[25][failed verification] Perhaps as many as nine million enslaved people were exported along the trans-Saharan caravan route. Filling nearly all of northern Africa, it measures approximately 3,000 miles (4,800 km) from east to west and between 800 to 1,200 miles from north to south and has a total area of some 3,320,000 square miles (8,600,000 square km). B. there was a lack of horses in North Africa. In the 14th century, the Moroccan wanderer Ibn Battuta allegedly spent nearly 30 years traveling some 75,000 miles across Africa, the Middle East, India and Southeast Asia. Related Questions. As Fernand Braudel points out that crossing such a zone (especially without mechanized transport) is worthwhile only when exceptional circumstances cause the expected gain to outweigh the cost and danger. Further east of the Fezzan with its trade route through the valley of Kaouar to Lake Chad, Libya was impassable due to its lack of oases and fierce sandstorms. This disruption to trade led to a dramatic decline in the importance of these cities and resulting animosity reduced trade considerably. Next was the easiest of the three routes: the Garamantean Road, named after the former rulers of the land it passed through and also called the Bilma Trail. Around 1050, Ghana lost Aoudaghost to the Almoravids, but new goldmines around Bure reduced trade through the city, instead benefiting the Malinke of the south, who later founded the Mali Empire. These colonies eventually adopted the language and religion of the country and became absorbed into the Muslim world. How did trading these items impact West Africa, particularly Ghana and Mali? In the beginning stages of the Trans- Saharan trade many small trade routes were being used throughout the period. Another way their harsh environment has influenced their culture is navigation. Middle Passage, the forced voyage of enslaved Africans across the Atlantic Ocean to the New World. While existing from prehistoric times, the peak of trade extended from the 8th century until the early 17th century. The chariots were fragile and could not conceivably serve for the whole trans-Saharan journey over difficult terrain. Trade routes across the Roman Empire. Discuss why trade across the Sahara became possible and explore how it impacted West African empires, such as Ghana, Mali, Songhai, and Benin. The western route had its northern terminus in the Berber town of Sijilmasa in southern Morocco, and its southern terminus in the cities of Timbuktu and Gao on the far northern bend of the Niger River. The trade fueled the growth of many cities on the Niger such as Djenne, Timbuktu, and Gao, which remained the primary urban centers of West Africa until European colonization in the 19th century. The Sahara once had a very different environment. It covers the most of North Africa and is as big as the United States. This was the shortest of the routes, and the primary exchanges were slaves and ivory from the south for salt. The trans-Saharan trade reached its height during the height of the Mali Empire in the 1300s, and declined through the 15th and 16th centuries. [11] Ancient cities dating to the First Dynasty of Egypt arose along both its Nile and Red Sea junctions,[citation needed] testifying to the route's ancient popularity. In some capital cities, such as Ghana and Gao, the presence of Muslim merchants resulted in the establishment of mosques. What were two products other than salt that a North African trader might bring to West Africa? Other trade routes … The Sahara covers nearly all of the northern third of Africa. ... Why do you think Islam became the dominant religion transmitted along these routes? In 5th century AD, Roman Carthage was trading in black slaves brought across the Sahara. By 1200, many ruling elites in Western Africa had converted to Islam, and the 1200-1500 period saw a significant conversion to Islam in Africa.[32]. Previous Post Next. While the Trans-Sahara trade route may had all but disappeared in modern times, it is still of great historical importance. [19][20] Initial sources of slaves were the Toubou people, but by the 1st century CE, the Garmentes were obtaining slaves from modern day Niger and Chad. The survival of a caravan was precarious and would rely on careful coordination. of Africa from the north through the Sudan? The slaves brought from across the Sahara were mainly used by wealthy families as domestic servants,[23] and concubines. This capacity contributed to migrations of people and further development of trade. Unemployment in sub-Saharan Africa stands at around 6%, according to the International Labour Organization. Assignment Assignment help. The Sahara is dry and harsh – but resourceful humans learned long ago how to make the most of it to raise food and facilitate