Mansa Musa's Mossi Campaign: The Southern Frontier

Mansa Musa: The Richest Man Who Ever Lived — Fexingo History · Jul 28, 2026 · 6m · transcript

In this episode, we explore Mansa Musa's military campaign against the Mossi kingdoms on the southern frontier of the Mali Empire. Faced with the independent, cavalry-heavy states of Yatenga and Tenkodogo, Mansa Musa led a major expedition around 1325 to secure trade routes and gold lands. We discuss the battle near Lake Teli, the use of farari heavy cavalry, the capture of the Mossi capital, and the subsequent tributary arrangements. Lucas and Luna also examine the cultural exchanges and the limits of Malian power in the south, drawing on accounts from the Tarikh al-Sudan and oral…