Empires
See also
Serahule Tribe
Introduction:
 The origins
and rise of the
ancient West African Empire of Ghana, situated in the far western savannah, are
obscure. It may have existed as early as the 5th century AD or even
before. However, by the 8th century AD Ghana had become important
enough for its fame as "The Land of Gold" to reach Baghdad.
 By 1068 it was reported in a book by a learned Arab scholar of
Cordoba by the name of Al-Bakri that Ghana was the largest, wealthiest
and most powerful state in West Africa. The empire was situated in the
vast Savannah area between the Senegal and Niger Rivers, its authority
extending from the frontiers of Futa Toro to the western banks of the
Niger, and from the Mandinka area in the south to beyond the fringes
of the desert in the north.
Founders of Ghana:
 The founding
ruling people of this "Land of Gold" were the
Serahule
(Soninke), the indigenous inhabitants of
the area, who established their capital
at (Koumbi) Kumbi Saleh, at the time a leading trading centre of the Western Sudan.
The Serahule who lived to the north of the upper waters of the Niger
River formed themselves into a strong trading state. This state spread
its power over  many neighbouring peoples and in the process the trading
state became an empire. It commanded a large region of trade, security
and strong government. It lasted for several hundred years and was
deeply respected by travellers who came within its borders, as well as
those who read or heard about it beyond its borders.
Growth of Empire:
The name of the
state was originally known as Wagadou (Ouagadou, Aoukar) by its
rulers, but the name of Ghana came into general use because one of the
king's titles "Ghana" meant war chief. Each succeeding king was known
by his own name and also by the title of Ghana. Another important
title of the king was Kaya Maghan. This means "Lord of the gold"
because he controlled the export of the valuable metal.
The
king's main duties were to organise the trade and keep good relations
with the Saharan traders, as well as acting as senior religious leader
and as representative on earth of the "founding ancestors" of the
Serahule people.
Next came an expansion of Serahule power over
neighbouring peoples who were also involved in trade. The wider the
territory the Serahule could control, the more prosperous they would
be. The kings of Ghana were able to make lesser kings or chiefs obey
their laws and pay them taxes which increased the wealth of Ghana.
With more wealth the kings of Ghana had more power and could command
the services of many descent lines. They could raise big armies and
employ large numbers of messengers and other servants.
Government:
With the growth of the
empire, the Serahule, like other peoples of West Africa who founded
similar states, were inventing new methods of governing themselves, of
raising money to pay for government, and of producing wealth. These
systems, at that stage of social organisation, needed a single
authority or government that could rule over many lesser authorities
or governments. That central authority, according to the thought and
customs of the time, could only be a king.
The growth in the
power of the central authority was the result of international trade.
The Serahule, as mentioned earlier, occupied the the lands to the
north of the upper waters of the Niger and as such enjoyed a position
of great value and power. Their towns and trading settlements became
the middlemen between the Berber and Arab traders of the north and the
gold and ivory producers of the south. It was this middleman position
which made Ghana strong and prosperous and gave its rulers glory and
power.
At the peak of its power, the Kingdom of Ghana consisted
of Ghana proper or metropolitan Ghana, and provincial Ghana. The
provincial part consisted of the states that had been conquered and
annexed. Central government was the responsibility of the king and his
ministers, the governor of the capital city, and a number of civil
servants who, by the middle of the 11th century, were Muslims who
could keep records and communicate in Arabic. As semi-divine ruler,
the king could appeal to a vital combination of both the religious and
political loyalties of his people.
Since the empire included
many areas whose people were not Serahule and therefore had religious
loyalties to other gods of whom the king was not the earthly
representative, a dual system of provincial rule was introduced for
the interest of imperial unity.
In the non-Serahule areas, the
local ruler was the natural ruler of his own people selected by their
customary procedures and confirmed in office by the king of Ghana
proper. In order to ensure the continued allegiance of the conquered
states, the kings of Ghana insisted on the son of each vassal king
being sent to their court. Both provincial governors of Serahule areas
and tributary rulers of conquered peoples had the duties of loyalty to
the king, provisions of annual tribute and the contribution of bands
of warriors to the imperial army when they were required for active
service. In return, the king provided protection against external
enemies, facilities for sharing in the
prosperous trade and the provision of
justice to settle serious quarrels that
might arise within the Empire.
Legal System:
Ghana's legal system was not divorced
from the executive. Each village head
tried straightforward cases in his own
village but those who were dissatisfied
with his judgment could appeal to
the provincial governor or tributary
state ruler. In the last resort a man
could appeal to the justice of the king
himself or of his trained judges.
Serious lawsuits could b judged
according to Serahule custom or, if the
party involved was a Muslim, according
to Islamic law.
Revenue and
Wealth:
As Ghana was in those
days a fertile area, its people were
able to supply abundant foodstuffs and
useful materials for housing for the
upkeep of the king and his hierarchy of
officials. Another source of wealth was
provided by the revenue system of the
empire based on annual tribute in
produce, taxes on trade and the spoils
of war.
In addition, the
strategic position of the capital city
of Kumbi Saleh between the gold fields
of Wangara and the desert routes of the
North African merchants gave the city an
important position in the Trans-Saharan
Trade. Thus Kumbi became an important
commercial centre where the essential
salt and horses plus luxury good brought
by North African merchants were
exchanged for gold, slaves, ostrich
feathers, ivory, gum and other
commodities. On all their goods the king
collected customs duties in gold for
both import and exports. Furthermore,
any gold nuggets found by gold miners
automatically became the property of the
king and was added to his treasury which
contained lumps of solid gold. This law
both increased royal wealth as well as
regulated supply.
The City of
Kumbi Saleh:
At the height of
Ghana's prosperity, before 1240 AD, the
city of Kumbi Saleh was the biggest West
African city of its day and had as many
as 15,000 inhabitants. About 320
kilometres north of modern Bamako, Kumbi
was a twin city with two separate
centres 9.6 kilometres apart. Although
the two towns were linked by a continuum
of houses, they were distinct in
character and function. The one part
formed the Muslim quarter where the
North African merchants resided during
their trading missions to Ghana. This
was the main commercial area and their
influence was apparent in the many stone
built houses, the 12 mosques and the
presence of many clerical scholars. So
long as they obeyed the laws and paid
their taxes, the traders were accorded
safety and hospitality. This was a
partnership in long-distance trade that
lasted for a very long time.
The
other 'town' of Kumbi, known as
Al-Ghaba,
was the more important for it was the
administrative centre of the Serahule
Empire and where the King of Ghana lived
in his royal residence made of stone and
decorated with paintings, carvings and
fitted with glass windows. Close to the
palace there was a stone mosque for the
use of Muslim visitors and officials.
The rest of the buildings of Al-Ghaba
were constructed of mud and thatch in
the traditional manner and around the
whole quarter were defensive earthen
walls.
Empires
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History Page
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Old & New
Name:
"Ghana" was the title of the
Serahule
kings who ruled the ancient kingdom.
Geographically, the old Ghana is 500
miles north of the modern-day state.
Upon achieving independence from the
United Kingdom in 1957 the name Ghana
was chosen to replace its former name of
the Gold Coast.
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