2.4 Trans-Saharan Trade Routes

Few societies had lived in the Sahara Desert because it was very difficult to farm. Some trade happened in the Sahara but when Muslim merchants arrived in the 7th and 8th centuries it increased. When empires like Mali took over it increased drastically. Trans-Saharan Trade: The Sahara is the size of China but only about 800 square miles are oases. Muslims traveled across the Sahara on camel from Arabia because they were used to the climate of the Arabian Desert. People developed around 15 types of camel saddles for different purposes. The saddle developed in Somalia that could carry up to 600 pounds is why camels were able to carry heavy loads for trade. Byt the 8th century, the trans-Saharan trade was famous in Europe and Asia. Gold was the most precious commodity traded. Traders brought into West Africa salt, textiles, horses, and Islam. West African Empire Expanison: The Ghanian state had been permanently weakened by the 12th century and in its place rose Mali. Mali profited from the gold trade and taxed nearly all other trade entering West Africa. Most of Mali’s residents were farmers but the great cities of Timbuktu and Gao had the most wealth and developed into centers of Muslim life in the region. Timbuktu became a world-renowned center of Islamic learning. The growth in trade caused the need to administer and maintain it. For example, rulers needed to establish a currency whose value was widely understood. Sometimes empires expanded their reach to take over resource-rich areas. Mali’s founding father Sundiata was forced into exile because his enemies feared him. In 1235 he returned and reclaimed the throne. He made a thriving gold trade in Mali and under his rule Mali grew tremendously. In the 14th century, Sundiata’s grand-nephew, Mansa Musa was a devout Muslim and in 1324 began a journey to Mecca. He took an extravagant caravan with 100 camels, thousands of slaves and soldiers, and gold to give to all the people who hosted him. He showed Mali’s wealth to the outside world. Mansa Musa’s reign deepened the support for Islam in Mali. By the late 1400s Mali was declining and the Songhai Kingdom had taken the place of the powerhouse in West Africa.