Medieval Africa

Two African Empires to know about And the Empire of Mali. You need to know about the Empire of Ghana They both originated in northwest Africa around the Niger River. The Empire of Ghana came about 300 years before Mali.

Ghana The rulers of Ghana built an empire by controlling the salt and gold trade. Ghana was located between the Sahara desert and deep forests. In this location, they were in a good position to trade in the region’s most valuable resources--gold and salt.

Salt and Gold

Silent Barter Silent Barter is a process in which people exchange goods without contacting each other directly. In Ghana, traders from the north would cross the Sahara and bring their salt. Gold miners came from the south to trade their gold. Without talking to each other, they would leave their goods and hit drums to signal that they were ready to trade. Every trader that passed through Ghana paid a tax to Ghana’s rulers, making the empire very wealthy. Ghana eventually declined due to invasions, overgrazing, and internal rebellion.

Mali Even the greatest king, Mansa Musa, became a Muslim. The kingdom of Mali became powerful for the same reason as Ghana—trade. Traders brought something else to Mali besides goods: Islam. Even the greatest king, Mansa Musa, became a Muslim.

Mansa Musa Mansa Musa made Mali and its great wealth famous throughout the Muslim world when he went on a pilgrimage to Mecca accompanied by thousands of servants and gold. Mansa Musa wanted to spread Islam across Africa. He encouraged his people to learn Arabic and set up schools in Timbuktu and other cities. When Mali fell to invaders, the Songhai Empire came into power and helped strengthen Islam in West Africa.

A Visual Summary of African Empires

Practice Test Question What was a result of Mansa Musa;s pilgrimage to Mecca? Mali became famous in the Muslim world. Mansa Musa became a Muslim. Mansa Musa became a Christian. Mansa Musa became friends with Askia the Great. The answer is A.

Practice Test Question Why did Mansa Musa encourage the teaching of Arabic? He needed people to translate the Qur’an. He wanted people to be able to read the Qur’an in Arabic. He wanted to attract scholars to Mali. He wanted to build schools and mosques. The correct answer is B.

Practice test question How did trade affect the development of towns? Towns grew up around salt mines. Towns grew where gold was mined. Places where Islamic missionaries camped grew into towns. Places where traders met grew into towns. The correct answer is D.

Practice test question What did the empires of Ghana and Mali NOT have in common? Both controlled the Niger region. Both grew rich from trade. Both suffered from invasions. Both were Muslim empires. The correct answer is D.

Practice test question How did the location of cities in the West African empires of Ghana and Mali influence their growth? Their location in river valleys allowed for extensive farming. Their coastal location made the cities major ports for maritime trade. Their location on major trade routes allowed them to prosper economically. Their mountainous location made the cities easily defensible. The correct answer is C.