Trade across the Sahara Flashcards
What route did the Arabs trade along to trade
the Trans-Saharan trade-route
Have would the Arabs travel along the trade route
they would come in camel caravans that consisted of up to 1000 camels
How long was the journey to West Africa and how long did it take the Arabs round about to get there
It was a 2 400 km journey that took up to 3 months to complete
Why was the Sahara Desert 1 of the hardest deserts to cross for early traders
- very hot during the day
- very cold during the night
- there were bad sand storms
- it was easy to get lost because of there being no roads
- there was a danger of running out of water
Why were camel so useful
They were the best transport because they had: thick leathery pads under their feet which stop them sinking in the sand, long eyelashes and bushy eyebrows to protect from sand storms, can open or close their large nostrils which traps water vapour which returns to their bodies, have thick fur to protect against harsh weather and changes in temperature and they produce milk that was rich in vitamins and minerals
What were some of the things that camels were load with to trade with and name the countries that transported them and name the things that they traded them for
Persia + Arabia - rugs, swords, daggers and glass
India - spices, dyes, cloth and bead
they also sometime traded silk and perfume
The Arabs would exchange their gifts for gold, slaves, kola nuts, ostrich feathers, copper and salt
(Mali owned 3 large gold mines in the south and 2 salt mines in the north)
What happened between 1230 and 1600 in Mali
The rulers used taxes from trade to develop a powerful kingdom that was 1 138 000 square km including 400 cities
meaning: mansa, imports, exports, materially and spiritually
mansa - king or emperor imports - thing that your country buys exports - things that your country sells materially - to do with things that you can own spiritually - things to do with religion
What bought Islam to west Africa
Trade routes from North Africa brought Muslim traders into contact with the West Africans from the 9th century on wards
Why did many West Africans convert to Muslim
It provided better prices when trading with other Muslims and it gave them chance to learn how to read and write.
Even though of them maintained their old ancestral beliefs
What happen to Mali in the 1300’s
The kings of Mali became Muslims and Mansa Musa made it the state religion
