The Ghana Empire
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The Ghana Empire was the earliest of the 3 major West African Sudanese empires in the medieval times. By A.D. 200, trade has existed across the Sahara for centuries. However trade didn't grow because the harsh desert conditions. Most pack animals they used for trade such as oxen, donkeys, and mules could not travel very long in the Sahara. However, in the third century A.D., Berber nomads started to use camels. Nomads are groups of people who move from one place to another, rather then staying in one permanent place. The camels could plod steadily over vast distances as much as 60 miles a day. Also, it could travel more then ten days without water which is double the time of pack animals. New trade routes sprung up and trade increased. The trade routes went through a region farmed by the Sonike. The Sonike referred to their ruler as ghana or war chief Muslim traders began to use the word for the Sonike region. By the 700s, Ghana was a kingdom and its rulers were growing wealthy by putting taxes on the goods the traders carried through their region.
By the year 800, Ghana had become an empire. The empire's capital was built at Kumbi Saleh on the edge of the Sahara region called the Sahel. Ghana's king controlled trade and commanded a large army. With this Power he could demanded taxes and gifts from the chiefs of the surrounding lands. He let them live in peace to ruler their own people as longs as they make their payments. Even the royal palace the kings was very controlling. Only he had the right to own gold nuggets, although gold dust freely circulated the marketplace. Doing this, the king limited the price of gold and kept its price from falling. He acted as a religious leader, chief judge and military commander. He was in charge of the large bureaucracy and call up a huge army.
In the early eleventh century C.E. Ghana started to decline due the a series of military attacks by the Berbers in the North. The Berbers were a poor society that sought trade access of the Kingdom of Ghana. 1000 C.E. a leader named Abdullah Ibn Yasin emerged and founded a religious center called a hermitage. The followers or the Almoravids practiced a strict Muslim lifestyle. Abu Bakr with the help of the Almoravids launched an attack against Ghana. It finally suceeded in 1054 C.E. when the city of Audaghost fell to the Almoravid attack.
By the year 800, Ghana had become an empire. The empire's capital was built at Kumbi Saleh on the edge of the Sahara region called the Sahel. Ghana's king controlled trade and commanded a large army. With this Power he could demanded taxes and gifts from the chiefs of the surrounding lands. He let them live in peace to ruler their own people as longs as they make their payments. Even the royal palace the kings was very controlling. Only he had the right to own gold nuggets, although gold dust freely circulated the marketplace. Doing this, the king limited the price of gold and kept its price from falling. He acted as a religious leader, chief judge and military commander. He was in charge of the large bureaucracy and call up a huge army.
In the early eleventh century C.E. Ghana started to decline due the a series of military attacks by the Berbers in the North. The Berbers were a poor society that sought trade access of the Kingdom of Ghana. 1000 C.E. a leader named Abdullah Ibn Yasin emerged and founded a religious center called a hermitage. The followers or the Almoravids practiced a strict Muslim lifestyle. Abu Bakr with the help of the Almoravids launched an attack against Ghana. It finally suceeded in 1054 C.E. when the city of Audaghost fell to the Almoravid attack.