Trading States and Kingdoms East and West Africa

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Trading States and Kingdoms East and West Africa
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• How will trade influence the history and culture
  of the African continent?

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• Commodity a product that is exchanged in
  commerce
• What commodities do we get from other nations
  that we cannot live without?

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• Trade in the Sahara
• Salt would become a major trading commodity for
  human health and preservation of food
• By 100 A.D. farming villages in West Africa would
  begin to produce surplus.
• Surplus food would be traded with other villages
  for products.
• Trade networks would eventually develop linking
  the Savanna to rainforest regions with trade
  networks across the Sahara to the Mediterranean
  and Southwest Asia.

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• Trading Gold for Salt
• Gold and Salt would end up dominating the Sahara
  trade
• Gold was widely available in the area of
  present-day Ghana, Nigeria, and Senegal.
• It is estimated that between 500-1600 A.D. about
  8 tons of gold were exported annually from West
  Africa.

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• How much would a ton of gold be worth today?
• Price of gold per troy ounce 1281.10
• 29,166.667 troy ounces in a ton

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• In exchange for gold the West Africans would
  trade salt.
• In the savanna salt was scarce but was abundant
  in many parts of the Sahara
• With the prospering of this salt and gold
  exchange, cities emerged along the trade routes
  with monarchs and kingdoms emerging.

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• Ghana
• Ruler and Government
• Founders were the Soninke people around 800 A.D.
• Ruled by princes and officials
• Not the same as present day Ghana. Is actually
  present day Mali

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• Reasons for Rise
• Rich in gold
• The kings controlled the gold and salt trade
  across West Africa
• Large army
• Traded gold, precious woods, and kola nuts.
• Muslim merchants brought their Muslim faith
• Rulers employed Muslim language, money, and
  business methods.

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• Reasons for Decline of Ghana
• About 1050 A.D. the Almoravids from North Africa
  attacked Ghana.
• The Almoravids tried to maintain control of trade
  routes but were unsuccessful.
• Ghana would eventually come under the control of
  Mali.

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Empire of Ghana
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• Mali
• Ruler and Government
• By 1235 A.D. Sundiata would control the West
  African gold trade to bring about the kingdom of
  Mali.
• Mansa Musa was a capable Muslim leader who
  expanded the empire from 1312 until he died in
  1337.
• Reasons for Rise
• The mansas or rulers of Mali would expand their
  influence over the salt and gold trade.

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• Strong Mandingo leaders like Mansa Musa conquered
  neighboring lands.
• Islam united the people.
• Mansa Musa would create diplomatic and economic
  ties with other Muslim countries through a hajj
  (pilgrimage) to Mecca.
• Timbuktu became a great city of Muslim learning
  and trade.
• Reasons for Decline
• Power struggles between weaker rulers in the
  early 1400s.

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Mansa Musa
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• Timbuktu University (Sankore Mosque)

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Empire of Mali
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• Songhai
• Ruler and Government
• Sunni Ali restored order in 1464. He did not
  convert to Islam but followed traditional
  beliefs.
• Askia Muhammad helped Songhai reach its peak of
  power by creating a Muslim dynasty.
• Askia Muhammad would take a pilgrimage to Mecca
  creating ties to the wider Muslim world.

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• Reasons for Rise
• Developed along the fertile region of the Niger
  River in present day Mali and Niger.
• Sunni Ali captured Timbuktu and other centers of
  trade.
• Islam under Askia Muhammad.
• Reasons for Decline
• Fell in 1591 to invaders from Morocco who seized
  the gold and salt resources.

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Songhai
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• Benin
• Ruler and Government
• The rulers or kings were called Obas and
  established their kingdom in the 1300s.
• The oba was political, judicial, and religious
  leader.
• Power was spread among other figures including
  the queen mother and a council of hereditary
  chiefs.
• Ewuare was an Oba who established a central
  government.

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• Reasons for Rise
• Arose in the rain forests of the Guinea coast.
• They built farming villages and traded pepper and
  ivory as well as slaves with their neighbors in
  the savanna.
• Ewuare captured towns and created a central
  government.
• Benin city was a center of industry.
• Known for the creation of bronze sculptures

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Ewuare
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• City-states of East Africa
• Ruler and Government
• City-state Was a large town with its own
  government.
• Became trading centers.
• Reasons for Rise
• Cities like Malinda, Mombasa, Kilwa, and Sofala
  were major trading centers.
• Arab traders bought slaves and other goods.

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• Reasons for Decline of City-States
• Were attacked and taken over by the Portuguese in
  the early 1500s.

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City-States of East Africa
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• Zimbabwe (Stone Houses)
• Rulers and Government
• By 1300 A.D. power revolved around the control of
  gold mines.
• Rulers were probably god-kings presiding over
  large courts.
• Reasons for Rise
• Gold trade made the rulers wealthy.

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• The international trade led to the emergence of
  the Swahili culture-a blend of East African and
  Arabic cultures.
• Reasons for Decline
• Power struggles weakened the kingdom in the
  1500s.
• Dwindling trade

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