Empires of Gold Slides
CA HSS Standard 7.4
7th Grade World History • 30-Minute Sprint
Medieval West Africa
Empires of Gold
The Ingenuity, Wealth, and Scholarship of Ghana, Mali, and Songhai
Ghana: Iron & Gold Taxes
Mali: Mansa Musa & Timbuktu
Songhai: Law & Imperial Scale
The Economic Engine
Trans-Saharan Trade Highway
The Middleman Advantage
Northern Sahara
Rock Salt Mines
Essential for human survival, preserving food in heat, and livestock. In high demand in the south.
The West African Empires
Taxes & Safe Passage
Ghana, Mali, and Songhai controlled the trade routes in between, taxing all goods entering and leaving.
Southern Forests
Gold Fields (Wangara)
Deep riverbeds produced massive amounts of gold, which fed Mediterranean mints and global commerce.
Key Value Fact: At its peak, one pound of Sahara salt was traded for one pound of gold!
Silent Barter Kept Peace
c. 700 – 1200 CE
Ancient Ghana: Land of Gold & Iron
The Pioneer Empire
Iron Metallurgy
The Soninke people mastered iron smelting. Iron blades and spearheads gave Ghana military supremacy over neighbors armed with wood and bone.
Royal Gold Control
The King claimed all gold nuggets to prevent inflation and preserve market value; ordinary citizens and traders used gold dust as currency.
Koumbi Saleh Hub
A bustling dual capital: one city for local Soninke royal governance and one dedicated commercial district for visiting North African Muslim merchants.
Key Takeaway: Ghana got rich not by mining gold directly, but by taxing every trader who crossed its borders.
c. 1235 – 1600 CE
Mali: Mansa Musa & Timbuktu
Global Stature & Literacy
Lion King Sundiata
Founder of Mali who unified warring Malinke clans, restored peace, expanded agricultural farming, and seized control of all gold-producing territories.
Mansa Musa’s Hajj
His 1324 pilgrimage to Mecca featured 60,000 attendants and 80 camels carrying gold. His generosity depressed Cairo's gold market for over a decade!
Sankore University
Turned Timbuktu into an epicenter of Islamic learning with over 25,000 students and vast collections of manuscripts on astronomy, medicine, and law.
Global Impact: In 1375, European mapmakers drew Mansa Musa seated on a golden throne in the renowned Catalan Atlas.
c. 1464 – 1591 CE
Songhai: The Imperial Powerhouse
Largest West African Empire
Sunni Ali's Navy
Built a professional war canoe fleet on the Niger River, capturing key trading cities like Timbuktu and Jenne to forge a unified empire.
Askia the Great
Askia Muhammad reorganized government into five provinces, appointed loyal governors, and established standardized weights and measures.
Islamic Legal System
Trained judges (qadis) enforced standardized commercial and civil laws across the empire, providing stability and security for global merchants.
Peak Reach: Under Askia Muhammad, Songhai became larger than all of Western Europe combined!
Station Carousel & Synthesis
Explore Stations & Complete Notes
14 Minutes Total
A
Station A: Ghana
Investigate the Soninke ironmasters, royal taxation system, and the silent barter trading method.
B
Station B: Mali
Analyze Mansa Musa's pilgrimage, the 1375 Catalan Atlas map, and the thousands of Timbuktu manuscripts.
C
Station C: Songhai
Examine Askia Muhammad’s civil administration, judicial reforms, and river trade fleet.
Final 3-2-1 Exit Challenge on Notes
3 Major Accomplishments • 2 Core Trade Goods • 1 Lasting Global Impact
Turn in at Door