THE KINGDOMS OF WEST AFRICAGhana, Mali and Songhai

WEST AFRICAN EMPIRES

Nok Ghana Mali

5x larger than Ghana

Songhai

VOCABULARY

Griot-Storyteller Diviner- Someone who communicates

with spirits Kinship-Family Relationship Oral Tradition-History passed through

retold stories

TRANS-SAHARA TRADE

Trade routes carried goods from the Middle East, Europe and Asia

Gold and Salt Dangerous but profitable Niger and Senegal Rivers-Natural Resource and

Transportation

TRADE CENTERS

Koumbi-Ghana Niani-Mali Timbuktu- major center for trade and

learning Gao- Songhai

GHANA-GOVERNMENT

King ruled with help from a council of ministers

Kingdom divided into large provinces and smaller districts Province ruled by a lesser king District ruled by a chief

The son of the king’s sister inherited the throne.

GHANA-GOVERNMENT

Local rulers had to send their sons to the king’s court.

Nobody could trade without the king’s permission

Only the king could own gold nuggets Currency-gold dust

MALI-GOVERNMENT

Larger than Ghana in every way Officials supervised specific trade or

economic items…one would oversea fishing, another would be in charge of forests

Kingdom divided into provinces ruled by generals

Citizens rewarded with gold, land and horses to keep them loyal

MALI-GOVERNMENT

National Honor of the Trousers- only the royal family could wear sewn clothes. Most people wore wrapped cloth.

Mansa Musa- Mali’s greatest king, helped to spread Islam and education in West Africa

SONGHAI-GOVERNMENT

Founded by Sunni Ali- divided into provinces but never fully organized

Ali died mysteriously in 1492 1493- Songhai taken over by general Muhammad

Ture- continued spreading Islam in West Africa

TRADITIONAL AFRICAN RELIGIONS

Most Africans believed in one supreme creator.

Religious practices varied widely from place to place

Religion provided rules for living and helped people stay in touch with their history.

Most believed the spirits of the dead stayed with the community.

ISLAM IN AFRICA

Became popular in West Africa because it assisted in trading with Arab world.

More Muslims in cities than in the countryside Men like Mansa Musa, Muhammad Ture aka. Askia

Muhammed very important in spreading Islam throughout West Africa.

Mosques and schools built throughout West Africa to teach the Koran.