Ancient African Kingdoms: Ghana, Mali, Songhai
Last updated     1/30/2008     11/17/2007

Ancient African trading kingdoms developed in West Africa. Ghana was the first.   Ghana was later absorbed into the larger kingdom of Mali, which was later replaced by the Songhai Empire.  Africa had salt and gold.  The Sahara Desert had rich salt deposits.  Salt was valued because it was used for flavoring and preserving food and for keeping moisture in the body. Some of the kingdoms in the Sudan were rich in salt, while others were rich in gold.


GHANA  300 A.D. to about 1100 A.D.     

Ghana was the first of three powerful trading states in West Africa.  Ghana had learned to smelt iron and using iron swords and lances Ghanaian warriors expanded their borders and gained control over West Afica's trade routes.   Most people in Ghana earned a living from farming. But gold was the reason for Ghana's wealth and power. 

Gold and Salt Trade
    Arab merchants traveled to Ghana by camel caravan from North Africa to trade salt, copper, clothing, tools, and figs.  The Arabs traded their goods for gold, slaves, ivory, jewelry, and leather goods. Only gold dust could be used in trade.   Nuggets became the property of the king.  Legend has it that one nugget was so heavy it was used as a hitching post for the king's horses.  Some have called the Kingdom of Ghana the "land of gold."  The gold trade was largely responsible for the development of Ghana into a powerful kingdom.  The Ghanaian kings controlled the gold that was mined in their kingdom and implemented a system of taxation for their people.  The Ghana Empire enjoyed its "Golden Age" between 800 and 1000 A.D. It had an efficient government and an army to guard its trade routes. 

End of the Empire
In 1042 AD Arabs from North Africa started a war against Ghana.  They destroyed the capital a made Ghana give them tribute.  In 1054 AD, the Almoravid rulers came south to conquer the Kingdom of Ghana and convert the people to Islam. This opened the way for the Kingdom of Mali to gain power.


MALI   1300-1400  

By 1240 AD Ghana was part of Mali, the second large trading kingdom in West Africa.   The Mandingo people of West Africa established the Mali Empire.  Most Mandingo were farmers and Cattle Herders.  Life in the Kingdom of Mali became a blend of Muslim and traditional African cultures.

Sundiata Keita
The king of Mali was Sundiata Keita., or "Hungering Lion."
Sundiata expanded the kingdom to include the Kingdom of Ghana and West African gold fields.
He organized a permanent army.
He divided the kingdom into provinces each headed by a general.
Moved his capital from place to place.
Trunpeters announced his arrival.

Gold and Salt Trade
The rulers of Mali grew rich from the gold- salt trade.   
Mali controlled the salt trade in the north and many caravan trade routes.

Mansa Musa
One of the most famous kings was Mansa Musa
The empire reached its peak during the 1300's under Mansa Musa.
He made a pilgrimage to Mecca in 1324-1325 AD.
60,000 people and eighty camels each carrying 300 lbs. of gold each accompanied him. (24,000 lbs.)
12,000 servants each carried a 4 lb. bar of gold. (48,000 lbs)
Mansa Musa handed out gold on the streets of Cairo.
A Spanish architect built a university in Timbuktu.
The emperors after Mansa Musa lacked the skill and power necessary to hold the empire together.



Timbuktu
Timbuktu, the capital city, became the center of government, learning, and trade.

Religion
The emperors of Mali became Muslims, but most people continued to worship tribal religions.  Although many people in Mali still practiced the old religions, Islam was becoming well established throughout the kingdom.

Learning
Several great centers of Islamic learning were also established during the Kingdom of Mali. Among them were the legendary Timbuktu. Scholars came to study religion, mathematics, music, law, and literature.

End of the Empire
Civil war weakened Mali and enabled the Kingdom of Songhai to become the most powerful trading state in West Africa.

SONGHAI 1400's to 1500's    

Songhai, another west African trading state, took control of the West African caravan routes during the 1400's and 1500's. Traders from Songhai exchanged gold and other products for goods from Europe and the Middle East. Most of the people of Songhai were farmers, fishermen, and traders.

Sultan Sunni Ali
Sultan Sunni Ali Came to power in 1464 AD and ruled from the city of Gao.
He maintained a huge army equipped with armor, camels, and horses.
he also had a navy that patrolled the Niger River.
He strengthened his empire by establishing a central government and unified system of law and order. 
He seized Timbuktu and Djenne, which had been parts of the Kingdom of Mali.
He appointed officials to oversee trade, agriculture, and justice.
Sonni Ali was not a devout Muslim himself, but was sympathetic to indigenous religious practices.

King Askia Muhammad
King Askia Muhammad, who succeeded Sunni Ali in 1493 AD.
He expanded the kingdom even further and set up an even more advanced and strongly centralized government.
He developed a new system of laws, expanded the military, and encouraged scholarship and learning.
He invited Muslim scholars, doctors, and Judges to Timbuktu, which became a great cultural center.
He was a devout Muslim, who used the combination of Islam and commerce to build his kingdom.
Askia Muhammad brought peace and stability to the kingdom during his reign.

Timbuktu
The city of Timbuktu became a major center of trade.
It was the site of an influential Islamic school specializing in history and law, among other things.
He invited Muslim scholars, doctors, and Judges to Timbuktu, which became a great cultural center.

End of the Empire
In 1591 AD, an army from Morocco crossed the Sahara and seized Songhai's gold mines.
Only ½ of the Moroccan soldiers survived the trip across the desert.
The Moroccan soldiers had guns and defeated the Songhai soldiers who only had swords and spears.
By 1600 AD, the days of the great kingdoms of West Africa were over.

Middle Kingdom of Africa Time Line