AMSCO 2.4 Trans-Saharan Trade Routes Notes

1 min read•june 18, 2024

📖 AMSCO p.103 - p.110

Image Courtesy of Grace

Use of Camels

Camels were used in place of horses to travel across the desert
Camels used specially developed saddles to carry up to 600 pounds worth of goods

Things Traded Across the Desert

Kingdoms Involved With Trade

Abbasid Caliphate
- The Abbasids helped propel Trans-saharan Trade by connecting the Mediterranean region with West Africa
- Baghdad - capital of the Abbasid Caliphate - major center of commerce and spreading of religion (particularly Islam)
Ghana
- brought the kingdom great wealth 💰
- place for trade between Muslim merchants
- would tax the gold and salt that came through their borders to make money
Ghana → Mali
- Wars from neighboring states weakened Ghana
- Changes in existing Trans-Saharan trade routes were unfavorable to Ghana and weakened Ghana’s economic power
- Mali rises to power

Mali

Mali → Songhai Kingdom

in the 1400s, the Songhai Kingdom gains power
- Achieves more prosperity than Mali
- Timbuktu and Gao remain impressive cities and major trade routes that attract North African & Arab merchants
- Songhai Kingdom embraces Islam. This helps with trade because many merchants from North Africa and the Middle East also practice Islam.
- Decline of the Songhai Kingdom in the 16th century leads to a disruption of Trans-Saharan trade.

Term	Definition + Significance
Caravans	mobile homes that provide shelters for merchants; Muslim merchants used caravans to cross the Sahara desert and hold goods
Trans-Saharan Trade	trade where merchants cross the Sahara desert; west-African traders meeting with foreign merchants
Pilgrimage	a trip, usually taken for religious purposes, to sacred destinations; notable for Mansa Musa’s famed pilgrimage to Mecca in 1324, where he displayed Mali’s wealth
Sorghum	a grain crop typically grown in hot, arid climates; much of Mali’s population were sorghum farmers
Camel saddles	harnesses developed to provide ease for the rider of the camel; the Somalis developed a saddle that could hold up to 600 pounds to facilitate trade of lots of goods