was mansa musa a king or emperor?
<answer> Musa, Mansa (1280-1337) Mansa Musa, fourteenth century emperor of the Mali Empire. <context> Musa, Mansa (1280-1337) Mansa Musa, fourteenth century emperor of the Mali Empire, is the medieval African ruler most known to the world outside Africa. His elaborate pilgrimage to the Muslim holy city of Mecca in 1324 introduced him to rulers in the Middle East and in Europe.