Outline Lecture Six—Trade Networks in West Africa
Key Focus:
1) What stimulated trade in West Africa before the European intervention?
2) What was the extent of wealth and influence in West African kingdoms?
I) The Advent of the Trans-Saharan Trade
a) Pre-5th century Scenario
b) Transport Breakthrough in 5th century
i) The Camel Revolution
ii) Berbers
(1) Sanhaja and Tauregs
c) The Mediterranean-Sahel Link
i) Sahel comes from the Arabic word for “shore”
(1) Network of “littoral” cities—Timbuktu, Gao, Djenne, Kumbi-Saleh
ii) Active trade network between sub-Saharan Africa and Mediterranean region
II) The First West African Kingdom—Ghana (10th to 12th centuries)
a) Historical Background
i) Soninke People with capital at Kumbi Saleh
ii) Conduit of trade between desert salt mines at Taghaza (Western Sahara) and goldfields of Bambuk (Upper Senegal River)
b) The Gold Trade
i) Impact of the spread of Islam by 8th and 9th centuries
ii) Lucrative position as “middle-men”
iii) The gold harvesters of Bambuk
(1) Accounts of Al-Bakri, an 11th century geographer in Cordoba
c) Kumbi-Saleh in the 11th century
i) Consisted of two towns
ii) Social Stratification
d) Decline of Ghana in 13th Century
i) Rise of the Almoravids
ii) Discovery of new gold fields farther east—Bure
III) The Aura of African Wealth and Power—Mali Empire (13th to 14th Century)
a) Historical Background
i) Mandike People
(1) Chiefs as al Musulmani
ii) Why no state-compulsion towards conversion?
(1) Economic, political, social factors
(2) Advantages of elites adopting Islam
iii) Founder Sundyata (r.1230-1255) set up capital at Niani
b) Extent of Empire
i) System of vassalage
ii) 1000 miles across from Atlantic to heart of Africa (see map)
(1) Rich agricultural base
iii) Possibility of an Atlantic crossing?
c) Worldly Prominence under Mansa Musa (r. 1312-1337)
i) Famous pilgrimage to Mecca
(1) Famous madrasas and libraries at Timbuktu
(2) Great Mosque at Djenne
ii) Catalan map of 1375