Ghana Empire (Wagadu)

Ghana Empire (Wagadu) was an empire in Sahara and Sahel (North and West Africa) that lasted from c. 300 to 1200 CE, about 900 years. Its people spoke Niger-Congo languages (Mande, Yoruba, Akan, Fula, Wolof, Igbo (non-Bantu)).

Soninke empire between the Senegal and Niger rivers that taxed the trade of gold for Saharan salt. Arab writers called it the land of gold. It declined after Almoravid pressure in the 11th century.

See Ghana Empire (Wagadu) on the interactive timeline

Facts

Dates

c. 300 to 1200 CE

Duration

900 years

Type

Empire

Region

Sahara and Sahel, North and West Africa

Language family

Niger-Congo

Capital

Koumbi Saleh

Became

• Sosso Kingdom c. 1180 to 1235 CE

Events in North and West Africa during its time

• 330 Aksum adopts Christianity
• 641 Arab conquest of Egypt
• 652 The Baqt treaty
• 670 Founding of Kairouan
• 969 Fatimids found Cairo
• 1050 Banu Hilal migration

Neighbours in North and West Africa

• Kingdom of Aksum c. 100 to 940 CE
• Fatimid Caliphate 909 to 1171 CE
• Almoravid dynasty 1040 to 1147 CE
• Makuria c. 450 to 1312 CE
• Kingdom of Benin c. 1180 to 1897 CE
• Kanem Empire c. 700 to 1387 CE
• Kingdom of Kush (Meroitic period) c. 300 BCE to 350 CE
• Roman Africa 146 BCE to 439 CE
• Roman Egypt 30 BCE to 395 CE
• Ife c. 1000 to 1420 CE

Elsewhere in the world at the same time

• Republic of Venice c. 697 to 1797 CE, Europe
• Byzantine Empire 395 to 1453 CE, Europe
• Byzantine Empire 395 to 1453 CE, Middle East
• Swahili city-states c. 800 to 1700 CE, Central and Southern Africa
• Holy Roman Empire 962 to 1806 CE, Europe
• Srivijaya c. 650 to 1377 CE, Southeast Asia
• Moche (Mochica) c. 100 to 800 CE, South America
• Teotihuacan c. 100 BCE to 550 CE, Mesoamerica and Caribbean
• Khmer Empire 802 to 1431 CE, Southeast Asia
• Tiwanaku c. 400 to 1000 CE, South America

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