The Empire of Ghana

Enduring Understandings:
►Natural Resources and geographic
features contribute to success in trade
►Trade results in the blending of
cultural traditions and belief systems
 Do Now
► On a scrap piece of
paper answer the
following question:

► How did geography

Ghana
effect the location
of the empire of
Ghana?
 The Foundation of the Empire

► The empire of Ghana

existed between 300
-1267 CE
► Became wealthy by
controlling the
natural resources
available and taxing
traders
► Ghana was primarily
located in the
savannah of Africa
 Ghana’s Northern Border
► Northern Ghana
bordered Sahara;
ideal hub for salt,
gold trade
-served as trade
regulators of salt
from north, gold
from south
- kept gold source
secret and limited
supply; increased
trade value
 Ghana’s Southern Border
► Southern Ghana was border by the
Niger river and the rainforests.
► The Rainforests contained gold, the
kings of Ghana decided to hide the
location of the mines a secret in order
to control the value of the gold
 Ghana’s Kings
► Ghana received it’s name from the
people who inhabited the land.
“Ghana” is what the people called
their king.
► The kings were responsible for keeping
trade running smoothly and playing an
important role in the relgious life of
the people. Kings performed the
proper prayers and rituals to make the
land fertile and to bring prosperity to
the people
 Empire of Ghana
 Ghana became wealthy
for several reasons:
 Koumbi Saleh
(popl.15,000), Ghana’s
capital was located at
the crossroads of several
major trade routes.
 The king controlled the
secret of the gold mines,
therefore controlled the
price of gold
 The king taxed traders
and collected tributes
from conquered peoples
 Kingdom to Empire
► Once the kindgom of Ghana became
wealthy, the king took the opportunity
to begining to expand it’s borders by
conquering lands surrounding the
empire.
► By acquiring more lands the kingdom
became even more wealthy and as a
result grew even further resulting in an
empire
Religious and Cultural Changes

► Berbers, Islam, Arabic

greatly influenced
empires of West Africa

► Berbers—North
Africans who developed
trade routes, raised
camels
- spoke Arabic,
practiced Islam, worked
with Umayyads in
African trade
 Berbers
► Berbers brought
writing (Arabic),
Islam, scholars to
West Africa
- some Ghana kings
converted to Islam,
used Arabic in
government
 Influence of Islamic Beliefs
► Some Ghana kings
converted to Islam
but kept some
traditional beliefs in
order to keep the
support of their
subjects
-belief that ancestry
gave king right to
rule was maintained
Influence of Islamic Beliefs
► Muslims gained
power in Ghana
government,
advised kings
► Ghana 's upper
class accepted
Islam, learned
Arabic, read Qur'an
► Islamic ethics, or
beliefs, influenced
the law and culture
in Ghana
 Ghana Under Attack
► Despite Islam’s influence
Ghana declined
► Almoravids —North African
Muslims who came to power
in 11th century
-Almoravids were camel
herders who envied Ghana
's wealth
-wanted Muslims to follow
their interpretation of Islam
► Almoravids attacked Ghana,
weakened trade network
► Ghana crumbled;
Almoravids seized capital in
1076