West African Kingdoms

What role did camel caravans play in trans-Saharan trade?

• They transported goods between North Africa and the Sahel.

• They provided military protection for traders.

• They spread agricultural innovations from Europe.

• They were used mainly for religious pilgrimages.

Why was salt such a valuable commodity in the Sahel?

• It was used as currency in trade.

• It was needed for religious rituals.

• It was essential for the daily diet

• It could only be obtained from the Mediterranean region.

Why did the demand for West African gold increase in the eighth century?

• The Byzantine Empire started using it for jewelry.

• Muslim rulers needed it for their currencies.

• The gold mines in the Sahel expanded production.

• The European demand for luxury goods rose.

What is one reason oral traditions have been valuable for historians studying the Sahel?

• They provide detailed, factually accurate historical records.

• They emphasize the meaning of historical events through symbolic stories.

• They offer a firsthand account of trans-Saharan trade.

• They were written down at the same time events occurred.

What challenge do historians face when using oral traditions as sources?

• Oral traditions do not include any real historical events.

• They were only passed down among the ruling elite.

• They are often exaggerated and focus on symbolic meaning rather than factual accuracy.

• They were only recorded after the introduction of Islam.

How did trans-Saharan trade influence the spread of Islam in the Sahel?

• Muslim traders and clerics settled in trading cities.

• Berber nomads forced the Sahelian people to convert.

• Islamic rulers from North Africa conquered the Sahel.

• The Sahel’s rulers made Islam the official religion.

Who were the founders of the Ghana Empire?

• The Almoravids

• The Berbers

• The Sonnike

• The Arabs

What role did Islam play in the capital city of Ghana, Kumbi-Saleh?

• It was the dominant religion, with no indigenous practices allowed

• It was practiced only by the ruling elite

• It coexisted with indigenous Soninke religious traditions

• It was strictly prohibited

Why was Mansa Musa’s pilgrimage to Mecca in 1324 particularly memorable?

• He was the first king of Mali to make the pilgrimage.

• He traveled alone to emphasize his religious devotion.

• He brought an extravagant amount of gold, which disrupted the Egyptian economy.

• He sought to conquer new lands along the way.

What was one of the main economic foundations of Mali’s power during its golden age?

• Extensive silver mines in the Sahel.

• Agricultural production in the coastal regions.

• Control over the trade routes from the Middle Niger floodplain to the desert.

• A network of textile production factories.