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West African Empires

West African Empires. Ghana, Mali, Songhai. Ghana and trans-Saharan trade routes. Mali and Songhai. I. Ghana Controls Trade. A. Soninke —banded together for protection B. People of Ghana grew in strength---learned to use iron tools for farming.

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West African Empires

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  1. West African Empires Ghana, Mali, Songhai

  2. Ghana and trans-Saharan trade routes

  3. Mali and Songhai

  4. I. Ghana Controls Trade • A. Soninke—banded together for protection • B. People of Ghana grew in strength---learned to use iron tools for farming. • C. Silent Barter Trade---traded 2 main resources (gold and salt) using this peaceful trading system. • D. Ghana controlled trade and became very wealthy—built up an army.

  5. II. Ghana Builds an Empire • All trade through north and south Africa passed through Ghana. • A. Taxes and Gold • 1. Every trader entering Ghana had to pay a tax • 2. Gold was traded, but most was kept by the king • 3. Common people could only own gold dust

  6. II. Ghana Builds an Empire • B. Expansion of the Empire • 1. Part of Ghana’s wealth went to support the army • 2. The empire reached its peak under TunkaManin—king of Ghana

  7. III. Ghana’s Decline • A. Invasion • The Almoravids attacked and weakened trade in Ghana. • B. Overgrazing • Destroyed Ghana’s farmland • C. Internal Rebellion • People that Ghana had conquered rose up in rebellion

  8. I. Mali • Mali began under the ruler, Sundiata • A. Sundiata Makes Mali and Empire • 1. Built up an army and conquered Ghana in 1230. • 2. Took over gold and salt trade (introduced a new crop—cotton) • 3. Took power away from local leaders---took the new title of Mansa • 4. Died in 1255; new rulers of Mali were now called Mansas

  9. I. Mali • B. Mansa Musa • 1. Mali reached its height under the ruler, Mansa Musa. Islam spread through West Africa because of his influence. • 2. Ruled from 1312-1337. He added Timbuktu to the Mali empire • 3. 1324—left on pilgrimage to Mecca to complete one of the pillars of Islam. He gave out large amounts of gold along the way. • 4. Supported education, the spread of the Arabic language, and the spread of Islam

  10. I. Mali • C. The Fall of Mali • 1. Raiders from the southeast took over • 2. 1431—Timbuktu was seized

  11. II. Songhai • Songhai---a nearby rival kingdom, grew in power. • A. The Building of an Empire • 1. Songhai gained independence from Mali in the 1400’s. • 2. Songhai leaders traded with other N. African Muslims • 3. In 1464, Sunni Ali took over and expanded the empire • 4. Sunni Ali encouraged Islam and local religions

  12. II. Songhai • B. Askia the Great • 1. Songhai people rebelled against Sunni Baru (Sunni Ali’s son)---he was not a Muslim • 2. Askia the Great became the new ruler of Songhai after the rebellion • 3. Askia the Great supported education • 4. Encouraged the growth of Islam • 5. Set up 5 provinces in Songhai

  13. II. Songhai • C. Songhai Falls to Morocco • 1. Morocco wanted control of the salt mines • 2. Used the arquebus—early form of a gun---to take over in 1591. • 3. Trading in West Africa declined as Atlantic port cities became more important to Africans south of Songhai and European merchants.

  14. 1. How did Timbuktu’s location help it develop into a major trading city? • It was a crossroads of trade routes in the Sahara Desert.

  15. 2. What brought Muslim traders to the kingdom of Ghana? • GOLD!

  16. 3. What other items besides gold and salt were traded in the markets of Timbuktu? • Slaves, cloth, horses, spices, silks, ivory

  17. 4. What did Muslim traders bring with them to sell in Timbuktu? • North African cloth and horses, salt

  18. 5. What religion was brought to western Africa by Muslim traders? • Islam

  19. 6. Who was the most famous and powerful king of Mali? Where did he go on a year-long journey? • Mansa Musa. He made a pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca to complete one of the 5 pillars of Islam.

  20. 7. How did it become widely known that Mali was a wealthy kingdom? • On Mansa Musa’s pilgrimage to Mecca, he brought 60,000 people from West Africa with him. They gave out and left behind enough gold that would be worth over 100 million dollars today!

  21. 8. How did Mansa Musa spread Islam? • He had many mosques built in Timbuktu and around Mali. • He brought Muslim scholars to Mali to teach in the schools he had built in Timbuktu. He encouraged the spread of the Arabic language as well.

  22. Ghana 770-1230 AD

  23. Mali 1230’s-(ish)---1464

  24. Songhai: 1464-1591

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