World History Topic 8.6

The commodities gold and salt were important to many regions of West Africa because they

• helped create great wealth and vast trade networks that spread new ideas.

• were both vital to health and very rare in the region, which made them valuable.

• were abundant in the region, allowing it to develop self-sufficiently and become wealthy.

• increased trade, bringing in great wealth and spreading new ideas such as Christianity, which became the official religion.

Which statement BEST describes the impact Muslim traders had on Africa?

• Muslim traders kept to themselves and had little impact on African life.

• Muslim traders created tensions between African kingdoms.

• Muslim traders brought Islam and the Arabic language to many places.

• Muslim traders brought political and cultural stability, but only to a few African kingdoms.

Ghana became a wealthy kingdom through trade, and its government

• forced all members of the court to convert to Islam.

• banned all Muslims from serving at court.

• employed Muslims as officials and counselors.

• banned Islam from Ghana society, preferring to maintain local traditions and beliefs.

What was one of the effects of Mansa Musa's pilgrimage to Mecca?

• He forged new diplomatic and economic ties with other Muslim states.

• His opulence and wealth angered many pious Muslims.

• He discouraged the teaching of Islam in Mali.

• He encouraged Europeans to trade with Mali.

The Kingdom of Benin prospered through

• the achievements of other forest cultures.

• war and conquest.

• the monopolization of the gold trade.

• its relationship with Portuguese merchants.