long distance trade. Saharan Trade Route www.library.thinkquest.org The Saharan trade route extended from the Sub-Saharan West African kingdoms across the Sahara Desert to Europe. For centuries, caravans of Arab and Berber traders transported African captives from sub-Saharan Africa, trekking along a series of arduous stages, to the slave markets of North Africa, the Mediterranean, Asia, and Europe. Extremely hot during the day Extremely cold at night Sandstorms Easy to get lost - sand dunes are constantly changing Could run out of food and water - dehydration Attacks by thieves Be the first to answer! During ancient times in Africa (west and partly eastern) trade was a crucial factor when it comes to development of countries. Merchants established regular commerce connecting northern and western parts of Africa. Windstorms in the Sahara hurl so much material into the air that African dust sometimes crosses the Atlantic Ocean. - 7851528 Salt, on the other hand, was in great supply in the coastal cities north of the Sahara. With the independence of nations in the region in the 1960s, the north–south routes were severed by national boundaries. How many trade routes were there across the Sahara Desert - what was their significance? Runners would be sent ahead to oases so that water could be shipped out to the caravan when it was still several days away, as the caravans could not easily carry enough with them to make the full journey. By the early 16th century, European trading bases, the factories established on the coast since 1445, and trade with the wealthier Europeans became of prime importance to West Africa. Libyan-Berbers, who knew how to build and repair chariots, may have circulated through these areas with horses and timber, making their skills available to travelers. By the 4th century BC, the independent city-states of Phoenicia had expanded their control to the territory and routes once held by the Garamantes. Change ), by Charlie Wilcox. National governments were hostile to Tuareg nationalism and so made few efforts to maintain or support trans-Saharan trade, and the Tuareg Rebellion of the 1990s and Algerian Civil War further disrupted routes, with many roads closed. The slaves brought from across the … As a result, hundreds of millions of people in developing countries have graduated from subsistence living to middle-class status. They constantly move around to find new areas to graze their livestock and … However, this is relatively recent and a result of the gradual desertification of the Sahara. Describe how MLK … With trade flourishing, the Malian capital of Timbuktu became a renowned center of cultural exchange, with the Sankore Madrassah emerging as one of the greatest universities in the Islamic world during the 14th and 15th centuries. The first ran through the western desert from modern Morocco to the Niger Bend, the second from modern Tunisia to the Lake Chad area. Traditional caravan routes are largely void of camels, but the shorter Azalai routes from Agadez to Bilma and Timbuktu to Taoudenni are still regularly—if lightly—used. Indeed, it is quite difficult to find one’s way through the featureless sand-dune terrain of the Sahara Desert. Some peoples, like the Berbers, survive by being nomads. December 4, 2019 Comments Off on Write a research paper explaining the Slave Trade across the Sahara Desert. CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (, "Saharan salt caravans ply ancient route", "An African Pilgrim-King and a World-Traveler: Mansa Musa and Ibn Battuta", "Trans-Saharan Trade and the West African Discovery of the Mediterranean World", "The impact of the slave trade on Africa", "Tuareg: Takedda and trans-Saharan trade", "The Trans-Saharan Gold Trade 7th–14th Century", "Géopolitique transsaharienne de l'énergie", "Géopolitique transsaharienne de l'énergie, le jeu et l'enjeu? Traders from the north also bring dates and a wide range of metal goods - weapons, armour, and copper either in its pure form or as brass (the alloy of copper and zinc). All their goods could be quickly moved to Rome itself as they were taken in barges to the city up the River Tiber after slaves had transferred the products from the merchant ships to the barges. