The Ghana Empire was the first major African empire located along the trans-Saharan trade route, controlling the lucrative salt and gold trade. Its wealth allowed expansion until conquered by the Mali Empire in the 1200s seeking to control the trade routes. The Mali Empire grew further under Mansa Musa but internal conflicts weakened it, allowing the Songhai Empire to rise led by the great ruler Askia. However, European arrival with guns upset the balance of power, eventually colonizing Africa. The empires demonstrate how large nations struggle with control, forcing non-powers to innovate while powers resist change, all contributing to the rise and fall of African empires over time.

1. Ghana, Mali, and the Songhai
Or…
What be happenin in dat Africa???

2. 1. The larger an empire becomes, the harder it is to control.
1. Rome, Greece, Persia, USSR were ALL enormous… all
eventually crumbled.
2. Way too much land to be constantly defending against all of
your enemies
2. Groups that are not in power are forced to adapt and
innovate in order to become powerful.
1. How can you possibly compete with power and wealth?
Figure out something new your enemy doesn’t have:
cannons, guns, steel weapons, etc.
3. Groups that are in power for long periods of time lose the
ability to innovate and adapt since there is no need.
1. “Why the heck would I want to spend billions on
gunpowder? Who could ever need that when you have
thousands of soldiers with spears?” – Former Emperor of
Rome

3.  This means that humans first came from Africa.
Good News! Everyone is
related, even husbands
and wives!

4.  Africa was not like it is now.
 There were no countries or
borders.
 Many many empires fighting
each other for power and
control
 This is how African slavery
started
 Powerful empires at the coast
would capture rivals and
trade to Europeans to keep
rival numbers low and get
guns in return.
 Africa had many valuable
resources, and controlling the
trade routes made Empires
very rich.
The Congo Empire was known
for its decorative bowls and
inventing the breakfast burrito.

5.  The first of the major African
empires was the Ghana Empire
 Located on the most valuable
trade route in the world, Sub-
Saharan Trade that brought
gold and salt from lower
Africa, across the Saharan
desert, and towards the Middle
East and Europe.
 Also controlled slave trade
with Europe.
 Perfectly placed to tax trade
routes.
 Who controlled the trade
routes, controlled the money
and power in Africa.
 “The most valuable green blob
on the planet.” – Scottie Pippin
at the NBA Hall of Fame
induction ceremony.

6.  Seasonings are expensive
 All foods are boring without
seasoning
 A lifetime of raw corn and I
will stab my own mama to
get a pinch of salt
 More importantly, food goes
bad
 No refrigerators
 Salt preserves
 Salt keeps food from
spoiling
 Needed for every house and
home
 Long sea voyages
 Worth its weight in gold
 Northern Africa very rich in
salt, which means Northern
Africa is very rich

8.  Became fabulously
wealthy off this trade.
 Wealth created surplus,
or extra money that
could be used to invest in
your kingdom.
 expand it, build more
cities, feed more people,
have a larger army, make
powerful weapons, and
conquer nearby tribes
and empires.
The Emperor of Ghana eagerly
waiting for the Port-a-John after
eating a pound of boiled
peanuts.

9.  Humans are greedy
 “I want to kill you and steal all of your belongings.” –Mr. Terry
while talking to Mrs. Kemnitz
 As with people, things rise to power, then crumble away.
 Others soon rise to take their place.
 Ghana was super powerful and wealthy, but they got too big
for their own good.
 When a powerful Empire gets weaker, others will invade.
 Mali, a nearby smaller empire that had better weapons and
army training, wanted Ghana’s trade routes and conquered
them in the 1200s.

10.  Mali Empire
 1230-1600AD
 Expanded on the Sub-
Saharan trade routes to
make the empire larger.
 Led by a great ruler,
Mansa Musa
 1280-1337
“Someone spilled yo Kool-
Aid?”

11. 1. Where did humans begin?
2. How was early Africa set up? Were there countries?
3. What was the first of the major African empires?
4. What made this first empire into such a strong and
wealthy place?
5. Why was Ghana able to thrive as an Empire in
comparison to other African places?
6. Who conquered Ghana and what did they want?

12.  Rose to power just after
Mali conquered Ghana.
 Used the excess money
to build temples, palaces,
towns, walls.
 Converted his empire to
Islam
 Traveled to Mecca,
visited Timbuktu,
brought the great city
into his empire.
“Golden balls. Worth more
than Jordan’s back in the day.”
-Mansa Musa to his grandkids

13.  Joined the Mali empire in
the 1300s.
 Wealthiest city in the
world from trade.
 Salt, gold, ivory, slaves
 Being a trade town,
people brought ideas and
books when they passed
through
 One of the first modern
cities
 Great Libraries,
Universities,
Observatories, paved
streets.
Timbuktu, the silliest name for the most
amazing city.

14.  People are greedy…
 “Why make a few million dollars with my family when I
could just kill them and make more?” –Mr. Terry while
at his Christmas dinner
 Mali was so wealthy that the ruler’s kids would often
wage wars with each other to see who would rule
(instead of just sharing the rule)… idiots…
 This would cost the empire hundreds and thousands
of deaths in soldiers and millions of dollars to fight the
wars, thus weakening the empire.
 And when an empire gets weaker, another empire will
rise up and conquer it…and that empire was…

15.  Pronounced “SONJ-EYE”
 Took over the vast trading
empire that was once part
of Mali and Ghana.
 Super awesome ruler Askia
the Great:
 converted the empire to
Islam, expanded the
empire greatly, built roads,
temples, universities,
medical schools.
 Timbuktu became the
world’s center for higher
learning for people of all
cultures (Jews, Muslims,
Christians)
“If you want to know if a
man is great, look at his
beard” -Copernicus

16.  Empires rise and fall in Africa very often until the
1600s.
 Europeans land in Africa and start setting up trade
routes.
 Europeans bring guns and gunpowder to Africa,
greatly changing the power structure.
 “Why trade with people when you can just take things
from them?” -Mr. Terry, while laughing at a child he just
pushed over in line for the ice cream truck
 Eventually, Europe colonizes Africa and just takes
everything while enslaving the population.
 But, at one point, Africa was the best place in the
world to be.

17. 1. Who was Mali’s great ruler and what
accomplishments did he have?
2. What city was perhaps the greatest city in the world
at this time? What made them wealthy?
3. What did this city have that made them so much
better than other places?
4. What happened to the Mali Empire?
5. What Empire took over after Mali?
6. Who was the great ruler in Songhai? What kinds of
things did he do that made him great?
7. How did Europeans get involved in Africa?
8. How did the Europeans change the balance of power
in Africa?

18.  The Rise an Fall of Nations
 You are tasked with detailing, in a paragraph writing,
about how nations and empires can rise and fall. Focus
on the 3 ideas that started this powerpoint:
 Large empires have difficulties staying large
 Groups not in power are forced to adapt and innovate
 Groups in power do not adapt or innovate.
 Use the 3 African empires that we learned about in this
powerpoint in order to provide examples about the
following question:
 “Why did the empires of Ghana, Mali, and Songhai rise
to power and why did they crumble?”