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.