The Timbuktu Scholar Who Defied a Plague

When the Black Death reached West Africa in the mid-14th century, Timbuktu's scholars faced a crisis that tested their faith and knowledge. This episode follows the story of Mahmud al-Kati, a jurist and historian who survived the outbreak and later documented its impact in his chronicle Tarikh al-Fattash. We explore how Timbuktu's medical tradition, rooted in Galenic and Islamic humoral theory, was augmented by local herbal remedies like balanites and acacia. The plague killed perhaps a third of the city's population, but it also spurred innovations in quarantine and public health that would not be seen in Europe for centuries. Al-Kati's account reveals a society grappling with divine will, contagion theory, and the limits of prayer. We also touch on the role of the Qadiriyya Sufi order in providing spiritual comfort and the subsequent revival of learning under Askia Muhammad. This is the untold story of how the 'City of 333 Saints' confronted its deadliest epidemic. #Timbuktu #BlackDeath #MahmudAlKati #TarikhAlFattash #Plague #WestAfricanHistory #Sankore #Qadiriyya #AskiaMuhammad #HumoralTheory #Balanites #AcaciaNilotica #PublicHealth #14thCentury #MaliEmpire #History #FexingoHistory #Epidemiology Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo