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What are the 3 major trade kingdoms of West Africa?
A succession of three great kingdoms came to power as their people, gained control of valuable trade routes in West Africa. Ghana was the first of these empires, followed by the kingdoms of Mali and Songhai.
What trade route did West Africa use?
The West Africans exchanged their local products like gold, ivory, salt and cloth, for North African goods such as horses, books, swords and chain mail. This trade (called the trans-Saharan trade because it crossed the Sahara desert) also included slaves.
What was the main import of West African kingdoms?
Merchants had to pay a one gold dinar tax on imports of salt, and two on exports of salt. Imports probably included products such as textiles, ornaments and other materials. Many of the hand-crafted leather goods found in old Morocco may also had their origins in the empire. The main center of trade was Koumbi Saleh.
What did the kingdoms trade?
The kingdom emerged as a trading center for gold and salt. (Salt, a valuable preservative for food, was nearly as valuable as gold.) The trade of ideas also flourished in the kingdom, as the religion of Islam spread westward from the Arabian Peninsula to the western coast of Africa.
Why was most affected the West African trade?
What most affected ancient West African trade? taxing all trade in their region. restricting trade to only high-level merchants.
How did the kingdoms of West Africa trade?
Salt was used as a preservative, so it was in high demand in the West African kingdoms where it was not easily found. The West African kingdoms would trade their abundance of gold for salt, as well as other necessary goods. The trade was done via long trade routes across the Sahara Desert in the form of camel caravans.
What kind of trade routes did people use in Africa?
With the use of camels trade routes began to form between cities across the Sahara Desert. African trade reached its height, however, after the Arabs had conquered North Africa. Islamic traders entered the region and began to trade for gold and slaves from Western Africa.
How did Islam influence trade in West Africa?
Trade Routes. The religion of Islam was spread throughout Western Africa through Muslim traders. Islam helped to encourage trade because it lowered crime rates through Islamic law and also provided a common language (Arabic). Muslim traders who lived in West Africa became known as the Dyula people and were part of the wealthy merchant caste.
What did the nomads bring to the trade routes?
They also brought their religion, Islam, which spread along the trade routes. Nomads living in the Sahara traded salt, meat and their knowledge as guides for cloth, gold, cereal, and slaves. Until the discovery of the Americas, Mali was the principal producer of gold.