The Decline of Ghana and the Rise of Mali

The Decline of Ghana and the Rise of Mali

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Multiple Choice

Camels are suited for the desert

• true

• false

Multiple Choice

the two goods that were most in demand were -----

• Salt & gold

• Sugar & rice

• salt & Pepper

Multiple Choice

How did Ghana grow into a rich empire?

• Salt and Silver

• Gold and Salt

• Salt and Diamonds

• Gold and Sand

Multiple Choice

The camel was the animal that allowed traders to cross the...

• Kalahari Desert

• Arabian Desert

• Mojave Desert

• Sahara Desert

Multiple Choice

Trans-Saharan trade in early West Africa MAINLY involved the exchange of _________ for gold.

• Iron
• Salt
• Slaves
• Ivory

Multiple Choice

West Africans had a local source of salt.

• true

• false

Multiple Choice

Trade made Ghana wealthy because Ghana taxed goods coming into and out of the empire.

• true

• false

Ghana's empire reached its height around the year 1000 C.E.  However, war and the loss of natural resources led to the West African empire's downfall, and the rise of a new power.

Multiple Choice

Ghana's empire reached its height around the year ______C.E.

• 1000

• 2000

• 3000

In the second half of the 11th century, Muslim warriors known as Almoravids began attacking Ghana's empire. In 1076, they captured the capital city of Kumbi. Although Ghana's king regained power in 1087, the old empire had already broken apart.

The loss of natural resources further weakened Ghana. The increasing population added great stress on scarce resources, such as trees and water. Trees were cut down to provide charcoal for iron-smelting furnaces. Water became so scarce that farmers could no longer cultivate crops and keep flocks. People were forced to leave in search of better conditions. The empire came to an end in 1203, when a rival kingdom conquered Kumbi.

The end of Ghana's empire opened the way to the rise of a new power, Mali. Around 1240, a group of West Africans called the Mande conquered Kumbi. Their homeland of Mali was south of Kumbi, closer to the Niger River. The Mande built an empire that reached from the Atlantic Ocean to beyond the Niger River, and from the southern forest to the salt and copper mines of the Sahara.

Multiple Choice

The end of Ghana's empire opened the way to the rise of a new power, Camel.

• true

• false

Similar to Ghana, Mali gained much of its wealth from the control of trade, particularly in gold. Its leaders had accepted Islam, and under their rule, the Muslim faith continued to become even more influential in West Africa.

Multiple Choice

Did ... farmers not having water to grow crops contribute to the fall of Ghana

• Yes

• No

Multiple Choice

war and the loss of natural resources led to the West African empire's downfall, and the rise of a new power.

• true

• false