-
300
The Beginning of Ghana
Soninke began to work together to protect themselves against nomadic herders who wanted to move in the area and by banding together was the start of Ghana. The people of Ghana began to grow stronger and learned how to make tools for farming and farmers and herders being able to produce plenty of food which increased their population. -
Jan 1, 800
Ghana's Rise to Power
Ghana was firmly in control of West Africa's trade routes and as trade increased, so did Ghana's wealth. They then use that wealth to support their army and conquered more land, expanding their empire. -
Jan 1, 1200
The Fall of Ghana
Although Ghana was wealthy and powerful during the mid-1000s, but by the early 1200s, Ghana's empire had collapsed by 3 major factors. An invasion by a group of North African Muslims called the Almoravids, overgrazing from herds of animals that invaders brought with them, and internal rebellion from the lands that Ghana took over. -
Jan 1, 1230
Mali's Empire Expansion
Mali's power began to rise under a ruler by the name of Sundiata. When he was younger, another menacing ruler conquered Mali and Sundiata built up an army and was able to win back his country's independence. He took over nearby kingdoms, includin Ghana in the 1230s. -
Jan 1, 1300
Mali's Famous Ruler
Mansa Musa was Mali's famous ruler. Under his skillful leadership, Mali reached the heights of its wealth, power, and fame in the 1300s. He ruled Mali for 25 years and during that time, Mali added many important trade cities to its empire. Mansa Musa introduced his empire to the Islamic world and spread Mali's fame far and wide. -
Jan 1, 1300
Songhai's Comeback
In 1300s, Mansa Musa conquered the Songhai and adding their lands to his empire. But when Mali weakened in the 1400s, the people Songhai rebelled and regained their freedom. As the Songhai gained in wealth, they expanded their territory and built an empire. Songhai's expansion was led by Sunni Ali who became the ruler in 1464. -
Jan 1, 1400
Mali's Fall
When Mansa Musa died, his son Maghan took control, but he was a weak ruler. When raiders from the southeast poured into Mali and he wasn't able to stop them. Raiders set the great schools and mosques in Timbuktu on fire and Malo never fully recovered from it. By 1500 nearly all the land that was once ruled by the empire were now lost. -
Jan 1, 1492
Askia the Great
When Sunil Ali died in 1492 and his son, Sunni Baru became king, but he wasn't Muslim. The Songhai people feared that if Sunni Baru didn't support Islam, they would lose their trade with Muslim lands. They soon rebelled against him, led by a general named Muhammad Ture and overthrown Sunni and chose the title askia. He was soon known as Askia the Great. He supported education and learning and encouraged the growth of Islamic influence. Askia also created a professional army. -
Songhai Falls to Morocco
Morocco, a northern rival of Songhai, wanted to gain control of Songhai's salt mines.Moroccan army set out to battle Songhai in 1591 and had soldiers carry advanced weapons, including the arquebus which is an early form of a gun. Their weapons overpowered Songhai's army and the change in trade patterns completed Songhai's fall. Overland trade declined as port cities on the Atlantic coast and became more important and slowly, the period of great West African empires came to an end.
