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2 Africa to the 1400s Western Empires

T he trans-Saharan trade continued to grow in volume up until the 1600s. The trade was very important to the west Africans, for not only did it bring new ideas but it brought the new religion of Islam from the north. The wealth of the trade helped some people to set up very powerful empires. Two of the most famous were Ghana (see box) and Mali. The Growth of Kangaba Mali started off as a small state called Kangaba. Then in 1235 a great warrior, Sundiata, became ruler and founded the empire of Mali. The first thing he did was to build a new capital city at Niani where all his subjects could meet him. Sundiata sent his armies out to conquer areas in the south that mined gold, and Taghaza in the north that produced salt. Eventually Sundiata controlled all the trans-Saharan trade in the area and Berbers flocked to his city to exchange their goods. T he bustling market at Djenné, with the old mosque (see page 9) in the background.

The Land of Gold Ghana was the first great empire in West Africa. It began as a small state in the 300s ce and lasted for almost a thousand years. The capital of Ghana, Kumbi Saleh, had a population of about 15,000 people. The city was divided into two areas. The king lived in one section, in a palace built out of stone and decorated with paintings and carvings. His subjects also lived in this area, but their homes were built out of mud. Muslims who took part in the trans- Saharan trade lived in the other section of the city. They built houses and mosques for themselves out of stone. The people of Ghana were farmers. They worshiped many gods and believed that people continued to live as spirits when they died. When a king of Ghana died, the people built a special hut for him. They put comfortable rugs on the floor for him to lie on, and placed food, water and his servants in the hut. The hut was then covered up with sand, burying the servants alive. Ghana became wealthy because it lay at the southern end of the trans- Saharan trade route. Many Arab travelers visited the kingdom, and it became known as the Land of Gold.

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