West African Kingdoms

Kingdoms of Wealth, Power, and Intellectual Accomplishment

Ghana

First West African trading empire

Became rich because of its relative location Located on trade route between Sahara (main

source of salt) and gold fields of Senegal River Taxed goods passing through kingdom

Arab traders led trade (salt-gold) on caravan Group of camels carrying goods

Mali

Malinke ruler took control of gold-salt trade from Ghana

Wealth of empire came from Taxes passing through kingdom Tributes

Gifts of farm crops paid to Mali’s ruler by chiefs of surrounding lands

Mali’s Leader

Leader of Mali people called mansa, or chief

Religious as well as political leader

Most important ruler Mansa Musa Brought back Muslim scholars and made

Timbuktu a center of learning

Timbuktu

Mali built city of Timbuktu when took control of gold-salt trade

Trading center of Mali & Songhai

Became center of Muslim learning Great universities produced doctors, judges, priest and

other learned men

Muslim learning more important than gold-salt trade

Songhai

Sunni Ali, founder and first leader of kingdom

Skilled and ruthless fighter Follower of Islam, religion of Muslim people Took control of gold-salt trade from Mali

Wealth of kingdom came from taxes and tributes

Songhai -continued

Askia Muhammad, another important leader of kingdom

Attracted Islamic teachers and poets to Timbuktu’s universities

Bantu People

Bantu: West African people who spoke Bantu

Learned to heat and shape iron

Made farming easier and created food surpluses

Population increased

Bantu Migrations

Some of the largest migrations in human history

Possible reason for migration Looking for new land to farm

Bantu-speakers settled in Central and Southern Africa Introduced farming, herding, and iron tools to

these regions