1. Three major West African kingdoms dominated the region from around 300 CE to 1600 CE. Ghana rose first through the gold-salt trade with North Africa, but declined after attacks in the 11th century. 2. Mali then grew to become the largest of the three kingdoms under Mansa Musa's rule in the 14th century. His pilgrimage to Mecca demonstrated Mali's vast wealth. However, internal divisions later weakened Mali. 3. The Songhai Empire subsequently controlled the region from the 1400s-1500s through strong leadership and naval power on the Niger River. But it fell in 1591 when its army was defeated by Moroccan forces using advanced gunpow

1. Unit 3:
West African Kingdoms
Ghana, Mali, and Songhai

2. Ghana
1. 300 ACE- 1076 ACE
2.“Ghana” – means war chief, and
soon became the name of the
region, then empire
3.Became rich through trade &
taxes

3. Notice how they are not in the same spot.

4. Gold-Salt Trade
1. While Ghana contained a huge amount of gold, they did
not have access to salt, which people need to survive.
They traded with people in the Sahara Desert where salt
is plentiful.
2. Eventually large caravans would go back and forth and
set up strong trade routes
3.The Ghana kings could limit the gold in the marketplace
and make sure the price will always be high
4. Also provided ivory and slaves to the Muslim traders

5. Spread of Islam
1.By the 900’s Ghana’s rulers had converted
to Islam which helped with the Muslim
traders.
2.They also kept some of their traditional
beliefs
3.Converting to Islam helped spread literacy

6. Fall of Ghana
1. Muslim Almoravids attacked in 1076 and
disrupted the gold-salt trade.
2. Raids of Nomadic people in the 1200’s
from the Sahara weakened Ghana.
3. Gold deposits were found elsewhere,
and that shifted power and trade to the
east.

7. Mali
1.Took over the old Ghana
Empire and expanded it even
more.
2. Benefited from trade, and
built huge cities like Timbuktu
to accommodate the traders

9.  Mansa Musa and Islam in Africa – Crash Course (10:30) (next slide)
 Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvnU0v6hcUo
 Complete the follow along worksheet
 END OF LECTURE DAY 1 of 2

11. Announcements
 TODAY
 NOTES: Last and FINAL day of West Africa (seriously fast unit,
right?!?)
 NEXT CLASS
 West Africa TEST (12 questions, all from the PowerPoint)
 Begin Unit 4: Middle Ages (Medieval Europe & Japan)

12. Mansa Musa
1. Leader of Mali and ruled from 1312-1337.
2. Made the pilgrimage to Mecca with thousands of
attendants and gave away so much gold that the
price went down 25% worldwide.
3. He built mosques, schools, & government
buildings with his wealth.
4.The amount of gold signaled to Europe that Africa
was an important place to trade and explore.

13. Mansa
Musa

15. Ibn Battuta
1. Traveler and historian from
Morocco who journeyed for 27 years
and saw most of the Islamic
countries in the world at the time.
2. Visited Mali and noticed that he
could travel without crime.

18. Fall of Mali
1. The successors of Mansa Musa were not
strong, and outside invaders were able to
take over a lot of territory.
2. Factions crippled the central government.
3. By the late 1400’s the Songhai Empire had
taken over.

19. Songhai Empire
1. A broken off part of the Mali
Empire that rose up and took
over the trade routes and the
territory from 1450’s-1591
2. Gao was the capital city

20. Songhai Empire

21. Notable Songhai Leaders
1. Sunni Ali- brought the trading cities of
Timbuktu and Djenne under his control; set up
a navy in the Niger River, and broke the region
into provinces with governors to oversee things
2.Askia Muhammad- rioted against Sunni Ali’s son
for not being religious enough in 1492; was a
great leader and delegated his power to
efficient people; the empire thrived under him

22. Fall of the Songhai
Songhai fell to Moroccan forces
using gunpowder & rifles in
1591. It was too much their
army that was using spears and
swords.

24. Who Is The Real Lion King?
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8BXzkeuSdc
 Summary Link (8:25) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uHKgS1G-YU