Africa
West African Kingdoms
Ghana
• Ghana is the land of • This important
gold
trade of gold and
• Two most important
salt took place on
trading goods:
the trans-Saharan
– 1. Gold
trade
– 2. Salt
• The king was the
• Gold came from the
only one allowed to
Savanna
keep gold nuggets.
• Salt deposits were
This way he could
found in the Sahara
keep the price of
Desert
gold high.
Ghana Gold!
Mali
Mali
• Like Ghana, Mali became wealthy because of
gold.
• A man name Mansa Musa became leader of Mali.
He was a devout Muslim.
• Because of Mansa Musa, Mali grew to become
twice the size of Ghana.
• The city of Timbuktu became a center of trade
and learning because Mansa Musa ordered
mosques and universities to be built.
• Timbuktu is the location of the House of Wisdom
Songhai
Songhai
• After Mali declined,
people broke away
and formed a new
civilization near the
Niger river.
• Two great rulers
name:
– 1. Sunni Ali
– 2. Askia Muhammad
Songhai
• Sunni Ali captured the
city of Timbuktu.
• Askia Muhammad was
an excellent
administrator. He set up
an efficient tax system
and chose able officials.
• Later they were taken
over by the Moroccans
who were fighting with
guns.