Trading Kingdoms of West Africa
Kingdom of Ghana
Where was the ancient kingdom of
Ghana located?
• Western Africa
• Along Niger River
How did Ghana’s location lead to
wealth and power?
• To the north was the Sahara- a source of salt.
• Ghana had gold.
• Trade and control of salt and gold trade routes
made Ghana powerful and wealthy.
How did the religion of Islam reach
Ghana?
• Arab traders and the Almoravids attacked
Ghana in an attempt to force Ghana’s leaders
to convert to Islam.
Kingdom of Mali
Why is Sundiata famous?
• As Mali’s ruler, he won back his country’s
independence and conquered many
kingdoms.
Why did Mansa Musa travel to Mecca?
• As a Muslim, it was his spiritual duty to make
a hajj to Mecca.
How did Masna Musa travel to Mecca?
• With a huge number of guards and attendants,
along with camels carrying comforts, luxury, and
bagsful of gold nuggets, Mansa Musa set out
across the desert towards Mecca (walking and
with a few camels).
• Along the way, everywhere he went, he freely
gave away gold. You can imagine the excitement
he generated as he traveled from one oasis to the
next.
• To reduce the likelihood of a takeover, he had
brought with him on his trip most of the powerful
people in his kingdom. He left the army in charge.
How did Mansa Musa’s belief in Islam
affect the country and people of Mali?
• Mansa Musa stressed the importance of
reading and writing Arabic so that people
could read the Qur’an.
• He sent scholars to study in Morocco, and
these scholars later set up schools in Mali.
• He also brought in artists and architects to
build mosques in Mali.
Songhai Empire
Where did the Songhai people live?
• Along the Niger River in the place where the
Kingdom of Mali used to exist.
Do you think the fact that Askia was a
Muslim affected the way that he
ruled?
• Possible answer—He might have encouraged
education so that people could read the
Qur’an.
Slavery
How did slave trading change over
time?
• At first, black Africans owned slaves who were
captured in war, were criminals, or were sold
to pay debts.
• Gradually, Muslim traders began selling black
Africans in North America
• Eventually, many enslaved Africans were
brought to the Americas.