West Africa Barrett S.

West Africa Barrett S.

1. Ghana

   • Geology
     • Im the mid 400s, a group of primarily nomadic people formed at kingdom just south the Sahara Desert. This was called Ghana
     • They built their capital city, Kumbi-Saleh, right on the edge of the Sahara Desert.
     • While Kumbi-Saleh was the capital if Ghana, it was actually two cities, six miles away connected by a road.
   • Religion
     • Their center of Kumbi-Saleh, contained a grove filled with trees for religious practices.
     • It was inhabited by Arab and Berber merchants, and house almost a dozen mosques
   • Achievements
     • Gradually, Ghana grew very rich form the Trans-Saharan Trade route.
     • As Ghana grew richer, the kingdom expanded into an empire.
     • They began to use camels to carry goods across the Sahara Desert.
   • Economy
     • From the north came salt; west came with the rich resources of gold, ivory, and other goods.
     • Ghana was located in the middle of the salt and gold trade routes.
     • The king required traders to give him a portion of their goods, and if they had gold, they would have to give him a portion of their gold.
     • The king, or ghana, also put a tax on the local goldmines.
   • Social Structure
     • The most important part of Kumbi-Saleh was the center. This was protected by large walls, and was a political and religious center.
     • The king lived in the center of the capital, which was a religious and political center for Kumbi-Saleh.
   • Politics
     • The kingdom was ruled by a king, or ghana.
     • The ghana was the supreme judge of the kingdom

2. Mail

   • Geology
     • Mali, located in the Sahel, a grassland region on the southern border of the Sahara Desert, became powerful by controlling the rich trans-Saharan trade routes between northern and western Africa, especially because of the gold trade.
     • Mali was located in a agriculturally rich area along the upper Niger river.
   • Religion
     • Timbuktu, an important city in Mali, became one of the major cultural centers not only of Africa, but of the entire world.
     • Vast libraries and Islamic universities were built.
   • Achievements
     • Control of the Niger river grew Mali into an empire.
     • At the time Sundiata's rule, the empire of Mali extended over 1,000 miles form east to west and Mali took over the gold and salt trade.
     • Sundiata is also said to have introduced the cultivation and weaving of cotton into the area.
     • Mansa Musa was Mali's greatest king, ruling from 1312 to 1337 CE.
     • During his rule, he doubled the land area of Mali; its became larger than any empire in Europe at the time.
     • The cities of Mali became important trading centers for all of West Africa.
   • Politics
     • After the death of Mansa Musa, the power of Mali began to decline.
     • Mansa Musa's sons could not hold the empire together
     • In 1430 C.E., the Berber in north took much of Mali's territory, including the city of Timbuktu, and gradually Mali lost its hold on tad until it crumbled.
   • Economy
   • Social Structure
     • The rulers of Mali came to be called "mansa," meaning "emperor" or "master"