Question | Answer |
Sunni Ali | (Died 1492) Emperor of Songhai, he conquered Mali and made Songhai into a powerful state. |
Askia the Great | (c. 1443-1538) Songhai ruler, he overthrew Sunni Baru. His reign was the high point of Songhai culture. |
oral history | a spoken record of past events |
griots | West African storytellers |
proverbs | short sayings of wisdom or truth |
The Dausi | tells the history of Ghana |
kente | a hand-woven, brightly colored fabric |
silent barter | a process in which people exchange goods without ever contacting each other directly |
Tunka Manin | (ruled 1068) King of the Empire of Ghana, his kingdom was visited by Muslim writers |
What were the two most valuable resources traded in Ghana? | gold and salt |
What did Ghana's kings do with the money they raised from taxes? | built a powerful army |
Why did the rulers of Ghana not want everyone to have gold? | because the rulers knew that rare materials were far more valuable than common ones. |
The Almoravids | invaded Ghana in the late 1000s |
How did overgrazing help cause the fall of Ghana? | Overgrazing left the soil exposed to hot desert winds, making the land worthless for farmers. |
Sundiata | (died 1255) Founder of the Empire of Mali, his reign is recorded in legends. |
Mansa Musa | (died c. 1332) Mali's greatest and most famous ruler, he was a devout Muslim. He made a famous pilgrimmage to Mecca that helped spread Mali's fame. |
cotton | a new crop that Sundiata introduced to Mali. |
Mansas | had both political and religious roles in society. |
What was the first stop on Mansa Musa's hajj? | Cairo, Egypt |
Tuareg | Nomads from the Sahara who attacked and siezed Timbuktu in 1431 |
Takrur | A kingdom in Northern Mali that declared its independence |
Gao | a city that declared its independence from Mali in the 1400s. |
Maghan | Mansa Musa's son |
Much of the land that Sunni ALi added to Songhai came from this empire | Mali |
arquebus | early form of a gun |
Morocco | looted and took over Timbuktu and Gao |
Two mineral resources in West Africa | salt and gold |
What religious belief is often held by people who rely on nature for survival? | animism |
Technology and trade | Had enourmous impact on the growth of West Africa |
How did Sundiata gain more power in Mali? | He took power away from local leaders |
What did Mansa Musa do to promote religious tolerance? | He allowed miners to keep their own religion |
How did early West African villages survive? | hard work and strong families |
Trade routes in Africa went in what direction? | Salt was carried south while gold was carried north. |
What role did the elders play in village life? | They taught family traditions |
Why is most of what we know about early West Africa from the writings of travelers from Spain and Asia? | Because the people of West Africa rarely traveled beyond their empires. |
Why did Ghana's rulers force traders to pay taxes? | They were smart businessmen |
What is a similarity between the Ghana and Mali empires? | They both lay on the upper Niger river |
Men and women in traditional West African society were... | loyal to their extended families and age sets. |
True or False, Sunni Ali was bad for the empires of western Africa | False! He brought peace and stability to the area |