African empires were state formations that encompassed several peoples in one entity. This training was usually done through conquests. They were numerous and important in their commercial, political and cultural relations.
Empire Ghana was the oldest known black state, founded in the 4th century, and conquered a large area where it exercised political and economic domination, south of what we now know by Mauritania, Senegal and Mali. It was a nucleus formed by the peoples known as soninkê.
Initially Ghana was the title given to the ruler who attributed his sovereignty to the dominated peoples. Ghana experienced its heyday after 790, when power was under the control of the Cissê Tunaka dynasty, exercised in a matrilineal manner. From the 9th to the 11th century, Ghana's hegemony was recognized.
The economic base of this empire was based on the collection of taxation, imposed on the conquered peoples and the products that circulated in their domains. In addition, subsistence activities such as fishing, livestock and agriculture formed an important part of its economy. In addition to a powerful army, the sovereigns also had a wide range of officials at their disposal.
The location and its hegemonic power guaranteed a continuous commercial flow, articulating Saharawis and South Saharawis, that is, they were able to explore an important trade region. Thus, from the North came copper, cowries (shells), silk and cotton fabrics and salt, which were exchanged for ivory, slaves and gold.
With this great commercial articulation, Ghana managed to maintain itself as an empire until the 11th century, when they were defeated before troops of Moroccan knights and Muslims who were at war against pagans, like the people of Ghana. Ghana was therefore the last barrier to entry for Islam in the region.
With the decline of Ghana, several disputes over influence occurred between smaller, parallel and independent states in the 12th century. One of these states was formed by the people known as sosso, of the Soninke ethnic group. It was through weapons that these imposed themselves and achieved hegemony in the 13th century.
The Mali Empire was formed by peoples present in the region located between the Senegal River and the Niger River. Among these peoples the most important were the Mandingas, who have known Islam since the 11th century. But, besides them, other peoples formed this empire, like the Soninkês, the Fulas, the Sossos and Bozos.
Sundjata Keita was the greatest representative of the Mali Empire, and he extended his authority to nearby political units, forming a unified and hegemonic state until the 15th century.
Mali's hegemony in West Africa occurred due to some important factors, such as the formation of a powerful army, control over the extraction of gold and the existence of an efficient administration. These points made Mali one of the most successful empires on the African continent.
Its supreme representative was called Mansa, and resided in the city of Niani, north of the current Republic of Guinea. The heyday of the Keita dynasty occurred in the 14th century, during the rule of Kankan Mussa, Mansa Mussa.
At the end of the 14th century, the empire faces difficulties in maintaining such a large area and is in a process of decline.
The Songai Empire is related to the city of Gao, located on the curve of Niger. This city was an important commercial, political and economic center, with military power from archers who launched themselves into the Niger River.
Until the 14th century Gao was under the power of the Mali Empire, but in the 15th century they conquered Tombuctu, an important center of Islam and a key point of trade for the Sahara. It is at this moment that the formation of the Empire took place, in a process of military expansion, led by Sonni Ali, who besides taking Tombuctu, also conquered Djenné. They had polytheistic religious practices and improved the experiences of the empire that followed them - Mali, incorporating elements from previous empires.
They explored gold, salt and cowries and established a unification of weights and measures that facilitated tax collection and trade. With a large territorial extension, the Songai Empire had a well-organized trade and centralized government system. They were divided between an elite and the general population and their most influential cities were Tombuctu, Djenné and Gao.