Chapter 13

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Chapter 13 History of West Africa
Section Notes
Video
Empire of Ghana Mali and Songhai Historical and
Artistic Traditions
Impact of the Salt Trade
Maps
Close-up
West Africa, 500 BC-AD 1650 Ghana Empire, c.
1050 Mali and Songhai Assessment Map West Africa
Timbuktu
Images
Quick Facts
Religion Salt Trade Overgrazing Oral Traditions
Chapter 13 Visual Summary
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Empire of Ghana

• The Big Idea
• The rulers of Ghana built an empire by
  controlling the salt and gold trade.
• Main Ideas
• Ghana controlled trade and became wealthy.
• Through its control of trade, Ghana built an
  empire.
• Attacking invaders, overgrazing, and the loss of
  trade caused Ghanas decline.

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Main Idea 1Ghana controlled trade and became
wealthy.
Sometime after 300 the first farmers in Ghana,
the Soninke, were threatened by nomadic herders.
The Soninke began to band together for
protection, forming the beginnings of Ghana.
They grew in strength, learning to work with
iron. They used iron farm tools to produce more
food, allowing the population to increase. They
also made superior iron weapons.
Ghana lay between the vast Sahara Desert and deep
forests, a good position to trade in the regions
most valuable resources, gold and salt.
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Gold and Salt

• Gold
• Gold came from the south, from mines near the
  Gulf of Guinea and along the Niger.
• People wanted gold for its beauty.

• Salt
• Salt came from the Sahara in the north. People
  needed salt to survive.
• It could preserve food, and made bland food tasty.

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Trading Gold and Salt

• The exchange of gold and salt sometimes followed
  a silent barter process in which people exchange
  goods without ever contacting each other
  directly.
• Helped ensure traders did business peacefully
• Kept exact location of gold mines a secret from
  salt traders
• As trade increased, Ghanas rulers gained power.
• Their military strength grew as well.
• Began to take control of trade routes
• Rulers of Ghana became wealthy.
• Additional sources of wealth and trade included
  wheat, sheep, cattle, honey, leather, cloth, and
  tassels made from golden thread.
• As trade increased, Ghanas capital, Koumbi Saleh
  became West Africas largest city and a great
  trading center.

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Main Idea 2Through its control of trade, Ghana
built an empire.
By 800 Ghana was firmly in control of West
Africas trade routes.
Traders were protected by Ghanas army.
Ghanas rulers made money by forcing traders to
pay taxes. The people of Ghana also had to pay
taxes, and conquered neighboring tribes had to
pay tribute.
Ghanas mines produced huge amounts of gold,
which was officially the property of the king.
The rulers banned anyone else in Ghana from
owning gold nuggets. Common people could own only
gold dust.
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Expansion of the Empire

• Ghanas kings used their wealth to build a
  powerful army and conquer many of their
  neighbors. Many conquered areas were trade
  centers, bringing more wealth.

• Travel and communication were difficult in their
  large empire, so they allowed conquered kings to
  retain much of their power.

• The empire of Ghana reached its peak under Tunka
  Manin.

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Main Idea 3Attacking invaders, overgrazing,
and the loss of trade caused Ghanas decline.

• Invasion
• The Muslim Almoravids attacked Ghana in the
  1060s.
• Destroyed the city of Koumbi Saleh
• They cut off trade routes and formed new
  partnerships with Muslim leaders.
• Without trade, Ghana could no longer support its
  empire.

• Overgrazing
• The Almoravids brought herds of animals with
  them.
• The animals overgrazed, leaving the soil to blow
  away.
• Unable to grow crops, many farmers had to leave.

• Internal Rebellion
• In about 1200 the people of one of the areas
  Ghana had conquered rose up in rebellion.
• Within a few years the rebels had taken over
  Ghana.
• Weakened, Ghana was defeated by one of its
  neighbors.

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Mali and Songhai

• The Big Idea
• Between 1000 and 1500 the empires of Mali and
  Songhaideveloped in West Africa.
• Main Ideas
• The empire of Mali reached its height under the
  ruler Mansa Musa, but the empire fell to invaders
  in the 1400s.
• The Songhai built a new Islamic empire in West
  Africa, conquering many of the lands that were
  once part of Mali.

