Ghana Controls Trade Chapter 6, Section 1

Ghana’s Beginnings - The first people in Ghana were farmers called the Soninke. - In the 300s nomadic herders wanted to take the farmers’ water and land so the Soninke banded together and formed Ghana.

- They learned how to use iron to make tools for farming. - They herded cattle for meat and milk. - Because they had plenty of food, the population of Ghana grew. - Iron was also used to make weapons like spears and blades.

Trade in Valuable Goods - Ghana was located between the Sahara Desert and forests, so they were in between the gold and salt mines. - Gold came from the south near the Gulf of Guinea and along the Niger River. - Gold was used for its beauty – jewelry.

Salt came from the north in the Sahara. Salt was used to preserve food and make it taste better. It was also cut into slabs and used for money.

Silent Barter - Silent barter is when people trade goods or products without direct contact. - In Ghana, this kept trade peaceful and the location of the mines a secret.

- Salt traders took their salt to a place near the gold, beat a drum to start trade and then leave it. - Gold miners would leave what they considered a fair amount of gold. - Then the salt traders would check the amount, and if it was enough they’d beat the drum again and take the gold, leaving the salt in trade.

Growth of Trade - Because of trade, Ghana’s rulers and military became more powerful. - Traders would meet in Ghana to exchange goods, and since Ghana’s military controlled the trade routes Ghana became wealthy.

- Ghana also had wheat, sheep, cattle, honey, leather, and cloth. - Koumbi Saleh – Ghana’s capital became an oasis for travelers, becoming a great trading center.

Ghana Builds an Empire Ghana made money from traders by making them pay taxes on their goods. The people of Ghana paid taxes as well. Conquered tribes paid tribute. This money was used to support the army. Gold was traded, but kings kept a lot for themselves. Common people could only have gold dust, not gold nuggets.

Expansion of the Empire The army of Ghana was powerful and conquered its neighboring tribes. The king of Ghana let the conquered kings keep control of their area. Tunka Manin was one king of Ghana, and he showed off his riches by living in a huge palace surrounded by nice things.

Ghana’s Decline By the mid 1000s, Ghana was rich and powerful, but by the 1200s it had collapsed. Invasion – Muslim group, the Almoravids, fought Ghana for 14 years, cut off trade routes so they didn’t get any money. Overgrazing – Almoravids brought in a lot of animals that ate all the grass and made it difficult to farm. Internal Rebellion – The conquered tribes rebelled against the king of Ghana and took over the empire.