Page 31 - Empires of Medieval West Africa

E m p i r E s o f m E d i E v a l w E s t a f r i c a

early superiority over their neighbors. Arab geographer Ahmad ibn
al-Yaqubi described Ghana as one of the two most powerful kingdoms
The Coming of of the Western Sudan. He said Ghana’s ruler had other kings under
the Camel his authority.
The one-humped camel What eventually raised the Soninke kingdom to the level of an
was originally domes-
ticated (tamed for use empire was its control of both regional trade and trade across the
by humans) in southern Sahara Desert. The regional trade involved the exchange of salt, copper,
Arabia around 5000 and dates from the Sahara. Products from the savanna areas included
b.c.e. and was intro- slaves, livestock, iron tools, iron weapons and utensils, animal hides,
duced into northeastern leather goods such as sandals, cushions, and bags, locally woven and
Africa around 3000 dyed cloth, clay pottery, woven grass products such as baskets and
b.c.e. From northeast-
ern Africa, the Romans sleeping mats, medicinal herbs, and foods such as dried fish, rice, vari-
brought the camel to the ous grains, spices, honey, and fruit. From farther south, nearer the for-
Sahara Desert in the first est, came gold and kola nuts.
century c.e. As a result, Beyond this regional trade, Ghana was well positioned to dominate
regular and extensive the international caravan trade that went across the Western Sahara
trade across the Sahara and on to the Middle East and the Mediterranean Sea. One of the rea-
became possible.
sons such commercial development was possible was the introduction
of the camel into North Africa.
The camel is often referred to as the ship of the desert. Because of
its unique physical characteristics, the camel can survive in very dry
climates. Its large, flat feet are well suited for walking across the shift-
ing sands. The camel could also carry large loads for many days without
food or water.
In the second and third centuries c.e., the use of camels quickly
expanded among North African Berber peoples. The Sanhaja people of
the western Sahara acquired large numbers of camels by the fourth and
fifth centuries. As a result, they began to develop and control increas-
ingly busy desert trade routes. The caravans that crossed the Sahara
Desert (a route called “trans-Saharan”) could consist of as few as six
camels or as many as 2,000. They usually left North Africa in April or
May, and were led by professional Sanhaja guides who could find the
wells and water holes that dotted the desert.
The dangerous journey lasted from two and a half to three months,
depending on the size of the caravan and the conditions of the route.
Unusually dry years could leave the wells with insufficient water. If a
severe sandstorm came up, it could bury the entire caravan alive.
Ghana’s location in the Sahel enabled the Soninke people to con-
trol commerce from the savanna and forest zones in the south, and the

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