West African Kingdoms

Ghana

Mali

Songhai

Ghana

| 700s – 1200s

| used iron tools

| Traded gold in exchange for salt with the Arab Muslims to the north

| silent barter – process in which people exchange goods without contacting each other directly

Ghana

| Used wealth from trade to build up army and gained control of most of West Africa’s trade routes

| Taxed all people who traded in their lands which increased their wealth

| Eventually weakened by Muslim invaders from the north and internal rebellion

Mali

|  1200s – 1400s

|  Began under rule of Sundiata (soon-jah-tah)

|  Leaders were called mansas

|  Mansa Musa was most famous {  Converted to Islam – made pilgrimage to

Mecca {  Supported education {  Established Timbuktu as center of learning

and culture

|  Mali eventually conquered by outsiders

Songhai |  1400s – late 1500s

|  Sunni Ali was one of the founders

|  Askia the Great was another important leader {  Supported education and learning {  Timbuktu had universities, schools,

libraries, and mosques {  Was a devout Muslim

|  Defeated by Morocco in 1500s

|  Atlantic trade ports became more important

Extra

| griots – West African storytellers { no written native language { Arabic was only written

language used { oral history – spoken record of

past events

| Also famous for sculptures and mask making