Page 30 - Empires of Medieval West Africa

t he Ghana Empire

mean no new deposits of gold. No water would also mean the farmers
could not grow their food crops. The loss of both food and gold produc-
tion from drought provides a possible environmental explanation for the
gradual decline of the ancient kingdom of Wagadu. Historians believe
this destruction was complete by the early 13th century.

regional and TranS-Saharan Trade

In 738, a governor of the Maghrib sent a trading expedition to the
“the land of the blacks”—Sudan. The expedition returned successfully,
bringing slaves and gold. The trade seems to have originated not with
the Arabs, but with the Berber peoples of the desert.
The most powerful of these desert Berbers were the Sanhaja, who
lived in the Sahara and traded with the Soninke people who lived to
the south. The Soninke’s early
involvement with the traders
of the Sahara is one reason CONNECTIONS
Ghana emerged as the first of
the great medieval empires. Kola Nuts and Cola
The other main reason the kola nut is not really a nut, but the edible seed of several
is that Ghana controlled the species of evergreen trees. these trees are native to the
sources of gold. “[T]he ruler of tropical rainforests of africa. the nut is either pink or yellow
Ghana is the wealthiest king and is roughly the size of an unshelled walnut or a golf ball.
on the face of the earth because the nut contains caffeine. in many west african cul-
of his treasures and stocks of tures, people chew it, individually or in a group, to ease
gold extracted in olden times hunger and feel renewed. Kola nuts first have a bitter taste,
for his predecessors and him- then turn sweet.
self,” wrote Arab geographer in west africa, the kola nut is considered a symbol of
Muhammad ibn Hawqal (10th hospitality. it can be divided easily into several segments to
century) in 988 (quoted in N. be shared between host and guests. it is used in marriage,
Levtzion and J. F. P. Hopkins’s birth, funeral, and other ceremonies.
Corpus of Early Arabic Sources in the late 1800s, kola nuts began to be exported to the
for West African History).or West African History).or West African History United states. originally, the “secret” ingredient flavoring
f f
As has already been all cola drinks (including coca-cola and pepsi-cola) was
mentioned, efficient food extracted from kola nuts. today, most manufacturers use today, most manufacturers use t
production, early control of artificial flavorings that resemble the taste of kola nuts to
iron technology for superior flavor cola soft drinks. But some premium brands of cola
weapons, and having horses still use the original kola nut.
helped the Soninke achieve

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