Mansa (title)

mansaw) is a Maninka[2] and Mandinka[3] word for a hereditary[1][4] ruler, commonly translated as "king".

[5][6][7] It is particularly known as the title of the rulers of the Mali Empire, such as Mansa Musa, and in this context is sometimes translated as "emperor".

[8] It is also a title held by traditional village rulers, and in this context is translated as "chief".

[9] The word mansa (Arabic: منسا, romanized: mansā) was recorded in Arabic during the 14th century by North African writers such as Ibn Battuta and Ibn Khaldun, who explained it as meaning "sultan".

[11] Cognates of mansa exist in other Mandé languages, such as Soninke manga, Susu menge, and Bambara masa.