Abubakari II
Encyclopedia
Abu Bakr II may have been the ninth mansa
of the Mali Empire
. He succeeded his nephew Mansa Mohammed ibn Gao
and preceded Kankou Musa I
. Abubakari II appears to have abdicated his throne in order to explore "the limits of the ocean"; however, his expedition never returned.
, Abu-sa'id Uthman ad-Dukkali, Ibn Khaldun
, and Ibn Battuta
. Lack of reliable documentation is a serious problem in this period, and Ibn-Khaldun's comprehensive history of the Malian kings does not list Abu Bakari as a mansa of Mali.
Abu Bakari II, sometimes called Abu Bekr II or Mansa Mohammed, was one of two sons of Kolonkan, a sister of the founding emperor Sundjata Keita. He was the last of a mini-dynasty within the Keita clan of emperor's descending from Kolonkan. After his abdication in 1311, the Faga Laye mini-dynasty would control the empire.
to Mecca
. While in Egypt, Musa explained the way that he had inherited the throne after the abdication of the previous ruler. He explained that in 1310, the emperor financed the building of 200 vessels of men and another 200 of supplies to explore the limits of the sea that served as the empire's western frontier. The mission was inconclusive, and the only information available on its fate came from a single boat whose captain refused to follow the other ships once they reached a "river in the sea" and a whirlpool. According to Musa I, his predecessor was undeterred and launched another fleet with himself as head of the expedition. In 1311, the previous ruler temporarily ceded power to Musa, then serving as his kankoro-sigui or vizier
, and departed with a thousand vessels of men and a like number of supplies. After the emperor failed to return, Musa became emperor.
formerly of Rutgers University
, and Malian scholar Gaoussou Diawara claim that Abubakari II successfully traveled to the New World.
The consensus among mainstream archaeologists, anthropologists, ethnohistorians, linguists, and other modern pre-Columbian scholars is that there is no evidence of any such voyage reaching the Americas, and that there are insufficient evidential grounds to suppose there has been contact between Africa and the New World
at any point in the pre-Columbian era. A BBC article titled "Africa's greatest explorer", summarizes the controversy from the perspectives of the scholars and historians in Mali.
Mansa
Mansa is a Mandinka word meaning "king of kings". It is particularly associated with the Keita Dynasty of the Mali Empire, which dominated West Africa from the thirteenth to the fifthteenth century...
of the Mali Empire
Mali Empire
The Mali Empire or Mandingo Empire or Manden Kurufa was a West African empire of the Mandinka from c. 1230 to c. 1600. The empire was founded by Sundiata Keita and became renowned for the wealth of its rulers, especially Mansa Musa I...
. He succeeded his nephew Mansa Mohammed ibn Gao
Mohammed ibn Gao
Mansa Mohammed ibn Gao was mansa of the Mali Empire from 1305 to 1310.Mansa Mohammed ibn Gao, as his name suggests, was the son of his predecessor, Mansa Gao. He inherited the throne following his father's death in 1305 and ruled until being succeeded by his uncle, Abubakari II in 1310.-See...
and preceded Kankou Musa I
Mansa Musa
Musa I , commonly referred to as Mansa Musa, was the tenth mansa, which translates as "king of kings" or "emperor", of the Malian Empire...
. Abubakari II appears to have abdicated his throne in order to explore "the limits of the ocean"; however, his expedition never returned.
Background
What is known about the kings of the Malian Empire is taken from the writings of Arab scholars, including Al-UmariAl-Umari
Chihab Addine Abul-Abbas Ahmad ben Fadhl al-Umari , or simply al-Umari, 1300 – 1384) was an Arab historian, born in Damascus. al-Umari visited Cairo shortly after the Malian Mansa Kankan Musa I's pilgrimage to Mecca, and his writings are one of the primary sources for this legendary hajj...
, Abu-sa'id Uthman ad-Dukkali, Ibn Khaldun
Ibn Khaldun
Ibn Khaldūn or Ibn Khaldoun was an Arab Tunisian historiographer and historian who is often viewed as one of the forerunners of modern historiography, sociology and economics...
