Latest / Mansa Musa: The Richest Man Who Ever Lived — Fexingo History / Mansa Musa's Lost Brother Abu Bakr II
Transcript
- Lucas: We know Mansa Musa as the golden king who reshaped Cairo’s economy, but before he took the mantle, there was another ruler in Niani whose name often gets swallowed by his brother’s shadow. That is Abu Bakr II, a man who reportedly didn’t just rule the Mali Empire—he vanished into legend by sailing west into the Atlantic. For decades, scholars dismissed these stories as mere myth, but recent re-examinations of the Tarikh al-Sudan suggest something far more deliberate was happening at the court. Luna: So he actually left the throne? Lucas: He didn't just leave; he abdicated. The narrative goes that after hearing reports from Dyula merchants about lands beyond the great river, Abu Bakr II decided to personally lead an expedition to map what lay on the other side. He handed the reins of state to his brother, Musa, who would later become the most famous ruler in West African history, and set out with a fleet of hundreds of ships. Luna: That sounds incredibly risky for the time. Lucas: It was audacious, especially when you consider the shipbuilding capabilities of the region. Most historians assume they used dugout canoes, but some interpretations of the Arabic sources suggest they may have constructed larger vessels capable of open-sea travel, perhaps even inspired by Arab dhows or earlier trans-Saharan maritime experiments. The logistics alone are staggering—provisions, water, crew management for months at sea. Luna: Did any of them come back? Lucas: The standard account says no one returned. Abu Bakr II sent back one boat as a reconnaissance mission, and when it arrived, the captain reported seeing land with rivers flowing into the sea. Eagerly, Abu Bakr launched the second, much larger fleet, and then silence. The only record we have comes from al-Umari, writing decades later in Cairo, who relayed a conversation with the sultan’s chamberlain, Abba Siyyam. Luna: And al-Umari was skeptical of the whole thing. Lucas: Exactly. Al-Umari wrote that he found it hard to believe because he knew nothing of anyone crossing the sea except in small numbers and for short distances. He essentially labeled it a fabrication, yet he included it in his book, which implies he heard it from credible sources within the Mamluk court who had direct contact with Malian envoys. It wasn't just a griot's tale; it was circulating among diplomats. Luna: But Ibn Khaldun also mentions him. Lucas: Yes, and his account is slightly different, adding a layer of political intrigue. Ibn Khaldun notes that Abu Bakr II was the older brother and initially the rightful heir, but he stepped aside due to personal inclination rather than force. Some scholars argue this wasn't just about exploration—it might have been a way to avoid the intense internal pressures of the gbara council, allowing Musa to take a cleaner path to power. Luna: Could the ships have survived? Lucas: If they were using traditional pirogues, absolutely not. But if they had access to composite hull designs or reinforced wood, survival was possible. The Gulf Stream could have carried them down the coast, potentially all the way to South America or even further south. There are no archaeological sites confirming this, but the lack of evidence isn't proof of absence—it's proof of how little we've looked for African maritime ruins. Luna: It feels like a lost chapter of global history. Lucas: It is. And the tragedy is that Musa, once he realized his brother wasn't coming back, didn't try to rescue him immediately. Instead, he focused on consolidating the empire, building Timbuktu, and managing the gold trade. He turned the loss into an opportunity to strengthen the state, effectively closing the door on the Atlantic adventure to focus on the Sahel. Luna: That seems very pragmatic. Lucas: Pragmatic to a fault, perhaps. By securing the interior, Musa made Mali the wealthiest kingdom in the world, but he also sealed off the possibility of knowing what Abu Bakr might have found. If Abu Bakr had reached new continents, he might have brought back crops, diseases, or technologies that could have altered the entire trajectory of human history centuries before European voyages. Luna: Do we know why the stories were forgotten? Lucas: Partly because the Islamic chroniclers viewed seafaring as less honorable than land-based conquest or scholarship. Partly because the oral traditions of the jeliw kept these stories alive but fragmented, tied to specific lineages rather than universal history. It took modern historians digging into those manuscripts to piece together the scope of what might have been attempted. Luna: It changes how we see their ambition. Lucas: It does. We tend to think of pre-colonial Africa as isolated, but here was a king willing to risk everything on the unknown horizon. Whether he drowned in the deep or established a colony thousands of miles away, his choice to prioritize discovery over duty remains one of the most compelling 'what ifs' in medieval history. Luna: What do you think happened to him? Lucas: I lean toward the tragic interpretation—the fleet was lost to storms or currents, a noble failure that elevated Musa’s legacy by contrast. But I always wonder if there’s a survivor story buried in a remote village in Brazil or Angola, waiting to be decoded. Luna: I’d love to find out. Lucas: We’ll keep looking. Before we go, I want to pause for a moment. If you've been stepping into history with us episode by episode, learning about these hidden figures like Abu Bakr II, you're helping us keep this archive alive. We stay ad-free so we can dive into these details without compromise, and your support makes that possible. You can help us continue by visiting buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. Thank you for being part of this journey. Luna: It really keeps the stories going. Lucas: It does. Now, let's look closer at the ships themselves. Al-Umari mentions they were equipped with oars and sails, suggesting a hybrid design. If they were using lateen sails, common in the Indian Ocean, they could have tacked against the wind, which would have been crucial for navigating the complex currents of the Guinea coast. Luna: Lateen sails were advanced technology. Lucas: They were, and they were well-known in the Mediterranean and Red Sea trade networks. Given the Mali Empire's connections to North Africa, it’s entirely plausible that Malian shipwrights adapted these designs. The question is whether they had the navigational tools to use them effectively in open water, like astrolabes or detailed portolan charts. Luna: Did they have maps? Lucas: Not in the European sense, but they had extensive oral geographies and star lore. The jeliw memorized routes and landmarks with incredible precision. If Abu Bakr’s pilots were trained in these traditions, combined with basic celestial navigation, they might have managed to stay close to the coast until they felt safe enough to venture further out. Luna: Staying close to the coast makes sense. Lucas: It’s the safest strategy. They likely followed the shoreline south, stopping at rivers to replenish fresh water. The challenge would have been the Humboldt Current pushing north along the African west coast, which would have made returning home nearly impossible without favorable winds. Once they passed a certain point, it was one way. Luna: That must have been terrifying. Lucas: Imagine being on those ships, watching the familiar coast disappear behind you, knowing there is no return route. Abu Bakr II must have understood that he was leaving his life, his family, and his title forever. It was an act of supreme faith in the unknown, driven by a curiosity that outweighed his fear. Luna: Curiosity is a powerful motivator. Lucas: It is. And it reminds us that the desire to explore isn't unique to any one culture. The Mali Empire, rich in gold and knowledge, was also rich in imagination. Abu Bakr II’s voyage may have failed, but the spirit of it echoes in every explorer who has ever looked at the horizon and wondered what lies beyond. Luna: A beautiful thought to end on. Lucas: Indeed. Next time, we’ll discuss how Musa handled the news of his brother’s disappearance and the political shifts that followed in Niani.