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. [citation needed] Records exist documenting knowledge of the route among Senusret I, Seti, Ramesses IV and also, later, the Roman Empire, especially for mining. [9], The overland route through the Wadi Hammamat from the Nile to the Red Sea was known as early as predynastic times;[10] drawings depicting Egyptian reed boats have been found along the path dating to 4000 BC. Many trading routes went from oasis to oasis to resupply on both food and water. [14] The Darb el-Arbain trade route was the easternmost of the central routes. Cloudless skies and 12 hours of sunshine every day supports the generation of electric through solar panels. Shillington proceeds to identify this trade route as the source for West African iron smelting. Islam established common values and rules upon which trade was conducted. The peak of Saharan trade extended from the 8th … Since the … Trade routes across the Sahara Desert were in fact a vital part of the global trading network in the medieval era, and caravans crossing between the Mediterranean coast of Africa to the empires and cultures in the Niger River basin provided an influential cultural exchange for both sides of the Sahara. These routes grew more important as trade between the Mediterranean and West Africa intensified during the Middle Ages as Muslim influence in the Niger region intensified. Map of the chariot tracks through the Sahara, from The Cambridge History of Africa, Vol 2, 1978. Camels revolutionized trade across the Sahara because A. they were faster than chariots. Trade across the Sahara was at first conducted by horses and donkey, but this became increasingly difficult as the North Africa interior got dryer and the desert began to form and grow in area. Crossing the … A guide was sent ahead and water was brought on a journey of four days from Oualata to meet the caravan. A. Increasing aridity in the Sahara is documented in the transition from cattle and horses to camels. Why was travel across the Sahara difficult? Once the goods reached Sijilmasa they might be moved to many places including the port cities of Marrakesh or Tunis. One of the most important items traded was salt, for food preservation. Discussing alternate history, politics, and soccer, Liberals Surge to Parliamentary Majority in Canadian Election, Canadian Election Still a Three Way Race as Campaign Passes Midpoint. While sporadic trading ventures across the Sahara from what is now southern Libya occurred during … Ships also arrived from Spain and France at Ostia. [24] For example, the 17th century sultan Mawlay Ismail, himself was the son of slave, and relied on an army of black slaves for support. Rich gold fields in the Bambuk Mountains in what is now southwest Mali made gold plentiful in the Sahel, while it was a valuable coinage metal for the Mediterranean and Europe. In the middle of the 14th century Ibn Battuta crossed the desert from Sijilmasa via the salt mines at Taghaza to the oasis of Oualata. Even today, Berber trade caravans make their way across the desert to support their way of life. Morocco sent troops across the Sahara and attacked Timbuktu, Gao and some other important trading centres, destroying buildings and property and exiling prominent citizens. From the eighth century, demand for African slaves was accentuated by the spread of Islam. [15], To the east, three ancient routes connected the south to the Mediterranean. Social interactions with Muslim merchants led many Africans to convert to Islam, additionally many merchants married local women and raised their children as Muslim. The Sahara is so large it can be seen from space! The trans-Saharan slave trade, established in Antiquity,[20] continued during the Middle Ages. Top Answer. Answer. [19] Mediterranean economies were short of gold but could supply salt, taken from places like the African salt mine of Taghaza, whereas West African countries like Wangara had plenty of gold but needed salt. North Africa declined in political importance as the West African kingdoms began to trade directly with Europe through small European outposts on the West African coast. It is the second largest desert on earth and largest hot desert. The location of oases has been of critical importance for trade and transportation routes in desert areas; caravans must travel via oases so that supplies of water and food can be replenished. The Malian king Mansa Musa (r. 1312–37) brought back from a pilgrimage to Mecca the architect al-Sahili, who is often credited with the creation of the Sudano-Sahelian building style. The eastern trans-Saharan route led to the development of the long-lived Kanem–Bornu Empire as well as the Ghana, Mali, and Songhai empires, centred on the Lake Chad area. Ironically, Ostia was to play a major part in the downfall of Rome when Alaric the Goth captured Ostia … Why do you think Islam … While sporadic trading ventures across the Sahara from what is now southern Libya occurred during the Roman Empire, more extensive trade across the Sahara Desert largely started around the fifth century CE. C. they battled disease better than any other animal. Important trading centers in southern West Africa developed at the transitional zone between the forest and the savanna; examples include Begho and Bono Manso (in present-day Ghana) and Bondoukou (in present-day Côte d'Ivoire). What was the most famous, and what else was traded along this route? The harsh desert conditions of the Sahara, as we know it today, prohibited extensive contact between northern Africa and their southern neighbors for a very long time. The journey was long and travelers could loose their way or be unable to find water Family-based communities joined together to form villages. It is spread over 12 African nations, Egypt, Chad, Algeria, Eritrea, Libya, Morocco, Niger, Mauritania, Mali, Sudan, … ( Log Out /  The Saharan trade route linked such African empires as Ghana , Mali, and Songhay to the European world. But trade routes to the West African coast became increasingly easy, particularly after the French invasion of the Sahel in the 1890s and subsequent construction of railways to the interior. Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. For trade in the opposite direction, a short land journey from Lübeck across the base of the Danish peninsula brings goods easily to Hamburg and the North Sea. [6], Culture and religion were also exchanged on the Trans-Saharan Trade Route. A smaller number crossed the desert from Borno and the Central Sudan to Fezzan and then to … [31] Unlike Ghana, Mali was a Muslim kingdom since its foundation, and under it, the gold–salt trade continued. The Darb el-Arbain trade route, passing through Kharga in the south and Asyut in the north, was used from as early as the Old Kingdom for the transport and trade of gold, ivory, spices, wheat, animals and plants. Many in Ghana converted to Islam, and it is likely that the Empire's trade was privileged as a result. Morocco sent troops across the Sahara and attacked Timbuktu, Gao and some other important trading centres, destroying buildings and property and exiling prominent citizens. 1 See answer Answer 1.0 /5 0. gmcorchado. Building the highways is difficult because of sandstorms. [27] The salt was traded at the market of Timbuktu almost weight for weight with gold. The emirates along the Mediterranean sent south manufactured goods and horses. Thanks in advance. A trade route is a logistical network identified as a series of pathways and stoppages used for the commercial transport of cargo. copper, cowrie shells. Western trade routes continued to be important, with Ouadane, Oualata and Chinguetti being the major trade centres in what is now Mauritania, while the Tuareg towns of Assodé and later Agadez grew around a more easterly route in what is now Niger. Learn faster with spaced repetition. The Trade Route Across The Sahara: The trade was carried on across the Sahara so it was called "Trans-Saharan Trade". The Almoravids dominated Morocco and southern Iberia between 1040 and 1147, and reached as far south as the trading center of Audaghost in what is now Mauritania. Discuss why trade across the Sahara became possible and explore how it impacted West African empires, such as Ghana, Mali, Songhai, and Benin. The route is paved except for a 120 mi (200 km) section in northern Niger, but border restrictions still hamper traffic. North Africa had declined in both political and economic importance, while the Saharan crossing remained long and treacherous. The civilizations that flourished in ancient West Africa were mainly based on trade, so successful West African leaders tended to be peacemakers rather than warriors. Why was travel across the Sahara difficult? [12] Later, Ancient Romans would protect the route by lining it with varied forts and small outposts, some guarding large settlements complete with cultivation. The most important north African cities on the trade route were Fez and Marrakesh in Morocco, Tunis in Tunisia, Tripoli in Libya, Constantine in Algeria, … Trade in Ancient West Africa. [24] It has been estimated that from the 10th to the 19th century some 6,000 to 7,000 enslaved people were transported north each year. The two factors that led to the growth of trans-Saharan trade were the introduction of the camel and the spread of Islam. Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. The Saharan trade also supplied much of the gold used for coinage in the Mediterranean during the Middle Ages until the discovery of the Americas. How did the Berbers gain dominance over the trade routes? Islamic influence in the upper Niger and in the Sahel as a whole was largely driven by the decline of the Ghana Empire and the expansion of the Almoravid Empire south from Morocco. Over time, two major lines of trade developed through the Sahara. The vast networks … [citation needed]. Although much reduced, trans-Saharan trade continued. [20] Some historians argue that the scale of slave trade in this period may have been higher than medieval times due to high demand of slaves in the Roman Empire. [14] Shillington states that existing contact with the Mediterranean received added incentive with the growth of the port city of Carthage. Only a few trucks carry trans-Saharan trade, particularly fuel and salt. The interaction between North Africa and the Sahel enabled the spread of Islam in to the Upper Niger basin, which remains largely Muslim today. The Sahara Desert is one of the more frequent examples of a natural barrier to trade, with the vast arid expanse blocking communication between the southern Mediterranean coast and West Africa. The traders went from their cities in north Africa in a caravan of camels. [4][5] The caravans would be guided by highly paid Berbers who knew the desert and could ensure safe passage from their fellow desert nomads. Here is the extinct volcano Emi Koussi, the Sahara’s highest elevation at 11,204 feet (3,415 meters). They passed the salt mines and oases in the Sahara Desert. Assignment help Course work Essay help Paper help Top Assignment help Write my essay for money. The Sahara (/ s ə ˈ h ɑːr ə /, / s ə ˈ h ær ə /; Arabic: الصحراء الكبرى ‎, aṣ-ṣaḥrāʼ al-kubrá, 'the Greatest Desert') is a desert on the African continent.With an area of 9,200,000 square kilometres (3,600,000 sq mi), it is the largest hot desert in the world and the third largest desert overall, smaller only than the deserts of Antarctica and the Arctic. But most of the work available is unskilled or low-skilled, in part because the region has the world’s lowest levels of access to higher education. This trade route was somewhat less efficient and only rose to great prominence when there was turmoil in the west such as during the Almohad conquests. Advances in naval technology allowed the Portuguese to explore down the west African coast, and permitted a new faster and less treacherous route from the Niger River to the Mediterranean via the sea. [19][20] Two records of Romans accompanying the Garamentes on slave raiding expeditions are recorded - the first in 86 CE and the second a few years later to Lake Chad. known, similarly, of the trade across the Sahara: this exchange in West African captives, linked to trades in gold, salt, and cowries, had been in existence for centuries. [27] Miners cut thin rectangular slabs of salt directly out of the desert floor, and caravan merchants transported them south, charging a transportation fee of almost 80% of the salt's value. Additionally, trade was conducted by large caravans and stopped at several small oases all around the Sahara. In early Trans - Saharan trade , small trade routes around the Nile Valley were being utilized throughout the millennia, while travels across the Sahara prior to the domestication of the camel were difficult. Founded c. 800 BCE, Carthage became one terminus for West African gold, ivory, and slaves. Travel across the Sahara was challenging because the journey was long and … Predynastic Egyptians in the Naqada I period traded with Nubia to the south, the oases of the Western Desert to the west, and the cultures of the eastern Mediterranean to the east. The Trans – Saharan Trade was an important trade route that ran across the Sahara between the Mediterranean countries and West Africa. These stretches were relatively short and had the essential network of occasional oases that established the routing as inexorably as pins in a map. [7], Ancient trade spanned the northeastern corner of the Sahara in the Naqadan era. According to Ibn Battuta, the explorer who accompanied one of the caravans, the average size per caravan was 1,000 camels; some caravans were as large as 12,000. The Garamantes used slaves in their own communities to construct and maintain underground irrigation systems known as the foggara. [22] A route from the Niger Bend to Egypt was abandoned in the 10th century due to its dangers. These various goods, … Discuss why trade across the Sahara became possible and explore how it impacted West African empires, such as Ghana, Mali, Songhai, and Benin. Therefore, camels were widely used as a means of transportation across the sands of the Sahara desert. The essential death knell of the Trans-Saharan trade routes was the Battle of Tondibi in 1591, when a Moroccan army crossed the Sahara south and sacked Timbuktu destroying the Songhai Empire. Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. Sea Routes. [21] Two main trade routes developed. The traders went from their cities in north Africa in a caravan of camels. Caravans of camel riding merchants from North Africa crossed the Sahara beginning in the seventh century of the Common Era. [28], Historians give many reasons as to why the spread of Islam facilitated trade. ( Log Out /  Thus, political or military control of an oasis has in …

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