Ghana 400 – 1230 AD

Mali 1230 – 1355 AD

Songhay 1355 -1591 AD

MK 2016 Soninke drum music

The Gold Coast

West Africa

West Africa

Europe

Middle East

Asia

Feudalism

Castles

Byzantine Empire

Crusades

Mohamad

Spread of Islam

Arab Islamic Empire

Crusades

Mongols

Tong

Song

Mongols

Yuan Dynasty

Kublai Khan

Elsewhere

Ghana

Ghana

About 400 AD the

Soninke people

united their villages

and created the

Kingdom of Ghana.

Ghana took

advantage of the

trade routes going

through their

territory.

Salt and cloth in

the North

Gold and slaves in

the South

GhanaTraders could save

money by doing

business in Ghana.

(shorter distance)

Ghana taxed

imports and

exports.

Gold and slaves traveled north

Salt and cloth traveled South

Ghana provided

a neutral place

for trading

goods.

Ghana became wealthy

from taxes not from

producing goods.

African tribes were often at

war with each other which

could interrupt business.

Harvesting salt from

evaporated lakebeds

Much like the way it

was done 1,500 years

ago.

Gold mines today look

like the mines

1,500 years ago.

Slaves captured

in the south were

sold to Arab

buyers in the

North.

Gold Salt Slaves

Fall of Ghana

Ghana

By 1230, the gold

mines in the

South had played

out. New mines

were located

farther East.

The Trade routes

shifted Eastward,

outside of

Ghana.

Without the

trade, Ghana

became poor and

weak.

Mali

In 1230, a

warrior from

the Mandinka

tribe named

Sundiata

(“Lion King”)

founded the

kingdom of

Mali.

MaliMali becomes

wealthy as a

result of the

gold, salt, cloth

and slave trade.

Unlike Ghana,

Agriculture was

a source of

trade / income

in Mali.

Spread of Islam into Africa

Islam was

brought

into Africa

by Muslim

merchants

and

traders.

By 1312 AD

Islam had

become the

official

religion of

Mali.

MaliKing Mansa Musa

wanted to gain

respect for

African Muslims

from Arab

Muslims.

He turned the city

of Timbuktu

Into a center of

learning. It had 3

universities and

some of the best

Muslim scholars

gathered in its

House of Wisdom.

Timbuktu

University

of

Sankore

Built in

1324

Mali

Mansa Musa

was the richest

person in the

world.(possibly in history)

worth c. $400 billion

In 1324, he

undertook the

Hajj to Mecca

Fall of Mali

A lack of good

rulers, the

shifting

eastward of

trade routes

and a civil war

weakened Mali.

Sunni Ali, the

king of Songhai

attacked and

conquered Mali

in 1355.

Songhai

Songhai

controlled all

important trade

routes through

West Africa

Songhai became

actively involved

in the slave

process; not just

taxing the trade

as it moved

through their

territory.

SonghaiThe Songhai

created the first

professional

navy in Africa.

The navy

guarded the

Niger river and

prevented

enemies from

sailing into

Songhai.

The navy also

would guard

slave ships

heading to

market.

Songhai

Askia

Muhammad

established a

Muslim dynasty

and built

hundreds of

schools and

universities

when he was

king of Songhai.

In 1591 Songhai

was conquered

by Morocco.

Venice

AlexandriaTripoli

African Gold

to

Arabs and Europe

African Slaves

to

Arabs and later

to Europeans

and Americans

Arab knowledge

and religion

to

Africa

Europe (knowledge)

TradeEurope Arab Africa