Transcript West African Kingdoms

West African Kingdoms
Front Cover
 500- 1240 Kingdom of Ghana
 1234-1400s Kingdom of Mali
 1450-1600s Kingdom of Songhai
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 Tribute- Gifts paid to rulers for taxes
 Berbers- desert nomads
 Merchants- businessmen
Ghana
 Produced neither gold nor salt, became wealthy by
trading both
 First trading empire in west Africa
 Taxed good going into and out of kingdom
 Had a well built army funded by the taxes collected
 Most people are farmers
 Islam became a major influence
Mali
 Seized power from Ghana
 Stretched from Atlantic coast to the bend of the
Niger river
 Built a major city “Timbuktu”
 Mansa Musa- ruler or chief of Mali
 Became wealthy from taxing goods, receiving
tributes from surrounding area rulers
 Located on fertile land. Farmed rice, beans, millet,
yams
 Farmers gave crops as tribute for taxation
 Bought horses and weapons with money from taxes
 2/3 of gold in use was traded through Mali
Songhai
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Founder- Sunny Ali- captured Timbuktu from Mali in 1464
Had universities attracting teachers and poets
Wealth came from taxes on trade and tribute of crops from farmers
Last 125 years
Wanted to gain control of gold and salt trade through expansion
Sunni Ali’s son divided his empire into provinces after his death
Continued to tax goods going in and out of kingdom
Askia Muhammad converted everyone to Islam
Islam brought about principles of the basis of court systems and
social reform
 Built mosques and schools
 Askia Muhammad rule known as “period of Peace”
Mansa Musa
 Mali’s most famous ruler; made a pilgrimage to
mecca/medina
 Gave away so much gold it caused the price of gold to
crash
 Brought back architects and Islamic scholars to Timbuktu
 Timbuktu became the Islamic learning center of west
Africa
 Lead a massive caravan 60,000 people, 80 camels
 Gave gifts to the poor
 Mansa Musa Song