Taxing Salt And Gold
What were the two main goods taxed by the Ghana Empire?
Salt and Gold
True or False? The Ghana Empire’s army used cavalry for fast attacks.
True
What large desert in Africa did traders cross to reach Ghana for trade?
The Sahara Desert
What group helped spread Islam to Ghana through trade?
Muslim Merchants
Cultural: What type of buildings did the Ghana Empire use for religious or public events?
Adobes, which are mudbrick buildings.
What role did taxation of salt and gold play in Ghana’s economy?
It made Ghana very wealthy and powerful.
What did the King's army maintain in Ghana, and how did that support Ghana?
The King's army protected sources of gold, maintained order in the kingdom, kept allies and tributary state lines in check, and defended Ghana from nomadic incursions from the Sahara. This allowed Ghana to keep control over the sources of income, and exchange, which in turn kept the city a center of metal exchange.
Why was Ghana the center of trade in western Africa? How did this impact their relationship with the eastern hemisphere?
Ghana was the center of trade due to the fact the king would procure gold from southern Africa where it was very abundant. This caused merchants to surge to Ghana in search of gold for consumers in the Mediterranean and the rest of the Islamic world. This connection to the Islamic world allowed for Ghana to generate lots of revenue and grow in economic and political power within the eastern hemisphere.
Was Islam the main religion in the Ghana Empire during 600-1450?
No, it was practiced mainly by traders and rulers, but many people followed traditional religions.
Society: What economic class included traders and craftsmen in Ghana?
The Middle Class
How did the king's conversion to Islam affect the relationships between Muslim merchants and nomads?
Their conversion to Islam led to improved relations with Muslim merchants from northern Africa as well as Muslim nomads from the Sahara. This increased the amount of goods transported across the Sahara and brought recognition and support from the Muslim states in northern Africa.
Society: How was society organized in Ghana?
Hierarchically, with kings at the top, followed by nobles, traders, and farmers.
Cultural: How was Ghana's relationship with the Islamic region different from other city states within Africa?
Ghana had a more administrative, synergistic, and early relationship with Islam, fueled by the connection of trans Saharan trade. Ghana had established diplomatic , trade, and more vibrant relationships with the Muslim people. This was contrasted by other African city states which had more merchant class, conquest, or peripheral diffusion of Islam.