Empires of Africa: Ghana, Mali & Songhai

Empires in Africa (Ghana, Mali and Songhai) and Asia (Byzantine, Ottoman, Mughal and China) grew as

commercial and cultural centers along trade routes.

Africa’s Geography SavannaAreas of grassland

with scattered trees and bushes

Much of Africa is savanna

Africa’s lions, zebras, and elephants live mainly on the savanna

SaharaDesert stretching

across most of North Africa

Worlds largest desert

Hot, dry place of sand dunes and rocky mountains

Africa’s GeographyTropical Savanna

covers the largest area of Africa

Sahara Desert◦ Worlds Largest Desert◦ Very few people live

hereLakes, deep valleys

and rugged mountains run north to south through East Africa

Affect of Africa’s GeographyAfrica’s physical geography has

affected its people’s way of lifeFor example, there is little farming

in Africa’s deserts, because there is too little water.

People herd cattle on the savannas, but cattle cannot survive in the rain forest. ◦Flies and other pests in the rain forest

carry diseases that are deadly for cattle.

The BantuThe Bantu are a large group of central

and southern African’s who speak related language

The Bantu people, searching for better land for farming, migrated across most of Africa south of the Equator

Much of what we know about these early African’s comes from oral history

◦Accounts from the past that people pass down by word of mouth.

The Bantu and HistoryBantu often moved into areas where

people already livedWhen this happened, they sometimes

joined the groups living there.The older cultures usually adapted to

the Bantu culture. ◦Agriculture: Yams◦Metalworking: Iron Tools

Axes: Cut down trees and clear the land Spears and Arrows: Powerful weapons for

hunting and warfare.

Ghana, Mali & SonghaiPowerful trading

kingdoms, including Ghana, Mali, and Songhai, controlled the savannas of West Africa for hundreds of years

Trade: SaltSalt and gold were the

basis of West African Trade.

Most of the salt came from mines in central Sahara◦ Salt was very valuable

People needed it to preserve meat, and to maintain good health

Salt was scarce in the forest region

Trade: GoldSome people from the

forest region sold gold in exchange for salt

Some gold was sold to traders on their way to North Africa

These traders returned with glass and other precious North African goods

Ghana (400 to 1000)First West African kingdom to

be based on the wealth of salt and gold

Took control of trade routes across the Sahara◦ Ideal location for trade

Capital city broken into two areas: Trade City and Royal City

Eventually Ghana was overran by invaders and began to break into small, independent states◦ Soon trade was controlled by a the

powerful new kingdom of Mali

Mali (1200 to 1450)Mali was centered in the Upper Niger ValleyIn the 1200’s Mali took control of the salt

and gold tradeStrong leaders and wealth caused Mali to

growIn the 1300’s Islam became the official

religion of the Empire

Mali: Mansa MusaBecame ruler in 1312

◦ Ruled for 25 yearsConverted to Islam

◦ Pilgrimage to Mecca Page 44

Helped Mali become a center of learning◦ Scholars came to teach

religion, mathematics, medicine and law

The Fall of MaliAbout 50 years after Mansa Musa

died, Mali’s power began to fadeRaiders attacked from the north

and fighting broke out within the kingdoms

Several providences broke away and became independent◦One of these former providences

became an empire in its own right, Songhai.

Songhai (1450 to 1600)Songhai became the

leading empire in West Africa savanna during the 1400s

Like Ghana and Mali, Songhai controlled the trade routes and the sources of salt and gold

Songhai’s wealth and power grew when it conquered the rich trading city of Timbuktu

Timbuktu Large markets

◦ Metal, wood, grains, nuts, fish, camel meat, milk, water, dates, rugs linen, ivory, gold salt and even slaves

Scholars◦ Scholars came to study

and exchange ideasReligion

◦ Muslims could pray at large mud mosques

Timbuktu - Africa's City of Gold

The Fall of SonghaiIn less than 100 years, the kingdom of

Songhai began to lose power. In the late 1500s, the people of Songhai

began fighting among themselves ◦The kingdom became weaker

Eventually it fell to the guns and cannons of the armies of North Africa

The era of rich and power trading empires of West Africa was at an end.