West African Trading
Kingdoms
Ghana, Mali, Axum, and Songhai
• Describe any THREE common
features of the historical
circumstances associated with the
rise of Ghana, Mali, Axum, and
Songhai.
• Relate THREE important
contributions of African civilizations.
CLOSEUP:
Ibn Battuta
●
The Kingdom of Mali (c. 1300) Ibn Battuta -- The
[people] possess some admirable qualities. They
are seldom unjust, and have a greater
abhorrence [hatred] of injustice than any other
people. There is complete security in their
country. Neither traveler nor inhabitant in it has
anything to fear from robbers or men of
violence. --- Which point of view about the
culture of Mali does Ibn Battuta express in this
passage?
Kingdom of Ghana
• richest trading
civilizations in West
Africa
• location midway
between
Saharan salt
mines & tropical
gold mines;
• the kings of Ghana
taxed goods that
entered or left their
kingdom.
Kingdom of Ghana
• two-way traffic by
caravan between
cities in North Africa
& Ghana.
• Salt = an important
trade item for the
ppl of Ghana,
– preserve & flavor
foods.
Kingdom of Ghana
• Ghana – height 800s & 900s;
• trade moving
through Ghana
brought ideas &
customs to the
kingdom
Kingdom of Ghana
• end 1000s, an
attack on the
Ghanaian trade
centers by the
Almoravids, a
Muslim group from
North Africa, led to
the decline of
Ghana as a
prosperous
kingdom.
Kingdom of Mali
• Mali, one of the states to
break away from Ghana,
became a powerful
kingdom that eventually
ruled much of West
Africa.
• One of Mali's early
kings, Sundiata Keita,
restored the transSaharan trade in gold &
salt
Kingdom of Mali
• Mali's greatest
king, Mansa
Musa, ruled
from 1312 to
1332, opened
& protected
trade routes, &
introduced
Islamic culture.
Kingdom of Mali
• A Muslim himself,
Musa enhanced the
prestige & power of
Mali through a famous
pilgrimage to Mecca
in 1324;
• @ Mecca , Musa
persuaded a Spanish
architect to build
mosques & a palace
for Musa in Timbuktu.
Kingdom of Mali
• After Mansa Musa
died, the empire
came under attack
from the north &
south;
• inside the kingdom,
ppl living in the
Songhai region of the
Niger River valley
rebelled against the
empire.
Kingdom of Songhai
• The rebellious
Songhai, skilled
traders, farmers, &
fishers,
• led by strong
rulers who
managed to
conquer the cities
of Timbuktu &
Djenne.
Kingdom of Songhai
• 1493 to 1528, under
the Muslim ruler
Askia Muhammad
– came to power when
the Muslim
population overthrew
a non-Muslim king
– Songhai Empire
reached its height of
glory.
Kingdom of Songhai
• Devoted to Islam,
Muhammad
introduced laws
based on the
teachings of holy
book of Islam, the
Quran.
Kingdom of Songhai
• 1528 Askia
Muhammad =
overthrown by his
son,
• by 1600 the
Songhai Empire
had come to an
end, defeated by
an invading
Moroccan army.
Similarities
Trade carried out by
Berbers across caravan
routes in desert
(caravan – “fleet of the
desert”; camels)
Export: iron, gold,
Import: salt, metal
goods, textiles, horses
A tendency for Arab
racism toward Berbers
Achievements
• Timbuktu (presentday Tombouctou)
• Intellectual capital
of Muslim world
thanks to Mansa
Musa
• Famous Sankore
mosque
Sankore
Mosque
Timbuktu
QUESTIONS
• Ghana, Mali, and Songhai arise
mainly because of trade in __ and __.
• Mansa Musa’s rule is proof that
complex societies existed in Africa
before the coming of __.
• A significant effect of Mansa Musa’s
pilgrimage to Mecca was __.
More QUESTIONS
• The earliest great west African trading
state was __.
• Salt came from the __ and gold mines
were located __. The trade routes for
these items crisscrossed in __.
• __ were crucial for African trade across
the Sahara for the Berbers.
• The beliefs of __ was spread in west
Africa thanks to Mansa Musa.
West African Superpowers
5min4
List THREE – What was the influence of
Islam?
Who was Ibn Battuta?
West African Superpowers