Chapter 14: The influence of Islam on West Africa

What protected Ghana from being conquered by Muslim armies in the 700s?

• strong walls

• elite warriors

• a peace treaty

• the vast Saharan desert

Islam was first brought to West Africa by

• slave raiders

• armed nomads

• caravan traders

• religious refugees

Which event in Kumbi, in Ghana, in 1076 contributed to the spread of Islam?

• construction of a university

• conquest by the Almoravids

• discovery of gold in the forest

• order for all men to go on a hajj

Which of these religious practices of West African Muslims began before Islamic influence reached the region?

• studying the Qur'an

• praying to God in Arabic

• building mosques for worship

• praying to the spirits of ancestors

One way the Mande people built Mali into an empire was to

• construct irrigation systems

• find the secret gold mines

• take control of the trans-Saharan trade

• require military service from women

Which of these resulted from the hajj of Mansa Musa?

• Egypt began paying tribute to the kingdom of Mali

• People of West Africa began to adopt Islamic ideas

• Armies from West Africa raided as far north as Spain

• People in other lands learned that Mali was rich and important

Sunni Ali led the Songhai people to

• construct new trade routes

• migrate to different regions

• return to the forest to mine for gold

• break away from Mali by force

Why did Islam spread fairly easily in Mali?

• Rulers of Mali expelled anyone who opposed Islam

• Arab rulers visited Mali and explained Islamic beliefs

• Muslim leaders conquered Mali and imposed Islamic law

• People in Mali blended Islam with their traditional religions

How did the Songhai empire differ from the empire of Mali?

• It spread Islam by force

• It began and ended earlier

• It controlled a smaller area

• It restored traditional beliefs

What first brought Islam to West Africa?

• crusades

• war

• empires

• trade