WEST AFRICA
Chapter 6.1
Ghana
7.4.1
The Big Idea
The rulers of Ghana built an empire by controlling
the salt and gold trade.
Ghana
• Main Idea 1:
– Ghana controlled trade & became wealthy.
Ghana
• Ghana began when groups of farmers
banded together.
• Ghana became a powerful state only
when it gained control of valuable trade
routes, especially the gold and salt trade.
gold
salt
slabs
Ghana
• The exchange of gold and salt followed
a process called silent barter.
– This is a process in which people
exchange goods without ever
contacting each other directly
because they do not understand
each others language.
Thank you
come again
Ghana
• Ghana’s rulers gained
power and wealth, and the
military grew in strength,
too.
The Empire of Ghana
• Main Idea 2:
– Through its control of trade, Ghana built an empire.
The Empire of Ghana
• The people of Ghana & the small
neighboring tribes that Ghana
controlled had to pay taxes.
– Ghana also had rich gold mines.
The Empire of Ghana
• Ghana protected traders with
its army. Traders were not
afraid to travel to Ghana.
• A lot of traders passed
through Ghana to get the
gold and other resources.
Ghana made money by
forcing traders to pay taxes.
The Empire of Ghana
• Ghana’s kings used their wealth to build a powerful
army & conquered many of their neighbors,
especially ones that had centers of trade.
– The empire of Ghana reached its peak under a
ruler named Tunka Manin.
The Empire of Ghana
• To keep order in the empire, conquered kings
were allowed to keep much of their power.
– Those conquered kings
acted as governors of
their territories.
Ghana armies conquered
neighboring West African
Tribes like you see here
Ghana’s Decline
• Main Idea 3:
– Ghana’s decline was caused by attacking
invaders, overgrazing, and the loss of trade.
Ghana’s Decline
• Invasion
– A Muslim group called the Almoravids cut off
many trade routes. Because of the Almoravids,
Ghana eventually lost support of its empire.
Almoravids
Ghana’s Decline
• Overgrazing
– When the Almoravids moved in, they brought
herds of animals with them.
– These animals ate all the grass, leaving the
land worthless for farming.
Ghana’s Decline
Ghana’s Decline
• Internal rebellion
– The people that Ghana
had conquered eventually
rose up in rebellion and
overthrew the Ghana
empire.
16. A process in which people
exchange goods without being
able to talk to each other.
A. Nonverbal sale
B. Verbal barter
C. Silent barter
D. Ebarter
17. Which statement is
not true?
A. Ghana became rich by taxing traded items.
B. Ghana allowed conquered kings to keep some
of their powers.
C. Ghana controlled rich salt mines in their region.
D. Ghana protected traders with their army.
18. The Empire of Ghana became
rich because of its mighty army.
A. True
B. False - It became rich because it controlled
the trade routes.
19. All of the following led to the
fall of Ghana, EXCEPT….
A. Invasion from the Almoravids
B. Trade routes became useless and not used.
C. Internal rebellion by conquered tribes
D. Overgrazing left land worthless