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
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.