Medieval African Empires

Great Zimbabwe

•1200-1400•Economy based on international trade and

cattle•Left huge, well-crafted stone ruins

Stealing History•Europeans claimed African ruins must

have been built by early white peoples ▫They didn’t think native Africans were

capable of building permanent structures

▫ Gave Europeans a right to the land•White explorers destroyed African

artifacts and ruins, preventing accurate knowledge of history

Ghana

•West Africa•800-1000s•Economy based

on gold mining and taxing trade routes

•Political system = monarchy

Silent Trade

•Designed to keep location of gold mines secret

•To keep gold prices high, only kings were allowed to own gold nuggets

Mali•Same area as

Ghana•1230-late 1300s •Rulers were Islamic

African kings•Founded by

Sundiata

Mali cont.

•Built Islamic universities and libraries in Timbuktu

•Traded gold and salt•Mansa Musa, king, went on hajj and

brought Mali to the outside world▫Caused inflation in Egypt▫Made Europeans aware of African gold

Songhai

•West Africa, 1460-1590•Empire but developed bureaucracy

under Askia Muhammad•Became wealthy from trans-Saharan

trade