west africans needed salt. north africans had salt
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West Africans needed salt. North Africans had salt. North African nomads crossed the Sahara desert to engage in trade with West Africans. Of course, any kingdom strong enough to control this trade was prosperous and powerful. By 1240 A.D., the West African kingdom of Mali had conquered - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
West Africans needed salt.North Africans had salt.
North African nomads crossedthe Sahara desert to engagein trade with West Africans.
Of course, any kingdom strongenough to control this tradewas prosperous and powerful.
By 1240 A.D., the West Africankingdom of Mali had conqueredthe weakened kingdom of Ghana.
The kings of Mali brought the salt and gold minesunder their control.
The West African kingdom ofMali truly was “the land of gold”!
Of course, trade increasedcultural
diffusion as thereligion of Islam
enteredWest Africa along trade
routes.
Many West Africans convertedto Islam.
The kings of Mali were goodrulers but the greatest kingof Mali was Mansa Musa.
Mansa Musa was a piousMuslim and the most significant
king of Mali.
Mansa Musa established agreat center for learningin Timbuktu, the capital cityof Mali.
He encouraged learning andinvited Arab scholars to studyat his great university.
As a pious Muslim, Mansa Musamade a pilgrimage to Mecca.
Mansa Musa fulfilled an important obligation of Islamby making the pilgrimage to
Mecca.
Mansa Musa also fulfilledthe pillar of charity by
giving gold away on his journey.
Sadly, subsequent kings were not as capable as Mansa Musaand the empire declined after
his death.