West African Gold Trade System

Timeline

1. 900–1200Ghana Empire · West AfricaThe Ghana Empire controlled gold mining and export, trading gold for salt and North African goods, forming an early trans-Saharan gold trade pattern; Arabic sources called it the 'Land of Gold'.
2. 1250–1450Mali Empire · Mali EmpireThe Mali Empire inherited and expanded gold production and trade; Mansa Musa's pilgrimage to Cairo, during which he distributed vast quantities of gold, astonished the Islamic world, and West African gold became an important source for the Mediterranean monetary system.
3. 1491–1500Songhai Empire · Songhai EmpireOn the eve of Sunni Ali's conquests and Askia's accession, Songhai controlled the principal gold-producing regions and trade-route nodes, levying tariffs on gold exports; trade volumes remained high in the 1490s, and North African merchants still depended on West African gold sources.
4. 1550–1600Mediterranean–West Africa trade network · West AfricaThe massive inflow of American silver into Europe changed the relative prices of precious metals, reducing the relative importance of West African gold in Mediterranean markets, and the trade system gradually transformed.