Mansa Musa's Lost Fleet The Mali Navy That Ruled the Niger

Mansa Musa's Mali Empire controlled a stretch of the Niger River over a thousand miles long, and to rule it, the emperor maintained a powerful navy. This episode reveals the forgotten fleet of war canoes that patrolled the river, suppressed rebellions, and protected trade from Jenne to Timbuktu. Lucas and Luna explore the Bozo and Sorko boatbuilders who crafted vessels from giant kapok logs, the farba river governors who commanded flotillas, and the 1325 military campaign that crushed the Songhai rebellion. Drawing on oral traditions and the writings of Al-Umari, they piece together the scale and operations of this inland navy. Along the way, they discuss a remarkable 2012 discovery: a sunken canoe near Gao, radiocarbon-dated to the 14th century, that may have been part of Musa's fleet. The episode also examines how the navy's decline after Musa's death opened the door for Songhai's rise. For listeners who love hidden chapters of empire, this is an overlooked story of riverine power and West African statecraft. #MaliEmpire #MansaMusa #NigerRiver #Bozo #Sorko #Songhai #farba #Jenne #Timbuktu #AlUmari #canoe #riverinewarfare #14thcentury #WestAfrica #History #FexingoHistory #AfricanHistory #NavalHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo