The Rise and Fall of the Ghana Empire of West Africa

Did you know that the rulers of the Ghana Empire were so rich they were known as Kings of Gold? This video is all about the rise and fall of the great Ghana Empire, once known as the land of gold. The Ghana Empire flourished in West Africa from at least the 6th to 13th century CE. Not connected geographically to the modern state of Ghana, the Ghana Empire was located in the western Sudan savannah region (modern southern Mauritania and Mali) sandwiched between the Sahara desert to the north and the rainforests to the south. Trade in the Ghana Empire was facilitated by the abundance of iron, copper, gold, and ivory and easy access to the Niger and Senegal Rivers and their tributaries. The Ghana kings, residing in the capital at Koumbi Saleh, grew immensely rich, building up stockpiles of the gold nuggets only they were permitted to possess. Consequently, the reputation of Ghana spread to North Africa and Europe, where it was described as a fabulous land of gold. The Ghana Empire crumbled from the 12th century CE following drought, civil wars, the opening up of trade routes elsewhere, and the rise of the Sosso Kingdom (c. 1180-1235 CE) and then the Mali Empire (1240-1645 CE). — CHAPTERS — 00:00 Intro 00:43 Introduction to the Ghana Empire 01:40 The Rise of the Ghana Empire 03:30 Ghana Cities and Kings 07:16 Decline and Fall of the Ghana Empire 09:02 Outro — WANT TO KNOW MORE? — Ghana Empire https://www.worldhistory.org/Ghana_Empire/ The Gold Trade of Ancient & Medieval West Africa https://www.worldhistory.org/article/1383/the-gold-trade-of-ancient–medieval-west-africa/ The Salt Trade of Ancient West Africa https://www.worldhistory.org/article/1342/the-salt-trade-of-ancient-west-africa/ Timbuktu https://www.worldhistory.org/Timbuktu/ Mali Empire https://www.worldhistory.org/Mali_Empire/ — WATCH NEXT — The History of the West African Salt Trade https://youtu.be/5h8P9OxcLoo The Poet and Scholar Callimachus of Cyrene https://youtu.be/E6lYw2va4xg The Wars of the Roses: Causes and Consequences https://youtu.be/JB5VqD4A6R8 The Life and Death of Mary Queen of Scots https://youtu.be/x0MrMEDiKOU — BUY OUR MERCH — https://www.worldhistory.store​/​ — SUPPORT US VIA OUR PATREON— https://www.patreon.com/join/whencyclopedia — ATTRIBUTIONS — The music used in this recording is the intellectual copyright of Michael Levy, a prolific composer for the recreated lyres of antiquity, and used with the creator's permission. Michael Levy's music is available to stream at all the major digital music platforms. Find out more on: https://www.ancientlyre.com https://open.spotify.com/artist/7Dx2vFEg8DmOJ5YCRm4A5v?si=emacIH9CRieFNGXRUyJ9 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJ1X6F7lGMEadnNETSzTv8A https://athena.worldhistory.org/article/MacUIr8smqb-The-Ghana-Empire-Images-and-Attributions World History Encyclopedia www.worldhistory.org #history #africanhistory #africa #goldtrading #ghana