Transcript Africa - Pirates

African Trading Kingdoms
Global Regents Review
Patten/Valdner
Geography
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Climate
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Savanna – good soil and rain
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Desert – Dry and little rain
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Supports farm land
No Farming
Rain Forest
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Fertile farm land
Ghana, Mali an Songhai all guarded the
Trade Routes for Profitable trade.
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Mansa Musa
Based his system of justice on the Qur’an
After his trip to Mecca he brought home
Muslim scholars and artists and forged
new trading ties. (Cultural Diffusion)
East Africa
In West Africa vast empires developed. In
East Africa a variety of trade (commerce)
developed. Trade was so extensive
between Africans and Arabs that a new
language Swahili developed.
Ghana
400-1200
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Controls trade in gold and salt across West
Africa
Women work in business and government
King has Muslim advisors
Absorbed Muslim cultural influences
(writing)
Mali
1250-1400
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Mali conquers Kingdom of Ghana
Mansa Musa becomes a great emperor
Mali controls gold trade routes
Timbuktu becomes a great trading city
and center of learning
Declined when the people could not agree
on who should rule the Kingdon
Songhai
1450-1600
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Songhai grows into largest West African
state
Empire depended on a strong army to
control trade routes
Established an efficient bureaucracy to
govern the Kingdom
Emperor sets up Muslim dynasty
Civil War broke out and invaders from the
North caused the downfall of the Kingdom
The West African Kingdoms were ruled by
powerful Emperors. They had strong armies to
maintain order and protect the kingdoms from
attack.