West African Empires and Trans-Saharan Trade

West African Empires and Trans-Saharan Trade

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The first dominant Empire in West Africa to make money and control trade was

Ghana Empire

Who were they? How did they do it?

• Controlled Trade in West Africa by being the dominant empire and using a large military to tax traders.

• ​Being located where they were, Ghana used that to an advantage of being a great Marketplace. Taxing traders who passed through highly.

• Reached their height in 1000 C.E. ​

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Ghana Empire

How did they make their money?

• ​Ghana used taxes to make most of their money. Taxing traders twice. Once when entering their empire and once when leaving as well.

• When entering, traders were tax​ed 1/6th a ounce of gold.

• When leaving, traders were taxed 1/3rd an ounce of gold.​

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Multiple Choice

What amount did the Kingdom of Ghana tax their merchants when entering their kingdom and then again when leaving their kingdom?

• 1/4th and 1/2

• 1/3rd and 1/6th

• 1/6th and 1/3rd

• 1/5th and 1/4th

Ghana Empire

​The Decline

• Facing invasions from Muslim raiders, the Ghana Empire​ withstood many invasions until their fall in 1203 C.E.

• Following ​the fall of Ghana Empire, the Empire of Mali rose to claim their spot as the controller of trade in West Africa.

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Ghana Empire

More Details

• Ghana means "War Chief". The king of Ghana was considered one of the richest people on the planet at the time of his empire.​

• Although the empire w​as a dominant trader, it still faced issues that caused their decline.

• Polytheistic culture​.

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Multiple Choice

What was the second empire that would dominant trade in West Africa

• Ghana

• Songhai

• Rome

• Mali

Empire of Mali

When did they take power?

• The Kingdom of Mali took power over West African trade after the fall of the Kingdom of Ghana.

• After the fall of the Kingdom of Ghana in 1203, Mali became the West African trade empire in 1240.

• The ​Kingdom of Mali took up more than double the land that Ghana occupied.

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Empire of Mali

How did they do it?

• Mali dominated trade yet, they still did something Ghana did not that would boom their trade even more.

• Agriculture, using the Niger ​River not only for transportation, but taking advantage of their land with rich soil for crops.

• More Gold and resources.

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Empire of Mali​

More Details.

• Ma​nde people of Mali accepted Islam and a tradition of Ancestor Worship being part of it.

• Using a more centralized government, Mali flourished where Ghana fell.​

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Multiple Choice

Trans-Saharan trade took place on which continent?

• Asia

• South America

• Africa

• Austrailia

Trans-Saharan Trade

​Where did it take place?

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• ​Saharan region of Africa in the northern part of the continent trading with the east and southern parts as well.

• ​Trade came from all over the work using Camels to cross the Sahara desert and get to Ghana.

• Camels were extremely beneficial

Multiple Select

What good was being traded the most in West Africa?

• Gold

• Salt

• Textiles

• Spices

Trans-Saharan Trade

What was being traded?

• The two dominant goods being traded were Gold and Salt although these were not the only goods. Other goods such as textiles, spices, metals, jewels, and other items were also being traded.​

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Trans-Saharan Trade

How did it affect worldly trade?

• West African trade not only gave the world the production of Gold and Salt to store foods, it gave slaves which were a booming thing at this time.

• Slaves along with gold and textiles and spices were the most traded items world wide at th​is time.

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Trans-Saharan Trade

​Transportation (Camels)

• Camels became the most widely used mode of transportation when traveling through the Sahara Desert.

• Their long eyelashes and hooves allowed them to make their way through the terrain much easier

• Storing water in their humps allowed them to travel extreme amounts of days without needing rest​

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Multiple Choice

What animal was a large help when introduced to Trans-Saharan Trade?

• Otter

• Camel

• Elephant

• Owl

Trans-Saharan Trade

​Ways it evolved

• Although the Sahara Desert was used in large amounts, over time the Niger River became a very much used way of travel in Sub-Saharan trade.

• Using the river cut travel time and allowed for protection from various types of issues transporting

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Multiple Choice

What spread through Africa to help develop the continent in multiple ways?

• Hinduism

• Islam

• Christianity

• Buddhism

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The spread of Islam helped spread new

throughout Africa during this time

Spread of Islam

​How it spread

• Islam became the most practiced religion at this time in Africa after many different traders brought it with them through Africa.

• Along with the traders, invaders from different kingdoms brought it with them when trying to invade the Kingdom of Ghana.​

• The Kingdom of Mali practicing Islam was a large part of its dominance during this time as well.​

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