CHAPTER 13Ghana: A West African Trading

Empire

I. Government and MilitaryA.Government led by an all-powerful king

1. He was head of the army2. Had the final say on matters of law3. Led his people in religious worship

B. King grew wealthy by controlling the gold trade1. All gold nuggets belonged to the king2. Ordinary people could own gold dust

C. King paid officials to help govern society1. Officials ruled different parts of the society, such as industry, tax collection, and foreign peoples2. Some governed whole regions in the king’s name

D. Military was the center of the king’s power1. Military was made up of thousands of career soldiers2. They secured the borders of the kingdom, kept the peace, and put down revolts against the king

3.The color of their tunic and the number of feathers in their headdress indicated their rank

4.The best soldiers served as the king’s escorts and bodyguards

II. Trade Created Ghana’s Wealth

A. Trans-Saharan trade had a long history

1. Two factors spurred Trans-Saharan trade

a. Introducing camels to the Sahara- They could carry great weight and travel long distances

b. The spread of Islam- Muslims wanted to spread Islam to

Ghana- They wished to control Ghana’s trade

2. Traders faced great difficulty as they traveleda. Great distances between villagesb. Harsh conditions threatened survival of traders

3. Muslim historian ibn Battuta described these difficulties in his diary

4.Caravans stayed at oases during the rainy season

5. The salt mines of Taghaza provided salt to trade for food & other goods

6. At Walata, caravans used donkeys & porters for the rest of the journey

7. The entire trip took about 2 months

III. Trade of Gold and Salt Enriches GhanaA. Gold was found near Wangara region, near the

forests south of Ghana1. It was traded to North Africans for the salt they needed for survival

A. Gold was found near Wangara region, near the forests south of Ghana1. It was traded to North Africans for the salt they needed for survival

B. Salt was mined at the village of Taghaza1. Salt had several uses:– It was needed for

survival in hot climates to replace salt baked out of your body by the sun

– Preserve food and improve food’s taste

2. Salt deposits were found below ground and dug out in large blocks

C. Ghana collected taxes of gold on goods carried through their empire

D. They used the wealth to fund the army that protected their trading power and helped conquer new territories

IV. Exchange of GoodsA. Goods traded in Ghana first

went to the great marketplace in Kumbi

1. Paid for with gold dust2. Items traded included

textiles, food, farm animals, jewelry, & slaves

B. Trade with Wangarans was conducted silently 1. Traders spread goods along the riverbank, and then left2. Wangarans arrived and left gold dust, and then left3. If the amount of gold dust was acceptable, the traders would

take it; if not, they would leave and wait for more

V. Ghana’s Decline and Mali’s Rise

A. Two reasons for Ghana’s decline1. War with Muslims led to Kumbi’s capture in 10762. Growing population led to scarce resources, as demand overcame supply

a. Empire ended in 1203B. West Africans from Mali, called the Mande,

captured Kumbi from the Muslims in 1240 C. The Mande extended their empire from the

Atlantic Ocean to beyond the Niger River, and from the southern forests the salt and copper mines of the Sahara

Islam comes to Timbuktu

D. Mali Empire grew wealthy by their control of trade

E. Mali leaders adopted Islam, which led to greater Muslim influence in West Africa