Chapter 5: Lesson 2 (The Empire of Ghana)
What was the role of Ghana's rulers?
Ghana's rulers had control over trade and collected taxes on the salt from the north. The king was Ghana's highest religious and military leader and judge. The Ghanaian army was filled with cavalry and archers. The rulers;s power came from mulitple sources. First, he had the support and trust of local nobilities. Second he was a god to be worshiped according to the Soninke religion. Lastly, the gold-bearing upper reaches of the Niger and Senegal Rivers gave him wealth and power.
What was the Muslim section of Koumbi like?
Linked to the Soninke section by a six-mile long boulevard was the Muslim side of Koumbi. The Muslim side had 12 mosques, as well as the homes of Muslim traders. Many of the homes were made of stone, and some had two stories. The large Koumbi market was in this section.
What wealth and power did the Soninke kings bring Ghana, and how did they accomplish it?
The Soninke easily conquered neighboring peoples as their weapons, made of iron, were much stronger than their adversaries' stone weapons. By the late 900s, Ghana had gained control over more than 100,000 square miles of land and hundreds of thousands of people. the empire also gained wealth from the taxes collected on the goods passing through the empire.
Where was the empire of Ghana located?
Ghana was an agricultural kingdom of the Soninke tribe with prosperous trans-Saharan trade. It began in the southeast corner of modern-day Mauritania, along the Senegal River, and expanded along the Niger River.
Why was Ghana such an ideal location for trade?
Ghana was located between the Sahel and Sahara in the north, and the tropical rain forests in the south. The Senegal and Gambia rivers also helped for trade. Ghana was also located between northern Saharan salt mines and Wangara's gold fields in the south. Kola nuts, palm oil, copper, and gold were imported from the south, and ceramics, glass and oil lamps, and salt were imported from the north.
What is matrilineal succession?
In matrilineal succession, a king is succeeded by the son of his sister. In Ghana, matrilineal succession was used. This went against the Muslim practice for being heir to the throne, patrilineal succession.
What is patrilineal succession?
In patrilineal succession, a king is directly succeeded by his son. Muslims would practice patrilineal succession. The Ghanaians could not adopt this new practice from Islam.
How did Ghana and the Sanhaja gain and regain their land?
In the 900's Ghana forced tribute from Sanhaja's southernmost trading center, Awdaghust. As the Almoravid movement spread, the Sanhaja joined it and retook Awdaghust. They eventually captured Koumbi in 1076. In 1087, the Soninke regained control from the Almoravids, but the states that had supported the Almoravids broke away.
What did the Arab traders settling in Ghana change?
In the 900's, more Arab merchants migrated to Ghana. They brought the first system of writing and numbers to West Africa. Arabs were hired as government officials and the Arab writing system was adopted by Ghanaian kings. By 750, the Muslim Arabs had created a large Islamic Empire in the Middle East and began to gain more influence in West Africa. They taught the Ghanaians about their religion and converted many government officials and merchants to Islam, though Ghana's Soninke rulers remained with their religion.
Who was King Sumanguru?
King Sumanguru ruled one of the states that broke away from the Soninke. In 1203, he overthrew the Soninke king and conquered Koumbi. At the same time, a kingdom in the east called Mali, being ruled by the Mali, rose in power. By 1235, Mali's king defeated Sumanguru and Ghana had fallen.
What was trade like in Koumbi?
Koumbi, Ghana's capital, became the wealthiest and busiest marketplace in West Africa from about 800 to 1050 because of the gold and salt trade. In Koumbi, people bought and sold cattle, honey, dates, cloth, ivory, and ebony.
What was the idea of "brotherhood of all believers"?
Many West Africans converted to Islam because of the concept "brotherhood ion all believers." This meant that Muslims trusted each other and lived peacefully. Muslim traders would extend credit to each other just because they were Muslim, and Muslims of different nationalities were more willing to trade.
How was Koumbi divided to please Muslims and non-Muslims?
Most of the traders in Ghana were Muslim. Although the Soninke kings were not Muslim, they tolerated Islam. They did keep it separated from the Soninke religion, however. They divided Koumbi, among other Ghanaian trading towns, into two sections, one for Muslims and the other for local people.
Why was salt so important to the Ghanaians?
Salt was used to flavor and preserve food. Salt was also needed to replace the lost from the body via perspiration. Since Ghana was rich in gold but lacked salt, and Europe and Asia had salt but not gold, trade was successful. One pound of gold was equal to one pound of salt in trade. The trading city-states on the norther edge of the Sahara gained so much gold, that they minted gold coins, The People of Wangara traded some of their gold for salt from the north,
What were the different groups of Berbers in Africa?
The Berbers along the northern coast of Africa ruled an area called the Maghreb. They had long been Muslims by the late 1100s but now were rival reform movements battling for power. Two of these political and spiritual movements were the Almoravids, and later the Almohads. Saharan Berbers included the Sanhaja and the Taureg, who rode in caravans across the desert.
Who were the Mandinke?
The Mandinke were a people from the southern Sahara who acted as middlemen in trade between Arabs and Wangarans. The Mandinke were some of the first people to convert to Islam. They formed small trade companies and spread Islamic ideas throughout West Africa.
What was the Soninke section of Koumbi like?
The Soninke side of Koumbi was a walled city made up of mainly one-story houses built with wood or clay and straw roofs. The king resided on this side in a large wood and stone palace.
