West African Societies

Question 1

What were the two most important trade items

Answer 1

Salt and gold

Question 1

How did Ghana kingdom gain wealth

Answer 1

By taxing the goods that traders carried through their territory

Question 2

Explain the geography of where the gold came from

Answer 2

Forest region south of savanna between Niger and Senegal river
Dug gold from shafts as deep as 100 feet or sifted from fast moving streams

Question 3

Why did the king store gold in his royal palace

Answer 3

King limited supply of gold and kept its prices from falling

Question 4

Islam spread through North Africa by….

Answer 4

Conquest

Question 5

South of the Sahara, Islam spread through….

Answer 5

Trade

Question 6

Animism

Answer 6

Belief in spirits living in animals, plants

A natural force plays an important role in daily life

Question 7

How did Islam’s growth encourage the spread of literacy

Answer 7

To study Koran, concerts to Islam had to learn Arabic

Question 8

What two factors contributed to the rise of Mali to power

Answer 8

As Ghana remained weak, ppl had been under its control began to act independently

Miners found new gold deposits farther east, caused most important trade routed to shift eastward, which made a new group of ppl (of Mali) wealthy

Question 9

Who is Sundiata and why is he important

Answer 9

Mali’s first leader
Came to power by crushing a cruel, unpopular leader
took over Ghana and Kumbi and Walta
Proved to be a great leader in peace ad he had been in war

Question 10

Manusa Misa and why is he important

Answer 10

Most famous African Muslim ruler
Sundiata’s nephew
expanded empire
Divide empire into provinces, which are appointed to governors

Question 11

What did manusa Misa do on his return from hajj to Mecca

Answer 11

Ordered buildings of mosques at Timbuktu and GAO

Question 12

What two factors led to the fall of the Mali empire

Answer 12

Successors of manusa Musa lacked ability to rule

Gold trade shifted eastwards as new gold fields were developed else where

Question 13

Sunni Ali and why was he important

Answer 13

Muslim
Built vast empire by military quest
Captured city of Timbuktu and Dejene
Married queen of Dejene

Question 14

How did Adkins Muhammad come to power

Answer 14

Son of Sunni Ali succeeded, but there was a revolt (he didn’t practice the religion faithfully)
Leader of revolt replaced him

Question 15

What contributed to the fall of Songhai empire

Answer 15

Lacked modern weapons

Moroccan troops defeat Songhai

Question 16

Muslim women in 15th century and Muslim women in west Africa

Answer 16

Women in west Africa = did not wear veils, mingled freely with men in public
Women in 15th century= seldom left home, veil over face

Question 17

A main reason Hausa did not develop empire

Answer 17

Constant fighting among city states

Question 18

Portuguese trading ships

Answer 18

This (trading of salves) several countries of Europe interference in Africa during which they enslaved Africans and seized African territories for colonies

Question 19

how did ghana become a kingdom

Answer 19

trade routes crossed the savanna through the region farmed by the soninke people
the soninke people called their rule ghana or war chief
muslim traders began to use the word to reger to the soninke region

Question 20

where was salt found

Answer 20

sahara contained deposist of salt

Question 21

what did west africa lack

Answer 21

west africa’s svanna and forests lacked salt

Question 22

ghana’s king

Answer 22

controlled trade and commaded a large army, could demand taxes and gifts from cheifs of surrounding lands
stored in his palace

Question 23

ghana’s affected by islam

Answer 23

ghanas rulers converted to islam
many people in the empire clung to their animsitc beliefs
encouraged spared of literacy

Question 24

ghana’s fall

Answer 24

muslim almoravids of north africa completed their conquest of ghana

Question 25

how islam affected mali

Answer 25

manusa musa

Question 26

songhai’s rise

Answer 26

built an army and extended their territory to the large bend in the niger river neart gaogained control of all important trade routes