Table of Contents
What was the Trans Sahara trade?
Trans-Saharan trade, conducted across the Sahara Desert, was a web of commercial interactions between the Arab world (North Africa and the Persian Gulf) and sub-Saharan Africa. The main objects of this trade were gold and salt; gold was in abundance in the western part of Africa, but scarce in North Africa.
What 3 items were traded on the trans-Saharan trade?
Finally, the trans-Saharan trade brought the Sudanic states and their access to gold to the attention of the world outside the insular West African region. Trade Commodities. Salt, gold, and slaves were the essential commodities throughout the 500-1590 period. Cloth also became an important trade good.
What are the causes of trans-Saharan trade?
The causes of the growth in trans-Saharan trade are similar to those that increased commerce on the Silk Roads and Indian Ocean trade networks. They included the desire for goods not available in buyers’ home regions, improvements in commercial practices, and technological innovation.
What problems did the trans-Saharan traders face?
Communication barriers due to lack of a common language in which to conduct commercial transactions. Traveling long distances and for many months across the desert. Traveling under extreme weather conditions-too hot during the day and too cold at night. Scarcity of water and food during the journey across the desert.
What two factors led to the growth of trans-Saharan trade?
The two factors that led to the growth of trans-Saharan trade were the introduction of the camel and the spread of Islam.
Who started the trans-Saharan trade?
Mali and Mansa Musa Perhaps the most famous and influential kingdom linked to the trans-Saharan trade was that of Mali. Mali was founded by Sunjata Keita in the 13th century, defeating the blacksmith king Sumanguru Kante. However, in Mali, the ruler who reached world renown at the time was the Emperor Mansa Musa.
How did the trans-Saharan trade effect West Africa?
With the increased volume of trans-Saharan trade in the Islamic period, new cultural influences began to spread in Western Africa. The most important of them was a new religion, Islam, which was adopted in the states belonging to the sphere of the caravan trade by the end of the eleventh century.