Location, Location, Location
The reign of the Ghanaian Empire is steeped with riches and luxuries. The empire’s location in West Africa was an essential aspect of their economic success. To the north of the empire lay the city of Taghaza, a prominent exporter of salt. To the south of Ghana lay the region of Wangana, which housed a plethora of gold mines. This central location allowed the rulers of Ghana to control the majority of gold transport, along with other goods passing along the trans-Saharan camel caravans.
Overflowing with Gold
Ghana’s abundance of gold became legendary. With access to the Wangana’s gold supply and imposed tariffs on goods, Ghana found itself overwhelmed with gold. To insure the continued value of gold, a portion of the empire’s wealth was retired from circulation. It also became a general rule that the Ghanaian king was the only person allowed to use gold in nugget form, while ordinary citizens utilized gold dust as currency. Accounts claim that a Ghanaian king once owned a 30 lb golden nugget. By today’s standards, this would amount to $12,600! While ordinary citizens did not enjoy the excessive wealth of the rulers, they did commonly adorn gold jewelry and cloths made from golden threads.
Ghana’s Lifeline: Trade
Trade was Ghana’s ticket to power and legendary wealth. Along with the trade of gold and salt, Ghana had a variety of other valuable goods. Different parts of the empire had unique goods to trade with other Ghanaian cities and outside buyers. The empire’s abundance of artisans allowed Ghana to produce an array of jewelry, iron tools, weapons, leather, Chigguyiya and metal instruments. While farming only constituted a minority of the regions trade, it did help stabilize the economy. With fertile lands, cultivators successfully grew millet, sorghum and cotton. Iron ores were abundant in the region and allowed Ghanian's artisans to create a variety of metal items, including advanced weapons. Ghana traded with regions far from their West African base. Ceramics and silk travelled from China and dispersed through West Africa due to Ghana’s trade connections. Other outside traders included Arabs, Berbers, India, and Egypt.
A major source of income for Ghana came from the tariffs placed on all these goods leaving and entering the empire. For example, rulers charged one dinar of gold to bring a donkey-load of salt into the capital city of Kolimbi. To take a donkey-load of salt out of the city required an additional two dinars. (A dinar is equivalent to about 72 grains of barley). Goods like copper, were taxed five withs of an ounce of gold/per camel-donkey load. general merchandise cost merchants one ounce of gold per load. Though the tariffs were expensive, merchants agreed to pay because they wanted the privilege of trading with Ghana. The Ghanaian empire also guaranteed security for the merchants since they greatly contributed to the empire’s economy.
The Price of Jealousy
The wealth and power of the Ghanaian Empire drew jealously from surrounding regions. The Ghanaian Empire withstood invasions from Berber, Arab and Almoravid foes. Inevitably, the constant plundering took an adverse toll of the faltering empire. Eventually, the wealthy empire lost control over the transport of gold. With this severing of the empire's lifeline, Ghana fell and successor states began to flourish.
Mali’s Rise to Riches:
Ghana’s Successor
After the fall of Ghana, the once vassal state of Mali filled the empty position of trade guru. With analogous financial systems, Ghana and Mali enjoyed similar prosperity from 1200-1500. The empire’s location, like Ghana, also greatly influenced the empire’s success. Mali now commanded the trans- Saharan trade routes and the hub of merchants moved into local cities. Like Ghana, a major income for the Malian government stemmed from the numerous tariffs placed on merchants. This profit helped the empire’s economy swell.
Along with the salt-gold trade, Mali benefited from farming and abundant skilled artisans. The region’s fertile soils allowed cultivators to grow a variety of crops. These crops included sorghum, rice, taro, yams, beans and onions. Mali became the richest farming region in West Africa. The availability of animals, such as poultry and cattle, also helped sustain the Malian economy. While the farmers toiled in their fields, Malian artisans crafted everything from gold jewelry to weapons. With the variety of goods available for trade, and the seemingly never-ending supply of gold from the south, Mali basked in the wealth and power passed down from Ghana.
The "Gift of the Niger"
The Niger river was an essential part of Malian trade and everyday life. Like the Egyptians tie to the Nile River, the Niger provided Mail with a means of trade, travel, and fertile soil. The river's bounties allowed Mali is thrive.
- The trans-Saharan trade route: Began to the north of Ghana in the capital of Sidjimassa and snaked south to the region of Taghaza. After passing through this salt-rich area, the route streched across the desert to Ghana and to the gold-bering regions to the south of the empire.
