Download The West African Kingdom of Ghana

Trade West African Kingdoms
World History/Napp
“Much of North Africa is occupied by the Sahara Desert. Below the desert is
savanna or grasslands. The Sahara acted as a barrier that separated the peoples of
sub-Saharan Africa from the Mediterranean world and the rest of Eurasia. This
isolation led sub-Saharan African tribes or ethnic groups to develop their own
customs and beliefs. However, despite this separation, trade across the desert was
never cut off completely. Merchants, traveling on camels able to go several days
without water, crossed the Sahara.
While North Africa had abundant supplies of salt, West Africa lacked salt. Salt is
vital for human survival. Merchants, moving in caravans across the desert, picked
up large blocks of salt on their journey to exchange for gold. West Africa had
abundant supplies of gold. A thriving trade developed that was based on this salt
for gold trade.
While the West African kingdom of Ghana was founded around 400 A.D., it did
not become an important center of trade until around 750 A.D. Ghana controlled
all the important trade routes from the Sudan to North Africa. Early stories about
Ghana called it ‘the land of gold’. However, Ghana never owned any gold fields.
But Ghana did control the salt for gold trade. The gold actually came from a region
near the Senegal River. People there had much gold but no salt and they needed
salt to live. North African traders on camels carried salt and other goods to the
people near the Senegal River. However, on traveling to the river and away from it,
they had to pass through Kumbi, the largest city in Ghana. The government of
Ghana taxed the traders each way.” ~ World History
Questions:
1- Why was the Sahara Desert a barrier but not a complete barrier?
2- What trade item did North Africa possess abundant supplies of?
3- What did West Africa lack?
4- What did West Africa have abundant supplies of?
5- Why was Ghana called the “land of gold” if it never owned any gold fields?
6- How did the Kingdom of Ghana become wealthy and powerful?
“With all this money, the king could keep as many as 200,000 soldiers. Ghana’s
large army gave it great power. With this power, Ghana created peace in West
Africa and made trade safe. Ghana could easily have conquered its weaker
neighbors, but it did not. Instead, it took tribute from these neighbors. However, in
1076 A.D., Ghana was invaded by Muslims from North Africa.”
7- Why was Ghana able to provide peace and security in the region?
“While many people in Ghana had converted to Islam due to cultural diffusion (the
North African traders were Muslims), the kings of Ghana never converted to Islam.
The Muslim invaders from the North began a holy war or jihad against Ghana. In
time, Ghana defeated the Almoravids, the Muslim invaders, but never fully
recovered from the invasion.”
8- How did Islam enter West Africa?
1. The kingdoms of Ghana, Mali, and
Songhai were all able to achieve golden
ages in part because of their
1. reliance on sugar plantations in
the Niger delta
2. control of trans-Saharan trade
routes
3. discovery of oil reserves in the
Gulf of Guinea
4. ability to use the natural harbors
on the Atlantic Ocean coast
The West African kingdom of Mali grew
in wealth and power by controlling the
trading of
1. oil and coal
2. timber and fish
3. gold and salt
4. sugar and ivory
The practice of Islam throughout much
of West Africa is evidence that
1. Islam spread beyond the borders
of the Arabian Peninsula
2. The kingdoms of Ghana and Mali
2. Chinese trade carried Islamic
became prosperous and powerful
beliefs to West Africa
because of
3. Islam originated in West Africa
1. their participation in the gold and
and spread to the Middle East
salt trade
4. Europeans encouraged Islamic
2. the military protection provided
beliefs during the colonial period
to them by the Egyptians
3. their dependence on legalism to
Which empires gained wealth by
enforce social control
controlling the trade of gold, ivory, and
4. the tax revenue they collected
salt across the Sahara Desert?
from Christian missionaries
1. Maya and Aztec
2. Greek and Roman
3. The West African empires of Ghana,
3. Mali and Songhai
Mali, and Songhai were able to thrive
4. Mauryan and Mughal
because
1. they controlled the gold-salt trade The kingdoms of Ghana, Mali, and
2. their herds of cattle were in
Songhai prospered primarily due to
demand
their
3. their armies took control of much
1. exchanges with Indian ports
of Africa
2. direct access to the Arabian Sea
4. they adopted Christianity as their
3. control of trade routes
primary religion
4. abundance of diamonds
“In 1240 A.D., the West African kingdom of Mali conquered a weakened Ghana.
Mali’s rulers established a new empire and brought both the gold and the salt mines
under their control. The rulers of Mali dominated the Trans-Saharan trade. In
addition, Mali’s rulers also converted to Islam. The man most responsible for
Mali’s rise to greatness was Sundiata Keita. He took control of the gold fields and
ordered his armies to sweep across Africa. In fact, his empire included large areas of
the Sahara. However, while Sundiata Keita was a significant king of Mali, Mali’s
most famous ruler was Mansa Musa.
Mansa Musa was a king of Mali when it was most powerful. Mansa Musa was also
a pious Muslim. He brought many Arab scholars to his capital and set up a great
center of Islamic learning in Timbuktu. Scholars from all over the Islamic world
came to study in Timbuktu. Mansa Musa also made a religious pilgrimage to
Mecca. Wanting to fulfill the Five Pillars of Islam, Mansa Musa loaded eighty
camels with bags of gold dust to pay for the 3,000 mile trip from Mali to Mecca! In
addition, because of the importance of studying the Koran, the holy book of Islam,
many West Africans learned to read and write in order to fully appreciate the
Koran. While Mali thrived for many years, it collapsed in the 1400s because later
rulers of Mali proved to be less capable than Sundiata Keita and Mansa Musa.”
~ World History
Questions:
1- How did the kingdom of Mali rise to power?
2- Why was the kingdom of Mali wealthy and powerful?
3- Identify significant facts about Sundiata Keita.
4- Prove that Mansa Musa was a devout Mali.
5- Define pilgrimage.
6- Describe Mansa Musa’s pilgrimage to Mecca.
7- Why did many West Africans learn to read and write?
8- Identify the Five Pillars of Islam.
9- Why did the kingdom of Mali collapse?
10- The economies of the western African civilizations of Ghana, Mali, and Songhai
relied on
(1) industrial growth
(2) shipbuilding
(3) textile production
(4) trans-Saharan trade routes
Based on the map, which conclusion can best be drawn about this region?
(1) The Sahara Desert acted as a barrier to trade.
(2) Rivers served as the primary trade routes for the entire region.
(3) The economy of the region was influenced by extensive trade connections.
(4) Goods from the Gulf of Guinea were exchanged directly with English cities.
Which river was essential to the survival
of the West African kingdoms of Ghana,
Mali, and Songhai?
1. Thames
2. Niger
3. Indus
4. Euphrates
The trans-Saharan trade carried out by
West African civilizations was primarily
based on an exchange of
1. gold and salt
2. ivory and silk
3. silver and tea
4. hardwoods and animal skins
Which description best characterizes the
city of Timbuktu?
1. port on the water route to East Asia
2. major urban and industrial center on
the Silk Road
3. commercial and cultural center of
West Africa
4. inland city of the Hanseatic League
One way in which the African kingdoms
of Ghana and Mali are similar is that
they
1. established their wealth through
trade
2. improved their military strength
with the use of gunpowder
3. opened trade routes to the
Americas
4. adopted Christianity as their
major religion
5.
What was a significant effect of Mansa
Musa’s pilgrimage to Mecca?
1.The African written language spread
to southwest Asia.
2.Military leaders eventually controlled
Mali.
3.Islamic learning and culture expanded
in Mali.
4.The trading of gold for salt ended