The Islamic World and Africa –
•The Sahara Desert served as a
natural barrier between SubSaharan Africa and the
Mediterranean and European
world.
•However, Arab Muslims were
well suited for crossing the
desert, and resting at an oasis,
for the chance to benefit from
the Gold-Salt trade.
The Islamic World and Africa –
•Merchants would cross from
Cairo, Egypt with salt to trade
with W.Africa.
•W. Africa lacked salt- trading
caravans from the East
exchanged salt for W. African
gold.
•Cultural diffusion occurred
and the knowledge and religion
of the Islamic world, was passed
to parts of Africa.
The Islamic World and Africa –
•Trading kingdoms in W. Africa
rose to power based on their
control of gold-salt trade routes.
•1st –Kingdom of Ghana in 750.
•The kings of Ghana grew
wealthy taxing the gold-salt trade
that passed through the region.
•In 1076, Muslims from N.Africa
invaded, bringing Islam. Ghana
was broken into smaller states.
•2nd – Kingdom of Mali –
1240
•They conquered the old
capital of Ghana and
brought the gold-salt trade
under their direct control.
•Mali’s rulers converted to
Islam.
•The most famous ruler of
Mali was Mansa Musa.
Mali – the “Empire of Gold”
above
•Mansa Musa went on a Hajj (Holy pilgrimage),to Mecca
in 1324.
•He was a wealthy leader, and he returned from Mecca
with Muslim scholars and architects.
•He commissioned a palace to be built at Timbuktu.
•Timbuktu became an
important center of trade
and culture.
•Universities were built
there, and they attracted
scholars from around the
world.
•Sadly, Mali rulers who
came after Mansa Musa
were less capable, and the
kingdom fell in the 1400’s.
•3rd – The Trading
Kingdom of Songhai –
1464
•Sultan Sunni Ali captured
Timbuktu and brought the
former kingdom of Mali
under his control.
•It became the largest of
the trading kingdoms,
growing rich off of the
trade routes.
Sultan Sunni Ali above
•3rd – The Trading Kingdom
of Songhai –
•Timbuktu remained a center
for culture and trade.
•In 1591, the ruler of
Morocco, attacked the
Kingdom of Songhai. Songhai
fell, and the trading kingdom
was split apart. This marked
the end of the great W.
African trading kingdoms.
Bringing Together Key Ideas:
• The Arab/Muslim world spread the religion of
Islam throughout parts of Africa, Asia and the
Middle East.
• An early split occurred between the Shiite and
Sunni practitioners of Islam based on their
relationship to the prophet Muhammad.
• Caliphates or Dynasties such as the Umayyads,
Abbasids, and Fatimids became centers for
learning and trade.
Bringing Together Key Ideas:
• The Golden Age of the Islamic World saw the
preservation of works from the Greeks, and
advances made in math, science and literature.
• Arab Muslims interacted with the Seljuk Turks
who converted to Islam, and went on to establish
an empire.
• Trading Kingdoms developed in W. Africa to
benefit from the Gold-Salt trade. Many W.
Africans converted to Islam as well.