The Ghana Empire, also known as Wagadou, was a West African empire that existed roughly between the 8th and 13th centuries CE, primarily in the region of modern-day southeastern Mauritania and western Mali.
It was founded by the Soninke people, a Mande-speaking ethnic group.
It was known for its wealth derived from controlling the trans-Saharan trade in gold, salt, and ivory. The empire's kings were referred to as "kings of gold" due to their immense wealth.
The word Ghana means warrior or war chief, and was the title given to the rulers of the kingdom. Kaya Maghan (king of gold) was another title for these kings. The Soninke name for the polity was Ouagadou. This meant the "place of the Wague", the term current in the 19th century for the local nobility or may have meant 'the land of great herds'.
Ghana's rise to power was based on its control of the trans-Saharan trade routes.
The empire became extremely wealthy through the trade of gold, salt, ivory, slaves, and kola nuts.
It served as a middleman between North African Berber traders and the forests of West Africa.
The capital city, Koumbi Saleh, was a major trading hub and had two sections: one for Muslims (mostly merchants), and one for the royal court.
The empire had a centralized government led by a powerful king known as the "Ghana".
The king was both a political ruler and a religious leader.
Ghana maintained a large and well-equipped army, using iron weapons to expand and defend its territory.
Subordinate kings paid tribute to the Ghana emperor, showing the empire’s strong influence over the region.
RELIGION.
The indigenous Soninke people practiced traditional African religions.
Islam was introduced by Muslim traders from North Africa.
Over time, Islam spread, especially among the merchant class, but the royal court largely remained animist.
Despite differences in belief, there was religious tolerance, and Islamic learning began to influence administrative practices and literacy.
Decline of the Empire.
In 1076, the empire was invaded by the Almoravids, a Muslim Berber group from the north.
Although the invasion did not lead to complete conquest, it weakened Ghana significantly.
But Internal problems, including rebellions and overreliance on trade, worsened the situation.
Another factor that leads to the decline of the Ghana empire is Environmental changes, such as drought and desertification, also reduced agricultural productivity and trade flow.
By 1240, the Ghana Empire had collapsed, and its territories were absorbed by the rising Mali Empire, led by Sundiata Keita.
MODERN GHANA.
Ghana,officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It lies adjacent to the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing a border with Ivory Coast (Côte d'lvoire) in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and Togo in the east.
In 1957, the British colony of the Gold Coast, under the leadership of Kwame Nkrumah named itself Ghana upon independence.
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