Medieval West African Empires
Aligned to C3.D2.His.3 — C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards.
What this lesson teaches
Between roughly 800 and 1600 CE, the empires of Ghana, Mali, and Songhai grew wealthy by controlling the trans-Saharan trade in gold and salt. Cities like Timbuktu became centers of Islamic learning, trade, and government, drawing scholars from across the Muslim world.
Worked example
In 1324 the Mali emperor Mansa Musa made a pilgrimage to Mecca carrying so much gold that he reportedly disrupted its value in Egypt for years.
Practice questions
- Name the three major West African empires in order and the two goods most traded across the Sahara.
- Explain how control of trade routes made these empires rich and powerful.
- Analyze why Timbuktu became known as a center of scholarship as well as commerce.
Watch the lesson
Every lesson comes with a video taught in English and Spanish — the same video the QR code in the printed workbook opens.
▶ Watch this lessonEn español
Los imperios de África Occidental medieval
Entre aproximadamente los años 800 y 1600 d. C., los imperios de Ghana, Malí y Songhai se enriquecieron controlando el comercio transahariano de oro y sal. Ciudades como Tombuctú se convirtieron en centros de aprendizaje islámico, comercio y gobierno, atrayendo a eruditos de todo el mundo musulmán.
Ejemplo: En 1324 el emperador de Malí, Mansa Musa, hizo una peregrinación a La Meca llevando tanto oro que, según se dice, alteró su valor en Egipto durante años.
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