Transcript Lecture

West Africa
Ghana
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800 A.D.-1200
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Present-day Western Mali and
southeastern Mauritania.
Ghana
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The Kingdom of Ghana was established by uniting
many farming villages. Ghana, meaning ruler, had
a strong central government.
 The capital of Ghana, Kumbi Saleh, was where the
kings of Ghana regulated the salt and gold trade.
Gold was plentiful in West Africa.
 Ghana was defeated in the 13th century by rival
trading kingdoms. By the end of the 1200s, part of
ancient Ghana was absorbed into the kingdom of
Mali.
Mali
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1200 A.D.-1450 A.D.
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Located in Present-day
Mauritania, Mali, and
Niger.
Mali
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Mansa Musa was the greatest ruler of Mali who came to
throne in 1312. He expanded the empire and converted
to Islam.
Musa made the pilgrimage or Hajj to Mecca, Saudi
Arabia. He traveled lavishly through Egypt. This showed
his devotion to Islam and created diplomatic ties with
Muslim states.
Decline: The empire of Mali declined as a result of
succession disputes around the mid 1400s.
Songhai
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1450-1600 A.D.
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Present-Day Mauritania, Mali, Niger, and
Burkina Faso
Songhai
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The Songhai absorbed the Kingdom of Mali around
1450.
Sonni Ali was one of the Songhai’s greatest kings. He
expanded his control and practiced traditional African
Religion.
Askia Muhammad took over after Ali’s death and
created a Muslim empire. He improved the
government by appointing officials for separate
departments of farming, army, and the treasury.
Timbuktu was the center of learning. Muslim scholars
came from all over to study there.
In 1586 disputes over succession led to civil war, and
the ruler of Morocco sent armies to defeat the
Songhai.
What have we learned?
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Africa has been involved in trade.
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Africa is home to a variety of religions, and is
welcoming of new ideas.
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Africa has had diverse experiences.
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Africa has a rich history.