Mansa Musa's Huge Spending: Inflation in Cairo
The Mali Empire: The Richest Civilization in History — Fexingo HistoryPlay episode
Show notes
When Mansa Musa passed through Cairo on his 1324 hajj, he gave away so much gold that he accidentally broke the city's economy. In this episode, Lucas and Luna unpack the real story behind the legendary inflation crisis — how much gold actually entered the market, how Cairo's goldsmiths and moneychangers reacted, and what it meant for Mansa Musa's reputation and Mali's long-term wealth. They draw on the accounts of al-Umari and Ibn Khaldun, walk through the mechanics of medieval currency, and trace how Mansa Musa tried to fix the damage on his return by borrowing at crushing interest rates. It's a tale of staggering wealth, unintended consequences, and a ruler whose generosity rewired a regional economy — and left a mark that outlived the empire itself. #MansaMusa #MaliEmpire #Cairo #MamlukSultanate #Inflation #Gold #Hajj #AlUmari #IbnKhaldun #MedievalEconomy #WestAfrica #SaharanTrade #Timbuktu #Djenne #Mande #History #EconomicHistory #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
