WORLD HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -A succession of three great kingdoms came to power as their people, gained control of valuable trade routes in West Africa. Ghana was the first of these empires, followed by the kingdoms of Mali and Songhai.

Detailed explanation-2: -Three celebrated empires flourished in the Western Sudan between the 8th and 17th centuries: Ghana (c. 8th-11th century), Mali (c. 13th-16th century), and Songhai (c. 15th-17th century).

Detailed explanation-3: -Over time, the slave trade became even more important to the West African econo-my. Kings traded slaves for valuable goods, such as horses from the Middle East and textiles and weapons from Europe. The trans-Saharan slave trade contributed to the power of Ghana, Mali, and Songhai.

Detailed explanation-4: -Not surprisingly, the gold-salt trade between the Ghana Empire and the Arab desert merchants flourished. The route began in Northern Africa in a commercial city known as Sidjilmassa ( near the present-day Moroccan-Algerian border).

Detailed explanation-5: -Trade brought gold from southern Africa to northern Africa to trade for salt. By taxing this trade and benefiting from it directly, Ghana became the first great African empire, followed by Mali and Songhai.

Detailed explanation-6: -The rise of the Soninke empire of Ghana appears to be related to the beginnings of the trans-Saharan gold trade in the fifth century.