10.4.1 The Kingdom of Ghana

What was the largest import?

SALT OBVI

what did the Soninke call their land?

Wagadou

how did "justice" work?

if a man was accused of something he would have to drink water that was poured over sour wood; if the man vomited he was innocent; if he didn't the accusation is accepted as justified

when did Ghana capture a Berber town? which town was it? what did Ghana control after this conquest? why?

992; Awdaghost; the souther portion of a major caravan route; because the town was situated on the trans-Saharan trade route

how did the title of the Ghana region become it?

Muslim traders and other foreigners applied the king's title to the region where Soninke lived

what was Ghana b4 it became Ghana?

a territory inhabited by Soninke ppl who called their ruler ghana, or chief

who provided a vivid description of the kingdom?

al-Bakri

what was high status based on?

blood and royal service

What was one qualities of the city of Koumbi Saleh had?

city of vigorous intellectual activity

why did Berber merchants pay a tax to the king? what would they exchange it for?

for cloth, metalwork, weapons, and other goods; they gave the merchants received royal protection from bandits

describe the government.

had a council of ministers to assist the king in his work, almost all of these minister were Muslim; they are assumed to have been separate agencies for this council; they were well served; they clung to their ancestral religion

describe the king and his power.

he had full authority; religious ceremonies and court rituals emphasized the kings sacredness and were intended to strengthen their authority; the position was matrilineally hereditary

How does the name of Ghanian rulers make sense with his position?

he maintained his palacea standing force of 1k men

Where was the court?

in the large and vibrant city f Koumbi Saleh; which is described as two towns; one in which the king and the court lived and the other Muslim

What was the kingdom of Ghana?

it was an influential African kingdom that was inhabited by the Soninke ppl

what was Ghana seen as?

it was praised by their visitors and was seen as a model for other rulers

how did the courts work?

justice came from the king, who heard cases at court or on his travels throughout his kingdom

Why was Ghana so powerful?

no other power in west Africa could successfully challenge; they ruled a territory the size of Texas in the 11th century; by 1000 Ghana extended their influence close to the atlantic coast

What was the most commonly accepted theory for Ghana's rapid decline?

that the Berber Almoravid dynasty of North Africa invaded and conquered Ghana ca. 1100 and forced its rulers and ppl to convert to Islam; there is no way this theory could be true

who was the imam?

the religious leader of Muslims who conducted the ritual worship, especially the main prayer services on Fridays

what was the relationship between the aristocracy and gold?

the royal treasury held a monopoly on the export of gold; gold export was the king's largest source of income

how was the agriculture in Ghana?

the southern part didn't get that much rainfall for agriculture, but skillful farming and n efficient system of irrigation led to the production of crops, which then supported a population of as many as 200k

who were muezzins?

they led prayer after the imam; they needed a strong voice so that those at distance and the women in the harems could hear

hat did the muslims do to protect or preserve their identity?

they lived separate of the African artisans and traders

What did the royal estates do to support the kingdom?

they produced annual revenue, in the form of foodstuffs, for the royal household

hy was the name for Ghana selected?

to signify the rebirth of ancient Ghana's illustrious past in black Africa

what did the Ghanian social ladder consist of?

top: the king, his court, and Muslim administrators. under: merchants. under: farmers, cattle breeders, mine supervisors, & craftsmen and weavers. last: slaves

how did Ghana get its name?

when the Gold Coast gained its independence of colonial rule in 1957, political leaders paid tribute to this glorious heritage by naming their new country Ghana