1. Empires of Africa: Ghana, Mali & Songhai
Empires in Africa (Ghana, Mali and Songhai) and Asia (Byzantine, Ottoman, Mughal and China) grew as commercial and cultural centers along trade routes.

2. Africa’s Geography Savanna
Areas of grassland with scattered trees and bushes
Much of Africa is savanna
Africa’s lions, zebras, and elephants live mainly on the savanna
Sahara
Desert stretching across most of North Africa
Worlds largest desert
Hot, dry place of sand dunes and rocky mountains

3. Africa’s Geography Tropical Savanna covers the largest area of Africa
Sahara Desert
Worlds Largest Desert
Very few people live here
Lakes, deep valleys and rugged mountains run north to south through East Africa

4. Affect of Africa’s Geography
Africa’s physical geography has affected its people’s way of life
For example, there is little farming in Africa’s deserts, because there is too little water.
People herd cattle on the savannas, but cattle cannot survive in the rain forest.
Flies and other pests in the rain forest carry diseases that are deadly for cattle.

5. The Bantu
The Bantu are a large group of central and southern African’s who speak related language
The Bantu people, searching for better land for farming, migrated across most of Africa south of the Equator
Much of what we know about these early African’s comes from oral history
Accounts from the past that people pass down by word of mouth.

6. The Bantu and History
Bantu often moved into areas where people already lived
When this happened, they sometimes joined the groups living there.
The older cultures usually adapted to the Bantu culture.
Agriculture: Yams
Metalworking: Iron Tools
Axes: Cut down trees and clear the land
Spears and Arrows: Powerful weapons for hunting and warfare.

7. Ghana, Mali & Songhai
Powerful trading kingdoms, including Ghana, Mali, and Songhai, controlled the savannas of West Africa for hundreds of years

8. Trade: Salt Salt and gold were the basis of West African Trade.
Most of the salt came from mines in central Sahara
Salt was very valuable
People needed it to preserve meat, and to maintain good health
Salt was scarce in the forest region

9. Trade: Gold
Some people from the forest region sold gold in exchange for salt
Some gold was sold to traders on their way to North Africa
These traders returned with glass and other precious North African goods

10. Ghana (400 to 1000)
First West African kingdom to be based on the wealth of salt and gold
Took control of trade routes across the Sahara
Ideal location for trade
Capital city broken into two areas: Trade City and Royal City
Eventually Ghana was overran by invaders and began to break into small, independent states
Soon trade was controlled by a the powerful new kingdom of Mali

11. Mali (1200 to 1450) Mali was centered in the Upper Niger Valley
In the 1200’s Mali took control of the salt and gold trade
Strong leaders and wealth caused Mali to grow
In the 1300’s Islam became the official religion of the Empire

12. Mali: Mansa Musa Became ruler in 1312 Converted to Islam
Ruled for 25 years
Converted to Islam
Pilgrimage to Mecca Page 44
Helped Mali become a center of learning
Scholars came to teach religion, mathematics, medicine and law

13. The Fall of Mali
About 50 years after Mansa Musa died, Mali’s power began to fade
Raiders attacked from the north and fighting broke out within the kingdoms
Several providences broke away and became independent
One of these former providences became an empire in its own right, Songhai.

14. Songhai (1450 to 1600)
Songhai became the leading empire in West Africa savanna during the 1400s
Like Ghana and Mali, Songhai controlled the trade routes and the sources of salt and gold
Songhai’s wealth and power grew when it conquered the rich trading city of Timbuktu

15. Timbuktu Large markets Scholars Religion
Metal, wood, grains, nuts, fish, camel meat, milk, water, dates, rugs linen, ivory, gold salt and even slaves
Scholars
Scholars came to study and exchange ideas
Religion
Muslims could pray at large mud mosques

16. Timbuktu - Africa's City of Gold

17. The Fall of Songhai
In less than 100 years, the kingdom of Songhai began to lose power.
In the late 1500s, the people of Songhai began fighting among themselves
The kingdom became weaker
Eventually it fell to the guns and cannons of the armies of North Africa
The era of rich and power trading empires of West Africa was at an end.