Wikipedia for easiness.
So, this guy sent out two huge fleets to see if there's land west of the Atlantic Ocean. The first fleet numbered 400 ships, according to Wikipedia (200 for men, 200 for supplies, is how I interpret it), though most other sources say just 200. The second fleet, according to Musa I, numbered 2000 ships. Is that even possible? Anyway, Abubakri II went along with this fleet, never to return, and Musa I became Mansa (you know, the one of Civilization IV, who spread a lot of gold around during his hajj, causing inflation and maybe supporting the Italian renaissance).
I found mention of people investigating a landing in 1312. Musa I became Mansa in 1311, which happened after Abubakri II hadn't returned for some time. I don't know when he left, which I can't find out either. A possible clue could be one ship of the first fleet, that returned to Mali from this voyage after the rest sailed into some kind of 'river in the ocean' (a hurricane or what have you, I guess) and promptly perished. But again, I can't find out the exact date of leaving and returning of this ship.
I have no idea how shipbuilding around this time looked in western Africa, but considering ships of forty feet long have apparently been excavated in western Africa, and considering the Niger is quite a large river (needing a ship to cross, usually)... But, as someone who knows nothing about the subject, even 200 ships seems like a huge amount. These numbers could be explained by using canoes or rafts, I suppose. So really, I have no idea what kind of ships we're talking about here.
There's some proof for Abubakri II succeeding; Columbus mentions a building that looks like a Mosque, natives mention some gold didn't come from their lands but from darker men (and indeed, some gold has been traced back to western Africa)... But the consensus says Abubakri II failed.
So what if Abubakri II succeeded? Well, I believe Africa (where Mali is, anyway) has more disease than Europe, but can that really be said? What about different diseases? Mali is also closer to the new world than Europe. So I suppose we can expect people to arrive faster and carrying more disease (though I'm unsure about the last point).
Is there a population base for this Mali to maintain settlements? How would the American natives be affected? Could this have such an impact that, by the time the late fifteenth century rolls around (yes yes, this is massively ignoring butterflies), natives have immunity against European diseases (though not against all diseases, I guess)? I doubt this can spread from the tip of Brazil to North America, even if this wasn't a rather depopulated place - which I think it is?
I know there were some tribes, but nothing like Tawantinsuyu or the various Mexican people. Word could spread to them - Tawantinsuyu had very limited contact with Mesoamerica, but there was some contact, I believe - but whether disease would spread to any of the better known people, I don't know. And besides, at this point of history (1311, 1312...), there's a kingdom of Cusco, no Tawantinsuyu (shortly after this period, the idea of expanding the borders comes up for the first time, but that's rather irrelevant as we can assume this region would develop mostly the same, I'd say).
So what would have happened, if this can happen at all? I would doubt it can, but it's not that long a distance, and, though the Vikings had a huge seafaring tradition unlike Mali, they prove one doesn't need something like Galleons to make the journey. Would lighter ships be thrown of course by the currents (there's a current passing northwards by the west coast of the old world)? Perhaps some North African people would have more success, come to think of it, but oh well.
So, this guy sent out two huge fleets to see if there's land west of the Atlantic Ocean. The first fleet numbered 400 ships, according to Wikipedia (200 for men, 200 for supplies, is how I interpret it), though most other sources say just 200. The second fleet, according to Musa I, numbered 2000 ships. Is that even possible? Anyway, Abubakri II went along with this fleet, never to return, and Musa I became Mansa (you know, the one of Civilization IV, who spread a lot of gold around during his hajj, causing inflation and maybe supporting the Italian renaissance).
I found mention of people investigating a landing in 1312. Musa I became Mansa in 1311, which happened after Abubakri II hadn't returned for some time. I don't know when he left, which I can't find out either. A possible clue could be one ship of the first fleet, that returned to Mali from this voyage after the rest sailed into some kind of 'river in the ocean' (a hurricane or what have you, I guess) and promptly perished. But again, I can't find out the exact date of leaving and returning of this ship.
I have no idea how shipbuilding around this time looked in western Africa, but considering ships of forty feet long have apparently been excavated in western Africa, and considering the Niger is quite a large river (needing a ship to cross, usually)... But, as someone who knows nothing about the subject, even 200 ships seems like a huge amount. These numbers could be explained by using canoes or rafts, I suppose. So really, I have no idea what kind of ships we're talking about here.
There's some proof for Abubakri II succeeding; Columbus mentions a building that looks like a Mosque, natives mention some gold didn't come from their lands but from darker men (and indeed, some gold has been traced back to western Africa)... But the consensus says Abubakri II failed.
So what if Abubakri II succeeded? Well, I believe Africa (where Mali is, anyway) has more disease than Europe, but can that really be said? What about different diseases? Mali is also closer to the new world than Europe. So I suppose we can expect people to arrive faster and carrying more disease (though I'm unsure about the last point).
Is there a population base for this Mali to maintain settlements? How would the American natives be affected? Could this have such an impact that, by the time the late fifteenth century rolls around (yes yes, this is massively ignoring butterflies), natives have immunity against European diseases (though not against all diseases, I guess)? I doubt this can spread from the tip of Brazil to North America, even if this wasn't a rather depopulated place - which I think it is?
I know there were some tribes, but nothing like Tawantinsuyu or the various Mexican people. Word could spread to them - Tawantinsuyu had very limited contact with Mesoamerica, but there was some contact, I believe - but whether disease would spread to any of the better known people, I don't know. And besides, at this point of history (1311, 1312...), there's a kingdom of Cusco, no Tawantinsuyu (shortly after this period, the idea of expanding the borders comes up for the first time, but that's rather irrelevant as we can assume this region would develop mostly the same, I'd say).
So what would have happened, if this can happen at all? I would doubt it can, but it's not that long a distance, and, though the Vikings had a huge seafaring tradition unlike Mali, they prove one doesn't need something like Galleons to make the journey. Would lighter ships be thrown of course by the currents (there's a current passing northwards by the west coast of the old world)? Perhaps some North African people would have more success, come to think of it, but oh well.
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