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West African Kingdoms. Coach Parrish OMS Chapter 11, Section 2. King of Mali.
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West African Kingdoms Coach Parrish OMS Chapter 11, Section 2
King of Mali • Soldiers whose swords hung from gold chains rode horses decorated with gold. Thousands of slaves, each carrying a gold staff, marched along side the soldiers. The procession, 60,000 strong, included dozens of camels each loaded with many pounds of gold. • This was the caravan of Mansa Musa – king of Mali, in West Africa.
Kingdoms of the Savanna • Mansa Musa ruled Mali – rich kingdom of the West African savanna. The kingdoms of the savanna controlled trade routes through the Sahara. • Traders had to pay taxes when passing, and these taxes made the kingdoms rich.
Ghana, Kingdom of Trade • Salt and gold were the basis of West African trade. Salt was very valuable because of its many uses. • Salt was scarce in the rain forest, so the people of the rain forest traded gold for salt. • Ghana – first West African kingdom to grow rich from the salt and gold trade.
The Fall of Ghana • By 1000 AD, Ghana’s capital was divided into two cities. Power began to weaken and invaders from the north overran the capital city. • By the 1200s AD, Ghana had broken into smaller city-states and was overthrown by Mali.
Powerful Kingdom of Mali • Under the leadership of Sundiata, Mali took control of the salt and gold trade in 1230 AD. • In 1255 when Sundiata died, Mali was considered the most powerful kingdom in Africa. • In 1312, Mansa Musa became ruler of Mali. Mansa Musa introduced Islam to the region.
The Fall of Mali • During his 25 year rule, Mansa Musa used his ties to Islam to make Mali a center for learning. Scholars taught mathematics, religion, medicine and law. • After Mansa Musa died, raiders attacked from the north and divided Mali into provinces. One province, Songhai, became an empire.
Rise and Fall of Songhai • Songhai – leading kingdom of the West Africa savanna during the 1400s. Songhai’s leaders controlled trade routes and participated in the salt and gold trade. • In less than 100 years, however, Songhai began to lose power. In the late 1500s, the people of Songhai began fighting themselves. It fell when Morocco invaded with guns and cannons.
Kingdoms of the Forest • Two of the most important kingdoms of the West African forests were located in the cities of Ile-IFe and Benin. • Each city grew rich from trade and was polytheistic.
Ile-Ife: Center of Culture and Trade • About 1000 AD, Ile-Ife became a major cultural and trading center. Their leaders were called onis. • Historians know little about Ile-Ife because the modern city of Ife is built on top of the ancient city and it is also thickly forested and damp. • Also, old mud buildings have washed away. The most important artifacts that scientists have found are life-like sculptures.
Benin Rules an Empire • Benin dates to the 1200s. Workers in Benin mined copper, iron, and gold. Benin’s leaders, called obas, also sold slaves to African traders. • By the 1500s, Benin reached its greatest strength. The oba controlled the army, priests, government and chiefs. The city controlled trade routes along the rivers and became rich. • Like Ile-Ife, Benin became a center of art. The obas hired artisans to make beautiful objects.
