Page 139 - Empires of Medieval West Africa

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1000–500 b.c.e. The beginnings of iron working in West Africa.
ca. 200 c.e. The camel is first used in the Sahara to transport goods.
ca. 500–700 The rise of the Ghana Empire.
570 The prophet Muhammad, founder of Islam, is born in Mecca.
ca. 750–950 The Songhay kingdom of Gao becomes an important end point for trade across
the Sahara. This leads to increased prosperity and political influence for the
Songhay in the Middle Niger River region.
ca. 1035 As one of the religious obligations of Islam, Sanhaja chief Yahya ibn Ibrahim
makes a pilgrimage to Mecca. He returns with Abdallah ibn Yasin, who will be
the founder of the Almoravids, a powerful fundamentalist Islamic group that
establishes an 11th-century empire in the Western Sahara.

1076 The Almoravids take control of Soninke territories, sending the ancient Ghana
Empire into decline.
ca. 1235 Sunjata, legendary founder of the Mali Empire, and his Mande army defeat Susu
at the Battle of Dakajalan (near Kirina). They establish a new Mande state that
develops into the Mali Empire.

1324 Mansa Musa, the emperor of Mali, makes a pilgrimage to Mecca.
1352–1353 The Arab traveler and geographer Ibn Battuta visits Mali and the court of
Mansa Sulayman, emperor of Mali.
1460 Sii Sulayman Dama, founder of the Sii dynasty of the Kingdom of Gao, captures
Mema, signaling the decline of the Mali Empire.
1469 Sii Ali Beeri, ruler of the Kingdom of Gao, conquers Timbuktu as he expands
the Kingdom of Gao into the Songhay Empire.

1492 Sii Ali Beeri dies.
1493 Askia Muhammad the Great, emperor of Songhay, establishes a new Songhay
ruling dynasty.
1591 A Moroccan army invades Songhay. This leads to the defeat of the Askia dynas-
ty of Songhay; Songhay is ruled by Moroccan administrators.
1884–1885 The representatives of 14 European nations and the United States meet at the
Berlin Conference to decide who will conquer which parts of Africa.

1893–1894 French forces conquer Jenne and Timbuktu.
1899 French forces capture Gao, completing their conquest of the territories of the
former medieval empires of Ghana, Mali, and Songhay.
1958 Guinea votes to be independent from France.
1960 The Republic of Mali gains its independence from France.
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