Table of Contents
What are the trading empires that traded gold?
The gold mines of West Africa provided great wealth to West African Empires such as Ghana and Mali. Other items that were commonly traded included ivory, kola nuts, cloth, slaves, metal goods, and beads. As trade developed across Africa, major cities developed as centers for trade.
Which empire traded in gold salt and slaves?
When Mossi raids destroyed the Mali empire, the rising Songhai empire relied on the same resources. Gold remained the principal product in the trans-Saharan trade, followed by kola nuts and slaves.
Who controlled the gold trade?
the Ghana kings
Any nugget which weighed between 25 grammes & half a kilo (1 oz to 1 lb) became the property of the Ghana kings. Although there is no evidence that, unlike salt and copper, the trade or passage of gold was taxed in the Kingdom of Ghana, the commodity was very carefully controlled by the Ghana kings.
Why was the Mali empire so wealthy?
Mansa Musa inherited a kingdom that was already wealthy, but his work in expanding trade made Mali the wealthiest kingdom in Africa. His riches came from mining significant salt and gold deposits in the Mali kingdom. Elephant ivory was another major source of wealth.
What was traded in the gold trade in Africa?
A succession of great African empires rose off the back of the gold trade as salt, ivory, and slaves were just some of the commodities exchanged for the precious metal that eventually found its way into most of southern Europe ‘s gold coinage.
Where was the gold trade in the Middle Ages?
West Africa was one of the world’s greatest producers of gold in the Middle Ages. Trade in the metal went back to antiquity but when the camel caravans of the Sahara linked North Africa to the savannah interior, the trade really took off.
What was the salt trade in ancient Africa?
Whoever controlled the salt trade also controlled the gold trade, & both were the principal economic pillars of various West African empires. Salt, both its production and trade, would dominate West African economies throughout the 2nd millennium CE, with sources and trade centres constantly changing hands as empires rose and fell.
Why was Ghana known as the land of gold?
The Ghana Empire became famous for its gold, earning itself the nickname the ‘land of gold.’ The great problem for the North African states was that to obtain the gold of West Africa they had to first cross the Sahara desert and then deal with the African rulers who monopolised the gold trade.