort. While the building of the boats progressed, many megalith structures were erected, and stone observatories used as astronomical calculations.

To pull such a task were greater than the building of the Egyptian Pyramids. Mansa Abubakari II ran the largest empire of the world, larger than the Arabs, larger than the Holy Roman Empire, and the civilized states of Europe. He was bored with the Muslim traditions, the pious duties and the pious men who repeats themselves endlessly. Mansa Abu wanted to do something different, something challenging, and something that would quicken his spirit with lifelong excitement. For this reason, he surrounded his presence with Scientist, Astronomers, Navigators, and Scholars of Timbuktu, like-minded in believing that there was a sphere-shape world and that there were other lands on the other side of the Atlantic. Like men in this time, the 21st century claiming that it’s possible to live on Mars.

After Mansa Abu scaled up his vast army of craftsmen and skilled boatmen, he was determined this time to build two thousand ships filled with men and women. Sacrificing the people for his own desire no matter what his subjects would critically say. One thousand ships filled with supplies, water, gold, medicines, fruit and necessities to last more than two years. The other ships had the finest men, sorcerers, physicians, sailors and navigators. This time he insisted on accompanying the ships personally. He was unwavering, and he stayed amongst the shipbuilders every day, disregarding the royal court of Niani as his vizier and deputy presumed the office of chief commander. He had his own special ship built just for him with a throne seat built on the stern deck, shaded by the bird-emblazoned parasol. As he led the expedition, he would command the fleets by means of the talking drums.

Then after completing the mission of the building of the ships, Mansa Abu Bakr, known as Mansa Abubakari Keita II took leave of Mali in 1311 AD, dressed in a flowing white robe with a brown leather belt trimmed in gold around his waist, and a jeweled turban. He gave up his throne to his cousin Musa Keita for science and discovery to set out with his fleet to travel west, across the Atlantic Ocean, to never return to Mali again.

In the latter year of 1313, Mansa Abubakari fleet of ships landed in a city in Brazil, known as Recife. In which they named this site Purnanbuca, the name from their rich gold fields in Mali called Boure Bambouk. They also extended on other South America lands such as Haiti and Honduras. They gave Manden names to most of the areas of their presence such as Mandinga Port, Mandinga Bay and Sierre de Mali.