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Mansa Musa's Floodplain Tax: The Niger River Revenue Machine
How did Mansa Musa's Mali Empire harness the annual flood of the Niger River to build its legendary wealth? This episode uncovers the ingenious floodplain tax system that turned seasonal waters into imperial gold. Lucas and Luna explore the role of the farba, the empire's provincial governors, who measured land in the Inland Niger Delta and collected taxes in grain, cotton, and gold. They discuss the dyula merchants who transported these goods, the impact of the Niger's flood cycle on agriculture, and how this system rivaled the tax networks of contemporary empires like the…
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