Transcript Slide 1

Aim: How did the West African Kingdom of
Ghana develop into a powerful empire?
Do Now:
1. Why do certain products have more value to a
group of people than other products?
2. What product was valuable to the people of
Ghana?
A. Three sources of knowledge—
archaeology, oral history, and written
sources by North Africans.
No written language—south of the Sahara
Gold-Salt Trade
SALT
GOLD
Berbers
Do not copy these questions!
• 1. Why was salt so important and valuable
in trans-Saharan trade? Is there any
product that is a necessity of life that must
be brought into the region? What kind of
economic situation do you think the
demand for this item creates in your
society?
1. Ghana might have existed back in 400AD
2. By 800, it was a thriving trading center.
Around 1070, it was one of most powerful
empires in the world.
Ghana Empire
[4c-11c]
Gold “Money”, Ghana/Ivory Coast
Salt
B. Economics and Geography
1.South of Sahel—southern part of the
Sahara
2. Savannah—grasslands—farm, raise
livestock, and traded gold for salt.
3. West African kings were willing to pay for it
in large amounts for gold.
Can you think of other examples in history
when one item, natural or man made, had
the potential to change a society?
Do not copy this!
• How did camels revolutionize transSaharan trade?
• 3. Trans-Saharan caravan—use of camels
to trade. Camels can travel long stretches
without rest.
4. Trade with Muslim merchants who used
camels. Arab Muslims resisted pirates as
they traveled to Ghana.
C. Impact on Political and Social
organization
1. Technology: developed the art of
ironwork—King of Ghana had 200,000
men in the field with iron spears.
2. The king of Ghana had absolute power—
governors worked under him and
controlled local areas.
3. Traders were protected by the military
and allowed safe passage.
4. Tax system—outside traders had to pay
equal amount in goods for the right to
trade.
5. Muslim merchants were allowed to live in
the Ghana Empire as long as they paid
taxes.
Why did Ghana decline??
D. The Decline
1. The king lost his trading monopoly.
2. Drought—couldn’t cultivate land.
3. Outside forces-Muslim advance