Medieval Africa

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Medieval Africa
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Two African Empires to know about
And the Empire of Mali.
You need to know about the Empire of Ghana

• They both originated in northwest Africa around
  the Niger River.
• The Empire of Ghana came about 300 years before
  Mali.

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Ghana
The rulers of Ghana built an empire by
controlling the salt and gold trade.

• Ghana was located between the Sahara desert and
  deep forests. In this location, they were in a
  good position to trade in the regions most
  valuable resources--gold and salt.

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Salt and Gold
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Silent Barter

• Silent Barter is a process in which people
  exchange goods without contacting each other
  directly.
• In Ghana, traders from the north would cross the
  Sahara and bring their salt. Gold miners came
  from the south to trade their gold. Without
  talking to each other, they would leave their
  goods and hit drums to signal that they were
  ready to trade.
• Every trader that passed through Ghana paid a tax
  to Ghanas rulers, making the empire very
  wealthy.
• Ghana eventually declined due to invasions,
  overgrazing, and internal rebellion.

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Mali
The kingdom of Mali became powerful for the same
reason as Ghanatrade. Traders brought something
else to Mali besides goods Islam.
Even the greatest king, Mansa Musa, became a
Muslim.
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Mansa Musa

• Mansa Musa made Mali and its great
  wealth famous throughout the Muslim
  world when he went
  on a pilgrimage to
  Mecca accompanied by thousands of servants and
  gold.
• Mansa Musa wanted to spread Islam across Africa.
  He encouraged his people to learn Arabic and set
  up schools in Timbuktu and other cities.
• When Mali fell to invaders, the Songhai Empire
  came into power and helped strengthen Islam in
  West Africa.

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A Visual Summary of African Empires
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Practice Test Question

• What was a result of Mansa Musas pilgrimage to
  Mecca?
• Mali became famous in the Muslim world.
• Mansa Musa became a Muslim.
• Mansa Musa became a Christian.
• Mansa Musa became friends with Askia the Great.

The answer is A.
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Practice Test Question

• Why did Mansa Musa encourage the teaching of
  Arabic?
• He needed people to translate the Quran.
• He wanted people to be able to read the Quran in
  Arabic.
• He wanted to attract scholars to Mali.
• He wanted to build schools and mosques.

The correct answer is B.
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Practice test question

• How did trade affect the development of towns?
• Towns grew up around salt mines.
• Towns grew where gold was mined.
• Places where Islamic missionaries camped grew
  into towns.
• Places where traders met grew into towns.

The correct answer is D.
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Practice test question

• What did the empires of Ghana and Mali NOT have
  in common?
• Both controlled the Niger region.
• Both grew rich from trade.
• Both suffered from invasions.
• Both were Muslim empires.

The correct answer is D.
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Practice test question

• How did the location of cities in the West
  African empires of Ghana and Mali influence their
  growth?
• Their location in river valleys allowed for
  extensive farming.
• Their coastal location made the cities major
  ports for maritime trade.
• Their location on major trade routes allowed them
  to prosper economically.
• Their mountainous location made the cities easily
  defensible.

The correct answer is C.