The Ghana Empire Begins
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The Ghana Empire was founded in the Soninke region in the 700's; the word Ghana means "war chief". Many Soninke clans came together under the ruler Dinga Cisse. The Soninke region had trade routes going through it. The Soninke decided to tax whatever goods came through their region. Taxing the incoming goods made the Soninke, and later, Ghana, soon rich.
Government Organization
Ghana was governed by a single ruler who controlled trade and commanded a large army.
Trade Affects and Influences Ghana
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Trade was extremely important to Ghana. In fact, trade was how Ghana became rich; people in Ghana became rich from taxing the products being sold by traders. Ghana traded slaves, salt and copper for textiles, beads, and finished goods.
The two important products that Ghana traded were gold and salt. The trade of these two products is known as the gold-salt trade. Gold was abundant in West Africa. Salt, however, was far more valuable. Salt deposits were mostly found in the Sahara.
Before the third century A.D., trade was on an irregular basis, pack animals (donkeys, oxen, horses) could not travel because of the desert conditions. In the third century A.D., Berber nomads began using camels for traveling long distances for trade, as the camels can cover 60 miles a day and can survive without water for 10 days. A nomad is a member of a group that has no permanent home and wanders from place to place in search of food and water. Africa's earliest settlers were nomadic hunter-gatherers: the men hunt with spears, bows, and arrows and the women and children gather roots and berries. Some of these nomadic hunter-gatherers still exist in the San of the Kalahari Desert and the Congo rainforest. They were significant because they learned to domesticate and raise many types of animals for food.
The two important products that Ghana traded were gold and salt. The trade of these two products is known as the gold-salt trade. Gold was abundant in West Africa. Salt, however, was far more valuable. Salt deposits were mostly found in the Sahara.
Before the third century A.D., trade was on an irregular basis, pack animals (donkeys, oxen, horses) could not travel because of the desert conditions. In the third century A.D., Berber nomads began using camels for traveling long distances for trade, as the camels can cover 60 miles a day and can survive without water for 10 days. A nomad is a member of a group that has no permanent home and wanders from place to place in search of food and water. Africa's earliest settlers were nomadic hunter-gatherers: the men hunt with spears, bows, and arrows and the women and children gather roots and berries. Some of these nomadic hunter-gatherers still exist in the San of the Kalahari Desert and the Congo rainforest. They were significant because they learned to domesticate and raise many types of animals for food.
The Fall of the Ghana Empire
The decline of the Ghana Empire has many causes. The Muslim Almoravids left Ghana after completing their conquest. The Almoravids devastated the gold-salt trade, not allowing Ghana to regain it's power. A drought came, having a long-term effect on Ghana's agriculture and cattle. Also, new trade routes came in the east, sparking the beginning of the Mali Empire.
Islam Affects and Influences Ghana
Islam heavily influenced the Ghana Empire. Ghana's rulers were influenced to convert to Islam. By the end of the 11th century, Ghana's king had Muslim advisers help him rule the kingdom. Even though the rulers were Islamic, a lot of people didn't convert to Islam and continued practicing Animism. Animism is the belief that the spirits living in plants, animals, and natural forces contribute a significant role in life.