Ghana
Land of Gold
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Ghana (AD300-AD1100) The ancient African civilization we call Ghana existed in West Africa between the Niger and the Senegal Rivers. The rivers were important to Ghana because their economy was based on trade, and before the modern age, rivers were the fastest was to carry goods. Ghana became wealthy by collecting taxes from traders who passed through the kingdom. The people called their nation Wagadu; we know it as Ghana because that was the name of their war chief. Ghana managed the gold trade despite the fact that the empire had few natural resources of their own. The gold and salt mines all lay beyond the borders of the empire, but the power of Ghana was based on their superior skill in working iron. Ghana used iron tipped spears to subdue the neighbors, who fought with less efficient weapons made of stone, bone, and wood. Muslim warriors known as the Almoravids called a jihad (�holy war� in Arabic) on Ghana because the people of Ghana kept their traditional beliefs. The Almoravids were successful in weakening, but not destroying the empire. Ghana remained a shadow of itself for more than a century, and warriors from throughout the region formed many small states that threatened the vital trade routes through West Africa.
All the writes on Ghana have narrated that it was a land of gold. El-Hamathani in the 9th century described Ghana as " a Country where gold glows like plants in the sand in the same way carrots do, and are plucked at sunset". El-Fazari, an Arabic astronomer, writing in the 8th century also referred to Ghana as "The land of gold". El-Hakkam, an Egyptian historian of the 9th century also referred to Ghana as a land of gold. In 872 A.D., an Arabic geographer named El-Yakubi wrote, "The King of Ghana is a great King". In his territory are gold mines and he has under his domination a great number of kingdoms". Also Ibn Hawqal who visited Ghana in 977 A.D. wrote, "The kings of this town have relations with the king of Ghana, who the richest of this world because of his gold". El-Idrisi reported in 1154 that the king of Ghana was so rich that each of his horses was tied to a gold nugget weighing 15 kilogram. El-Bakri in his book, "Kitab al Masulik wa�al mamalik" reported that the king�s horses slept on a carpet and were tied with silk ropes.
