GHANA Ghana was the first great African empire of the western Sudan. Historians believe that a group of people called the Soninke founded Ghana as early as the year 300 and it thrived until around 1200. Ghana became known for its rich culture, wealth, organization, and power. The name Ghana means both “warrior king” and “king of gold.” These were good names for an empire with an army who ruled with iron spears and an incredible supply of wealth derived from their control of the gold trade in West Africa. The Soninke people belonged to a larger language group called the Mande. A typical Soninke family included a man, his wife or wives, their children, and other relatives. This big family was referred to as a clan.
Each clan had one member
Resources,they carry a country financially.A big driving force for imperialism at the time was resources,and Africa just so happened to have an abundance of them.Ranging from diamonds to slave labour ,Africa was a gold mine in the eyes of the Europeans.Proof of this is the
In Africa there were three great empires, first the Ghana Empire who domesticated camels and carved trade routes all across the Sahara then
After the fall of Ghana, a Black state called Mali became the successor power in West Africa. The king of Mali formed alliances with other Islamic rulers, and this military and religious strength made him the most powerful ruler in Africa. Mali was founded by the Mande people of the upper Niger River, famous for their weaving, mining and architecture. By the close of the fourteenth century, the Mali empire had achieved greater wealth and power than Ghana. Civil warfare, attacks from Mossi and Songhay, and the arrival of the Portuguese in Africa mortally reduced Mali's power.
In the form of African culture, the country Ghana has its own definitive form that is somehow similar with other African country’s culture but different in various elements. This is why it is the most intrinsic characteristic of Ghananese culture; with its deployment of systems, structures and social elements, it is set apart from other African cultures. But what should be given importance is its original context, which also sprung from the African importance of culture. According to Steven J. Salm and Toyin Falola (2002), “Africans regard culture as essential to
Ghana: wealthy because of gold; declined because of loss of trade, drought, and pressure from outside forces
People of the early African kingdoms were able to create successful trade routes with Europe and Asia, become very wealthy from conquering and gaining land, and were able to have a strong central government. All of this was done before the Europeans had reached Africa. Trade flourished on the East African coast, especially when trading was established with India and Arabia. African kingdoms were prosperous, because of their success with not only trading but also with their ability to conquer land. A governmental structure is key to allowing any kingdom to thrive, and the African people were able to achieve this.
The Kingdom Ghana in western Africa flourished. Ghana gained control of the salt-and-gold trade (Doc. 2). This was important because Gold was used as a currency,
The relationship between the geography of West Africa and the development of the Kingdom of Ghana go hand in hand. It was a great place for civilization because it flourished over time. The Kingdom of Ghana’s development was helped because of trade and wealth.
Gold and salt mines surrounded Ghana and were kept a secret from the other countries who might want to get in on the great wealth of Ghana. Another reason Ghana had an opulent economy was because people loved books and would pay a great fortune to buy them. In Document 1 it talks about how the location of Ghana was important to the economy and in Document 4, people in Ghana lived on to do great tasks, because of the knowledge they got from all the books they bought. As seen in the map in document 1, it shows Ghana located directly in the middle of 12 gold and salt mines which they kept private so no one could steal their good fortune (Document 1). In the fourth document it reads,“Here are many doctors, judges, priests, and other learned men that are well maintained at the king's costs. Various manuscripts and written books are brought here . . . and sold for more money than other merchandise” (Document 4). This is helpful because they used the mines to trade with people who did not have the opportunity to collect gold and salt, but needed it. The salt is used to keep food fresh in warmer areas, and the gold is used for trading. They also highly appreciated books and would pay a substantial of money to get them. Books started to even become more highly priced than items like merchandise. The location of Ghana contributed greatly to the rich and wealthy atmosphere of Ghana as well as
In early Africa, the kingdom of Ghana was prosperous due to the trade of salt and gold. Ghana’s location benefited it in many ways. First Ghana’s location allowed them to be the center of the Gold/Salt trade. Since salt was so valuable at the time, the people of Ghana were able to sell salt for gold throughout Africa, the Mediterranean Sea, and the Middle East. Ghana also made a lot of revenue from taxes on the Gold/Salt trade route. Since they were the center
The first empire in West Africa was the empire of Ghana. West Africa has an economic base in gold, 600 years ago. That means that West Africa had a deposit of gold that had brought great wealth to the surrounding people from which great empires emerged. The gold was trade and the trader with camels carried the gold across the Sahara from West Africa to North Africa. From there traders shipped the gold to Europe and to the West Asia. One of the three most powerful empires in West Africa is Ghana. In the 11th century,
The land was full of riches like salt and gold, and they were so wealthy they gave their animals gold and silk. Ghana, like Egypt had a large river to provide water for fields, animals, and people. Ghana was also at the center of trans Saharan trade, which brought people from all over either passing through or to do business. Most of the people were farmers so food was not a problem. Ghana had a great system that allowed them to bring their problems to their king, the Ghana where all disputed were settled peacefully. Travelers could journey from place to place without fear of being robbed. Ghana was a land that provided everything needed for life, and even provided some of the pleasures of life like
How did the polity of Ancient Ghana arise? How did Ghana maintain its strength and what were some of the challenges? The Wagadou Empire was a monarchy, and the king was regarded by the people to be a semi-divine figure who kept order and justice. Ghana was not rich in natural resources as it was located along a major trade route between ivory and gold producing areas and salt miners in the Sahara. Merchants were lured into Ghana by the wealth of gold and prosperity helped the capital, Kumbi Saleh, to be a center of trade. The country will eventually become a prosperous entrepôt. Ancient Ghana derived power and wealth from gold and transportation of camels during the Sub-Saharan trade to increase the quantity of goods that were transported. The traditional Ghanan religions and Islam spread
The histories of Ghana, Mali, and Songhai are not well documented. Much of what we know is a mixture of legend, stories and secondhand accounts. North Africa has small coastal areas, some savanna areas, but it is mostly made up of the sahara desert. It is a very dry and hot region. West Africa has some desert areas, wet and dry grasslands, small rainforest, and long rivers, like the Niger River. It has some vegetation areas, but it also has some dry and hot areas. According to legend, Ghana started when a foreigner named Dhinga had to kill a goblin, and marry the goblins pretty daughters. Their offspring became ancestors of the ruling Soninke clans. After he died, his son Dyabe defeated his brother and founded the empire of Ghana somewhere
The Kingdom of Ghana was a kingdom that rose into power very quickly and lasted for a long 800 years. But the kingdom was then taken over by Mali when it came to its fall. But before any of these things happened, Ghana, accurately known as Wagadugu was created by a tribe called Soninke. This tribe was the main reason that this Kingdom rose into power because they would expand they land and take control of areas strategically, increasing in power over time. By the time that it was the year 1000 B.C.E they had control of a good amount of land in the upper part of Niger and Senegal Rivers which had a great amount of riches and gold, which will then lead to Ghana being one of the biggest kingdom in the trans-Saharan trade network. Main things Ghana