Foreign visitors to ancient West African Kingdoms were often captivated by their ruler's wealth, and majesty. The North African Muslim, traveler Ibn Battuta who visited Mali in 1353, described the majesty of its emperor, Mansa Sulaiman:

The Sultan's usual dress, is velvety red tunie... he is preceeded by his musicians, who carry gold and silver guitars, and behind him come three hundred armed slaves. He walks in a leisurely fashion, affecting a very slow movement, and even stops from time to time. On reaching the dais he stops and looks around the assembly, then ascends it in the sedate manner of a preacher ascending a mosque-pulpit. As he takes his seat the drums, trumpets and bugles are sounded.

Source : Thomas Hodgkin, "Kingdom of the Western Sudan," in The Down of African History, edited by Roland Oliver (London...