During the postclassical period from 600 CE to 1450 CE empires flourished with achievement across the Sub Saharan region. The achievements of trans-regional exchange networks works was due to the exchange of Gold. The ruler of the Mali empire,Mansa Musa who spreaded communities across North Africa and west Africa such as Gold. The accomplishments of the empires of the sub saharan region before the involvement of European trade networks were due to the Mali empire exchange of gold across North Africa and West Africa.
The Mali Empire (North Africa) and the Swahili Coast (East Africa) were both medieval civilizations in Africa that had similarities and differences throughout their reigns largely due to geography. One of the main similarities between the two is the fact that they were both resource-rich empires who used trading to their advantage. Mali had a lot of natural resources such as gold, salt, copper, and ivory. They got their main source of income from trading and selling these resources throughout the Sahara. The Swahili Coast also was also very fruitful; the merchant class traded things from the interior of Africa to traders from Arabia and India.
Therefore, the Empire of Mali was very rich because of salt trade, and because they had a bunch of gold to trade for
Three major empires grew in power, the Ghana, Mali, and Songhai. The forest region of Africa had a dense amount of gold. In secrecy, miners dug up the gold. The importance of gold in trade also brought the importance and need for salt. The trade routes crossed over the Soninke people.
Economic Continuities and Changes in Trade Networks Within Afro-Eurasia in 600 CE to 1450 Trade between different areas is a useful tool for gaining more and different types of resources given a natural uneven distribution of goods and resources. Trade networks in Afro-Eurasia in the period from 600 CE to 1450 CE changed by involving different classes of people from many different peoples and spreading, despite including the original trade routes and mixing of culture. However, the Afro Eurasian trade network changed for the better as it became widespread among all classes and more ingrained with culture. Trade networks in Afro Eurasia included the Silk Road, which had already been established before 600 CE, but was mainly aimed at an elite and wealthy market with luxury goods. The Silk Road expanded trade as a web of routes for
The achievements of the areas of the Sub-Saharan region sooner than their substantial relationship with substitute frameworks had been the satisfaction of the all inclusive community in Sub-Saharan Africa, their fine art culture, and their law and value structure. Inside the Sub-Saharan locale of African, people have been genuinely effective. They were successful for a couple of intentions like tutoring. for instance, in document 2 which was formed by Leo Africanus in the mid sixteenth century, states how in Timbuktu, there has been numerous specialists, judges, ministers and distinctive insightful men which may be exceptionally a considerable measure kept up on the ruler's cost. It similarly is going in advance to clarify
Through the gold and salt trade Mali became rich of gold. Mali was part of trade systems with other cities and empires they traded knowledge, ideas, as well as physical items and goods. Mali had many great leaders including Mansa Musa.
Part of the reason the kingdoms in West Africa became so prosperous was because of its trading routes plus the help of Mansa Musa. Mansa Musa is shown seated on his throne in a map of Africa from the Catalan Atlas of 1375 (Doc B). As the overlooker of the Trans Saharan trade route, Mansa Musa holds up the gold as he sits in his royal throne to exhibit how much
The land’s abundance of resources allowed Ghana to engage in years of prosperous trading. After the decline of Ghana, Mali followed in its predecessor’s (Ghana) footsteps. Mali had gained control of the trade of gold and salt that had previously been monopolized by Ghana.
During the Post-classical era, trade heavily affected the Tang and Song Dynasty and the Ghana and Mali empire. Trade affected their economy, which allowed them to expand their territory. The Silk Road and the Trans-Saharan trade routes share the similarities of used to transport goods and ideas, which allowed merchant to trade luxury goods, such as gold or silk, with other merchants. The Silk Road has a rocky terrain that passes through the Eurasian continent and used horses as their mode of transportation, where the Trans-Saharan trade route passes through the Sahara Desert and used camels to transport goods.
(Falola and Stapleton, 87) The trade route was an indispensable component to the empire's success as it allowed it to have access to a wide range of goods and the riches that came along with them. However, Ghana’s control over the trans-Sahran trade route withered as their “trade routes connections challenged by Berbers and gold sources in Bure were exploited by Malinke and southern Soninke.” (Walshaw, Lecture 5, Slide 14) Furthermore, a new trade route had developed causing the empire of Ghana to lose their wealth as the trans-Saharan trade route was their primary source of income (Falola and Stapleton, 87)
As for salt, it was seen as a major resource for its nutritional and preservation qualities. It was a vital resource that these Mali people used. The Niger river allowed the Mali empire to trade easily, as the current would calmly drift them into other civilizations. Both empires also utilized camels as the river was not always accessible. All in all these trade routes allowed these civilizations to expand their wealth, and distance of trade.
The Sahara, a vast desert almost as large as China, is located in northern Africa, spanning east to west. Its temperatures––ranging over sixty degrees celsius––has been a hurdle for traders to overcome since the post classical era. Whether or not it is the high temperature or its size, berbers and nomads have still been able to find their way to kingdoms and trading posts throughout the Sahara since the Post-classical era. Although its geographical characteristics proved to be a physical barrier between civilizations in Africa, the Sahara became more of a link between civilizations during the post classical era because of the exchange of both necessary and luxury goods, political and economic linkages that fostered the growth of West African
In History of Africa, Shillington focuses on many aspects of African culture and factors that made Africa to be the continent that it is today. Chapter 5 primarily focuses on the Northern region of Africa and how empires took over and spread their ideology technology, and culture all through out the region. Even today some remnants of the Roman and Greek empire live on to this day (Shillington, 69.) Despite many people getting the impression that Northern Africa is only influenced by Arabic and Islam, these empires and their conquests are best understood through topics like intricate trading routes, farming, and the spread of religion. Shillington provides an in depth analysis of how many of these conquests affected Northern Africa centuries ago and today.
The Trans-Saharan trade remained a constant source of wealth and ultimately enabled the spread of ideas, thus strengthening the West African kingdoms. The route was established by the Berbers, a group of caravan traders who created a network of routes through the region from 700 to 900 CE.The kingdom of Mali’s primary export was gold, which was frequently traded across the Mediterranean. Using this popular commodity, Mali imposed a tax on gold trade, which allowed the empire to increase its wealth through the income that the tax produced. (Hamilton 4). This income was then greatly invested in Mali’s army, creating a stronger military force and making Mali a more strong and powerful kingdom.
