Ancient Ghana Empire History and Facts

Ancient Ghana Empire: History and Facts

Where was the Empire of Ghana located?

Mauritania, Senegal, and Mali are the modern countries that make up the Empire of Ghana, which was situated in Western Africa. Most of the area is made up of savanna grasslands and is located directly south of the Sahara Desert. Trade and transportation were facilitated by the region’s major rivers, including the Gambia, Senegal, and Niger.

Koumbi Saleh served as the ancient Ghanaian capital. The Ghanaian King’s royal residence was located here. Up to 20,000 people are thought to have lived in and around the capital city, according to archaeologists.

Ancient Ghana Empire: History and Facts

When did the Empire of Ghana rule?

Ghana governed in antiquity from roughly 300 to 1100 CE. When several Soninke peoples’ tribes came together under the leadership of Dinga Cisse, their first monarch, the empire was established. The empire had a feudal system of administration, with regional rulers ruling their own territories while paying homage to the high king.

Where did the name Ghana come from?

The Soninke people referred to their king as “Ghana.”. It stood for “Warrior King.” This term was used to describe the area by those who were not residents of the empire. In actuality, the Soninke people had a different term for their empire. It was known as “Wagadu.”

Iron and Gold

Gold and iron mining was the Empire of Ghana’s primary source of income. Strong tools and weaponry that bolstered the empire were created from iron. In order to exchange gold for necessities like fabric, tools, and cattle with other countries, gold was needed. They forged trading ties with the Middle Eastern and Northern African Muslims. Goods were transported across the Sahara Desert by means of extended caravans of camels.

Fall of the Empire of Ghana

The Muslims to the north started pressuring the Empire of Ghana to convert to Islam around 1050 CE. When the Kings of Ghana refused, Northern Africa began to attack them nonstop. Simultaneously, a people group known as the Susu rebelled against Ghana. Ghana deteriorated during the course of the following few centuries, finally joining the Mali Empire.

Facts about the Empire of Ancient Ghana

• The Empire of Ancient Ghana is not related either geographically or culturally to the modern African country of Ghana.
• A lot of what we know about Ancient Ghana comes from the writings of Arab scholar Al-Bakri.
• Iron smiths were much revered in the Ghana society. They were considered powerful magicians because they worked with fire and earth to create iron.
• Crossing the Sahara Desert from a coastal city to Ghana typically took around 40 days when travelling on a caravan of camels.
• Most of the people living in the empire were farmers. They didn’t own the land. Each family was allotted a portion of the land by the local village leader.
• Salt was considered very valuable and the salt trade was heavily taxed by the king. Much of the salt was mined in the Sahara Desert at the city of Taghaza where slaves were used to mine salt. Salt was sometimes used as money and was about as valuable as gold.

For more information, Read This Article: The Ghana Kingdom (about 700–1200 CE)

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