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Government of Ghana
Kumbi Saleh the Capital City
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The king was the head of the government of the nation. He was very powerful and his decisions were final. The king was assisted in running his government by trained civil servants and ministers. Most of the civil servants were Sonninke Muslims who could read and write and had a wider knowledge of the world. There was a mayor at the capital city named, Kumbi Saleh, who was appointed by the king, and was responsible for the administration of the capital city. In states conquered by Ghana, two types of provincial governments existed. In areas where there were no central native rulers, before its annexation and in areas where the subjects constantly quarreled to regain their independence, the king appointed a governor. While in places where the rulers and their subjects remained loyal and paid tribute regularly to the king, they were given autonomy. The sons and daughters of provincial governors were sent to the king�s court as a guarantee of continued loyalty, and were trained and assigned with the duties as civil servants. Indeed it would be unwise for their fathers to rebel against the king. They also learned from their experiences at the king�s court, which guided them, when they returned to their homes to assume control of the local governments, in succession of their fathers. The king was commander-in-chief of the army and was responsible for the security of the provincial areas against any forth-coming attacks, and guaranteed enforcement of the peace in days of internal chaos and disorder. He was also responsible for providing the people with the facilities they needed to take part in the process of trade with foreigners.
Kumbi Saleh was the name of the capital city of Ghana. It consisted of two townships, about six kilometers apart. One was inhabited by Muslims and was very large with twelve mosques in which the Muslims prayed. The other township was inhabited by non-Muslims and was called, El-Ghaba, which means "the Woods". It was given this name because there were woods nearby in which dead people were buried. The king resided in El-Ghaba and had a magnificent palace, which was built of stone and wood. There was a big mosque in the palace, in which, Muslims ministers, civil servants and the king�s visitors worshipped. Strong and splendid walls decorated with pictures, sculptures, and glass windows surrounded the palace. Around the palace were a number of domed shaped houses built with mud walls and thatched roofs. According to El-Bakri, "Around the town are wells of sweet water from which they drink and near which they grow vegetables". Also Ibn Khaldun, who traveled all around the world at that time said, "It was one of the greatest and most populous cities of the world".
