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Trans-Saharan Trade Expansion

Type Event Region Africa Time 901–1000

In the 10th century, trans-Saharan trade routes expanded greatly, linking Maghreb merchants with Sahelian kingdoms like Ghana and Kanuri in a stable …

Timeline

  1. 901–950Taghaza · MauritaniaNorth African Berber and Arab merchants organized camel caravans, mining rock salt at sites like Taghaza and hauling it south across the Sahara. Salt became a key medium of exchange in the West African interior, complementing gold from the south.
  2. 920–980Ghana Kingdom · West AfricaAccording to Arab geographers, in the 10th century the Ghana Kingdom controlled southern gold production, trading gold for North African salt, cloth, and horses. The kingdom taxed trade and secured routes, becoming the core political entity of trans-Saharan commerce.
  3. 950–1000Middle Niger River · MaliMuslim merchants established trading posts and settlements across the Sahel, spreading Islam and Arabic writing traditions. Towns along the routes grew in population, with handicrafts and services developing, laying the groundwork for later scholarly and commercial centers like Timbuktu after the 11th century.

Sources