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Main Idea 1The empire of Mali reached its
height under the ruler Mansa Musa, but the
empire fell to invaders in the 1400s.
Mali lay along the upper Niger River.
The area had fertile soil and trade on the river.
In the 1200s a harsh ruler conquered Mali.
Sundiata was a boy at the time, but as an adult,
he built up an army, won back his countrys
independence, and conquered nearby kingdoms,
including Ghana.
Sundiata took over the salt and gold trades,
worked to improve agriculture, and introduced
cotton as a crop.
He took power away from local leaders and adopted
their title of mansa for himself. This gave him
both political and religious authority in society.
Sundiata died in 1255.
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Mansa Musa

• Malis most famous ruler was a Muslim named Mansa
  Musa who ruled from 1312 to 1337.
• Mali reached the height of its wealth, power, and
  fame in the 1300s, and Islam spread through a
  large part of West Africa.
• During his reign Mali added many important trade
  cities to its empire, including Timbuktu.
• In 1324 Mansa Musa made a pilgrimage to Mecca,
  spreading Malis fame far and wide.
• He supported education, stressed the importance
  of learning to read Arabic, and hired Muslim
  architects to build mosques. A mosque is a
  building for Muslim prayer.
• When Mansa Musa died, his son Maghan, a weak
  ruler, took the throne.
• Raiders invaded from the southeast and set fire
  to Timbuktu.
• In 1431 the Tuareg, nomads from the Sahara,
  seized Timbuktu.
• By 1500 only a small area of Mali remained.

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Main Idea 2The Songhai built a new Islamic
empire in West Africa, conquering many of the
lands that were once part of Mali.
From their capital at Gao, the Songhai kingdom
participated in the same trade that had made
Ghana and Mali rich.
Songhai had been part of the Mali Empire, but as
the empire weakened in the 1400s, the people of
Songhai rebelled.
Songhai leaders shared Islam with the North
African Berbers, so the Berbers were willing to
trade with the Songhai.
Sunni Ali, who became ruler of the Songhai in
1464, worked to unify, strengthen, and enlarge
his empire.
Sunni Ali encouraged everyone to work together.
To build religious harmony, he participated in
both Muslim and local religions.
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Askia the Great

• Muhammad Ture led a successful rebellion against
  non-Muslim king.
• Eventually, he became known as Askia the Great.
• Askia supported education and learning.
• Timbuktu became known for its schools,
  particularly the University of Sankore.
• Djenné was another city that became a center of
  learning.
• As Songhais Muslim traders gained influence in
  the empire, so did Islam.
• Askia encouraged the growth of Islamic influence.
• Askia set up five provinces within Songhai with
  loyal appointed governors.
• He created a professional army with specialized
  departments.

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Songhai Falls to Morocco

• Morocco wanted control of Songhais salt mines.
• The Moroccan army attacked in 1591, carrying
  advanced weapons, including the arquebus.
• The invaders destroyed Timbuktu and Gao.

• Overland trade declined as port cities on the
  Atlantic coast became more important.
• Africans south of Songhai and Europeans both
  preferred trading at Atlantic ports to dealing
  with Muslim traders.

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Historical and Artistic Traditions

• The Big Idea
• West African culture has been passed down
  through oral history, writings by other people,
  and the arts.
• Main Ideas
• West Africans have preserved their history
  through storytelling and the written accounts of
  visitors.
• Through art, music, and dance, West Africans have
  expressed their creativity and kept alive their
  cultural traditions.

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Main Idea 1West Africans have preserved their
history through storytelling and the written
accounts of visitors.
Early West Africans did not have a native written
language. They passed along information through
oral histories. An oral history is a spoken
record of past events.
The task of remembering and telling their history
was entrusted to the griots, the storytellers of
early West Africa.
In addition to stories, the griots recited
proverbs, or short sayings of wisdom or truth.
Some of the griot poems are epics, long poems
about kingdoms and heroes. Many of these are
collected in the Dausi and the Sundiata.
Visitors also wrote about the region. Ibn
Battutah was the most famous Muslim visitor to
write about West Africa. From 1353 to 1354 he
traveled through the region and wrote about his
journey.
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Main Idea 2Through art, music, and dance, West
Africans have expressed their creativity and kept
alive their cultural traditions.

• Ornate statues and carvings out of wood, brass,
  clay, ivory, stone, and other materials
• Usually of people
• Often made for religious rituals

Sculpture

• Elaborate masks of painted wood
• Bore the faces of animals such as hyenas, lions,
  monkeys, and antelopes
• Worn during rituals

Masks
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Cloth, Music, and Dance

• The most famous is kente.
• Kente is a hand-woven, brightly colored fabric.
• Cloth woven in narrow strips then sewn together

Cloth

• Singing and drumming performed as entertainment
• Also used to honor history and mark special
  occasions

Music

• Central part of African society
• Used to celebrate specific events or ceremonies
• Some dances today from many years ago

Dance
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