ng, the First Emperor of China. His achievements were monumental, but his reign was marked by ruthlessness, so how did this teenage king rise to power? What drove him to undertake colossal projects like the Great Wall and the Terracotta Army? And how might his obsession with immortality have led to his mysterious death? This is a Short History Of The First Emperor of China. A Noiser Production, written by Sean Coleman. With thanks to John Man, author of The Terracotta Army: China’s First Emperor and the Birth of a Nation. Get every episode of Short History Of... a week early with Noiser+. You’ll also get ad-free listening, bonus material and early access to shows across the Noiser podcast network. Click the subscription banner at the top of the feed to get started. Or go to ⁠noiser.com/subscriptions Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices24:T5c1,

Mansa Musa's wealth is a thing of legend. It's impossible to know exactly how much he was worth, but he himself spread rumours that gold grew like a plant within the Mali Empire. When he embarked on a storied pilgrimage to Mecca in 1324, he gave away so much gold in Egypt that the value of the ore depreciated. But there was much more to the ninth Mansa of Mali than his great wealth - under his reign the empire prospered as a trade hub between West Africa and the Mediterranean World and a centre of Islamic culture and learning.

Dan is joined by Sirio Canós-Donnay, an archaeologist specialising in the pre-colonial states of West Africa. She charts the course of the Mali Empire from its founding by the legendary warrior-king Sundiata Keita, to the zenith of its power under Mansa Musa.

Produced by James Hickmann and edited by Dougal Patmore.

We'd love to hear from you - what do you want to hear an episode on? You can email the podcast at ds.hh@historyhit.com.

You can take part in our listener survey

206. Babur: Guns, Gardens & Diamonds