, and Ibn Battuta
Ibn Battuta
Abu Abdullah Muhammad Ibn Battuta , or simply Ibn Battuta, also known as Shams ad–Din , was a Muslim Moroccan Berber explorer, known for his extensive travels published in the Rihla...
. Lack of reliable documentation is a serious problem in this period, and Ibn-Khaldun's comprehensive history of the Malian kings does not list Abu Bakari as a mansa of Mali.
Abu Bakari II, sometimes called Abu Bekr II or Mansa Mohammed, was one of two sons of Kolonkan, a sister of the founding emperor Sundjata Keita. He was the last of a mini-dynasty within the Keita clan of emperor's descending from Kolonkan. After his abdication in 1311, the Faga Laye mini-dynasty would control the empire.
Reign
Virtually all that is known of Abubakari II is from the scholar Al-Umari during Kankan Musa I's historic hajjHajj
The Hajj is the pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia. It is one of the largest pilgrimages in the world, and is the fifth pillar of Islam, a religious duty that must be carried out at least once in their lifetime by every able-bodied Muslim who can afford to do so...
to Mecca
Mecca
Mecca is a city in the Hijaz and the capital of Makkah province in Saudi Arabia. The city is located inland from Jeddah in a narrow valley at a height of above sea level...
. While in Egypt, Musa explained the way that he had inherited the throne after the abdication of the previous ruler. He explained that in 1310, the emperor financed the building of 200 vessels of men and another 200 of supplies to explore the limits of the sea that served as the empire's western frontier. The mission was inconclusive, and the only information available on its fate came from a single boat whose captain refused to follow the other ships once they reached a "river in the sea" and a whirlpool. According to Musa I, his predecessor was undeterred and launched another fleet with himself as head of the expedition. In 1311, the previous ruler temporarily ceded power to Musa, then serving as his kankoro-sigui or vizier
Vizier
A vizier or in Arabic script ; ; sometimes spelled vazir, vizir, vasir, wazir, vesir, or vezir) is a high-ranking political advisor or minister in a Muslim government....
, and departed with a thousand vessels of men and a like number of supplies. After the emperor failed to return, Musa became emperor.
Claim of trans-Atlantic contact
A small minority of scholars, including Ivan van SertimaIvan van Sertima
Ivan Gladstone Van Sertima was an associate professor of Africana Studies at Rutgers University in the United States....
formerly of Rutgers University
Rutgers University
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , is the largest institution for higher education in New Jersey, United States. It was originally chartered as Queen's College in 1766. It is the eighth-oldest college in the United States and one of the nine Colonial colleges founded before the American...
, and Malian scholar Gaoussou Diawara claim that Abubakari II successfully traveled to the New World.
The consensus among mainstream archaeologists, anthropologists, ethnohistorians, linguists, and other modern pre-Columbian scholars is that there is no evidence of any such voyage reaching the Americas, and that there are insufficient evidential grounds to suppose there has been contact between Africa and the New World
New World
The New World is one of the names used for the Western Hemisphere, specifically America and sometimes Oceania . The term originated in the late 15th century, when America had been recently discovered by European explorers, expanding the geographical horizon of the people of the European middle...
at any point in the pre-Columbian era. A BBC article titled "Africa's greatest explorer", summarizes the controversy from the perspectives of the scholars and historians in Mali.
External links
- Malian praise singer Sadio Diabate, singing about Abubakar II - BBC World Service Audio
See also
- Keita DynastyKeita DynastyThe Keita Dynasty ruled pre-Imperial and Imperial Mali from the 12th century into the early 17th century. It was a Muslim Dynasty, and its rulers claimed descent from Bilal. Bilal was a freed slave who accepted Islam and became one of the Sahabas of the Prophet Muhammad. Bilal bears the...
- Mali EmpireMali EmpireThe Mali Empire or Mandingo Empire or Manden Kurufa was a West African empire of the Mandinka from c. 1230 to c. 1600. The empire was founded by Sundiata Keita and became renowned for the wealth of its rulers, especially Mansa Musa I...
- Pre-Columbian Africa-Americas contact theories