Sudanic Empires of West Africa

Front

The Sudanic empires of Ghana, Mali, and Songhai flourished from the seventh to the sixteenth century.

Back

Ghana flourished in the seventh to thirteenth centuries; Mali in the thirteenth to seventeenth centuries; and Songhai in the fifteenth to sixteenth centuries.

Front

Ancient Ghana, Mali, and Songhai were known for their gold mines and strategic trade routes.

Back

They connected trade from the Sahara to sub-Saharan Africa.

Front

Trans-Saharan commerce introduced Islam to West Africa.

Back

North African traders, scholars, and administrators facilitated its spread throughout the region.

Front

Songhai was the last and largest of the Sudanic empires.

Back

Following Portuguese exploration, trade routes shifted from trans-Saharan to Atlantic trade, diminishing Songhai’s wealth.

Front

Mansa Musa ruled the Mali Empire in the fourteenth century.

Back

He established the empire as a center for trade, learning, and cultural exchange.

Front

Mali’s wealth allowed leaders to crossbreed powerful horses and purchase steel weapons.

Back

This contributed to the empire’s ability to extend power over neighboring groups.

Front

Mansa Musa’s hajj in 1324 attracted merchants and cartographers.

Back

It prompted plans to trade manufactured goods for gold across the eastern Mediterranean to southern Europe.

Front

The Sudanic empires stretched from Senegambia to present-day Côte d’Ivoire.

Back

The majority of enslaved Africans transported to North America descended from societies in West Africa and West Central Africa.