Inflation

Mali was just past the zenith of its powers when Ibn Batuta saw it.  Under Mansa (“Emperor”) Musa 1312-1337), Mali’s greatest ruler, it extended from Lake Chad to the shores of the Atlantic and from the Sahara to the edge of the tropical rain forest.  …….The Key to Mali’s power was its domination of both trade and the gold fields in the western Sudan.

A devout Muslim, Musa has been acclaimed by Islamic historians for his grand pilgrimage to Mecca in 1324-1325.  During his journey he made a spectacular visit to Cairo, where the sultan of Egypt greeted him.  Musa entered the city with a magnificent entourage that included 100 camels, each laden with 300 pounds of gold, and 500 slaves carrying golden staffs.  His lavish almsgiving and purchases in the city’s bazaars reportedly sparked a serious inflation that lasted years.

Civilizations of the World, Greaves et al, Chapter 9, The Civilizations of Early Africa, p. 241