Ghana, Mali, & Songhai

Mali Ruler Sundiata

2300 BCE

When a Sundiata was a boy, a harsh ruler conquered Mali. As an adult he built and army and won back his country's independence and freedom. He ruled Mali and conquered other nearby kingdoms including Ghana. After he conquered Ghana, he took over gold and salt trades. He also worked to improve agriculture. He had new farmland cleared for many crops and introduced cotton. To keep order he took power away from local leaders and gained more religious and political power. He died away in 1255.

The Rise Of Songhai

1400 BCE

As the Empire of Mali was reaching decline, power was growing in Songhai. From its capital Gao, it participated in the same trade that made Mali and Ghana wealthy. Mansa Musa conquered Songhai in 1300 but has Mali weakened it regained its freedom. The Songhai leaders were Muslims because they shared religion Berbers were willing to trade. As Songhai gained wealth, they expanded their empire. Sunni Ali led to expansion and became ruler in 1464. Before he took over, Songhai was weak.

Mali Ruler Mansa Musa

1330 BCE

Mali's most famous ruler was a Muslim named Mansa Musa. Everyone who ruled after Sundiata took the role of Mansa. He led Mali to reach the height of its wealth, power, and fame. His influence led to the spread of Islam through West Africa. He ruled for about 25 years, 1312 -1337. In 1324 he left Mali on a pilgrimage to Mecca, there he introduced his empire to the Islamic world. His fame grew, as he continued to support education too. He built mosques throughout his empire.

Decline of Ghana Factor 3: Internal Rebellion

1200 BCE

The third factor that brought to the decline of Ghana's empire was internal rebellion. In 1200 the people of a country that Ghana had conquered rose up in rebellion. A few years later these rebels had taken over the entire empire of Ghana. Though the rebels found they could not keep order once they were in control. Ghana was attacked and defeated when it was in one of it's most weakened states by a neighboring country. This last factor lead to the complete decline og Ghana

Decline of Ghana Factor 1: Invasion

1150 BCE

The Empire of Ghana collapsed in the 1200s. One major factor that led to its decline was invasion of it's empire. The Almoravids, a group of North African Muslims, defeated the people of Ghana after 14 years of fighting. But they weren't in control of the empire for very long because they weakened the empire. The Alomravids cut off many trade routes and started new trading partnerships with Muslim leaders. Without trade, Ghana couldn't be financially supported.

Decline of Ghana Factor 2: Overgrazing

1100 BCE

The second major factor of the decline of Ghana was overgrazing. The group of invaders, Almoravoids brought with them large herds of animals. All of these animals ate a big portion of the grass in pastures. Leaving behind fertile soil in hot desert winds. These winds blew away what was left of the soil, turning grasslands into desserts. Leaving the land worthless for either farming or herding in Ghana

The Rise of Ghana

300 BCE

One of the earliest groups of people in West Africa were the Soninke. They lived in small groups and farmed the land along the Nile River. After AD 300, the Soninke began to band together in larger groups protection against nomadic herders who wanted to move into the area they were living in currently. This banding and grouping together of the Soninke people led to the Empire of Ghana. This empire grew in strength after they learned to work with iron tools and herding cattle.

The Rich and Powerful Empire of Ghana

Jan 1, 1000

Ghana was rich and powerful in the mid-1000s. Most of Ghana's wealth went toward supporting its powerful army. The Empire earned much of this wealth from taxes and gold. They forced every trader who entered Ghana to pay a special tax on the goods he carried. Then, each trader had to pay another tax on the goods he took with him when they left. The people living in Ghana had to pay a tax, and small neighboring tribes as well. Since the 800s silent bartering became more and more common.

The Fall of Mali

Jan 1, 1431

After Mansa Musa died, his son Maghan took the throne. He was a weak ruler. When raiders came from the Southeast, Maghan couldn't stop them. The raiders set fire to great schools and mosques in Mali. It was never fully recovered from this, so the empire continued to weaken. In 1431, the Tuareg nomads from the Sahara seized Timbuktu. People living near the border of Mali fled. By 1500 only a small area of Mali remained.

Songhai Ruler Sunni Ali

Jan 1, 1465

As ruler since 1464, Sunni Ali worked to strengthen and expand his empire.Much of the land he added to Songhai had been part of Mali. As king, he encouraged everyone in his empire to work together to build religious harmony. As a result of patricipating in both Muslim and local religon he brought stability to Songhai. Sunni Ali died in 1492.

Songhai Falls to Morocco

Jan 1, 1596

A northern rival of Songhai, Morocco, wanted to gain control of Songhai's salt mines. So the Moroccan army set out for the heart of Songhai in 1591. Moroccan soldiers carried more advanced weapons. The swords, spears, and bows used by Songhai's warriors were defeated by the Moroccan's guns and cannons. The changes in trade pattern led to the complete fall of Songhai. The overland trade fell as port cities became important, trade in Songhai fell, and as did the empire along with it.