Western Kingdoms

Rise and Fall

Ghana Rise

• Niger & Senegal Rivers

• Controlled the gold & salt trade

• Traders had to pay taxes

• Iron Weapons

Ghana Decline• Ghana declined because the

kingdom’s gold sources dried up.

• Its trade abruptly ended.

• Its settlements withered away due to drought and famine.

• It was weakened by Almoravids from North Africa.

• The kingdom collapsed after an attack by the Sosso ruler, Samaguru of Mali.

Mali Rise

• Sundiata had magical powers, which united the kingdom.

• Strong army, which was used to conqueror other kingdoms.

• Took control of gold & salt trade.

• Timbuktu became a center of learning, commerce and culture.

Mali Decline

• A series of weak kings after Mansa Musa died.• The deterioration of climate.• The arrival of epidemics (Black Death).• Religious conflicts = Civil Wars caused smaller

states to break away.• Raids by outsiders Mossi: people, living in

Burkina Faso.• Tuareg: North west African traders.• Songhai army seized Timbuktu.

Songhai Rise

• Sonni Ali conquered Timbuktu.

• Took over gold & Salt trade network plus ivory.

• Timbuktu was restored as an important center of Islamic learning.

Songhai Decline

• Weak rulers after Mohammad Askia.

• Moors from Morocco with guns and cannons invaded for gold mines; however, when they could not locate them, they robbed the people & destroyed the towns.

• The invasion divided Songhai and hurt the trans-Saharan trade, which caused poverty.

• European Slave Trade.