The Sudanic (or Sahelian) empires were three major West African states—Ghana, Mali, and Songhai—that rose between the 7th and 16th centuries (Ghana: 7th–13th c.; Mali: 13th–17th c.; Songhai: 15th–16th c.) and grew wealthy from gold and trans-Saharan trade (EK 1.5.A.1–3). They controlled key goldfields (e.g., Bambuk), trade routes linking the Sahara to sub-Saharan regions, and urban centers like Timbuktu and Djenné. Islam spread there via North African merchants and scholars; rulers such as Mansa Musa and Askia Muhammad made these empires centers of trade, learning, and state power (LO 1.5.A–B). They’re called “Sudanic” (or “Sahelian”) because they developed across the Sahel/Sudan belt—the strip of land just south of the Sahara—not the modern country Ghana. For AP review, see the Topic 1.5 study guide (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-african-american-studies/unit-1/5-the-sudanic-empires-ghana-mali-and-songhai/study-guide/9Z0Xy4gouUYuqDCS) and practice questions (https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-african-american-studies).

Gold and trade routes were the backbone of Ghana, Mali, and Songhai’s power. Their regions sat on trans-Saharan trade crossroads linking North Africa and the Mediterranean to sub-Saharan producers. Control of gold fields (like Bambuk) and trade in salt, kola, and slaves gave rulers huge tax revenue and resources to support bureaucracy, cavalry (through North African horses), and steel weapons—so states could grow and project authority. Wealth also funded cities like Timbuktu and Djenné, turning them into trade, learning, and religious centers that attracted North African merchants, scholars, and Islam (e.g., Mansa Musa’s hajj increased Mali’s global visibility). When Atlantic trade shifted after Portuguese exploration, Songhai’s trans-Saharan position lost value and its wealth declined. For quick review tied to the CED and exam practice, check the Topic 1.5 study guide (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-african-american-studies/unit-1/5-the-sudanic-empires-ghana-mali-and-songhai/study-guide/9Z0Xy4gouUYuqDCS) and try related practice questions (https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-african-american-studies).

Ancient Ghana was a medieval Sudanic (Sahelian) empire that flourished roughly from the 7th to 13th centuries in parts of what are now southeastern Mauritania and western Mali. It was a regional power built on control of trans-Saharan trade routes and gold resources—so its political, economic, and religious life tied closely to commerce and contacts with North African Muslim traders (see EK 1.5.A.1–A.3). Modern Ghana is a nation-state on the Gulf of Guinea that gained independence from Britain in 1957 and chose the historic name “Ghana” as a symbolic link to powerful West African pasts; it is not located where ancient Ghana stood. For AP study, remember the distinction between geographic location and symbolic naming when you connect ancient empires to later identities (see the Topic 1.5 study guide: https://library.fiveable.me/ap-african-american-studies/unit-1/5-the-sudanic-empires-ghana-mali-and-songhai/study-guide/9Z0Xy4gouUYuqDCS). For more practice, try AP problems at (https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-african-american-studies).

They rose in sequence because each empire built power on the same regional strengths—control of goldfields and trans-Saharan trade—and then weakened for related but different reasons. Ghana (7th–13th c.) grew by taxing Saharan trade; when that system broke down and internal strains grew, Mali (13th–17th c.) expanded, using wealth, North African horses, and steel weapons (and Islam’s networks) to control trade and learning centers like Timbuktu and Sankoré under rulers like Mansa Musa. Songhai (15th–16th c.) became largest by taking over trade hubs, but suffered leadership struggles, military defeat by Moroccan forces with firearms in 1591, and—critically—loss of revenue as Atlantic Portuguese trade shifted routes away from the Sahara. For AP exam focus, link these causes to LO 1.5.A (gold, trade, Islam) and EKs (1.5.A.1–4). For a quick review, see the Topic 1.5 study guide (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-african-american-studies/unit-1/5-the-sudanic-empires-ghana-mali-and-songhai/study-guide/9Z0Xy4gouUYuqDCS) and practice questions (https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-african-american-studies).

Mansa Musa was the fourteenth-century ruler (mansa = king) of the Mali Empire and one of the wealthiest people in history. His 1324 hajj to Mecca mattered for three big reasons. First, it publicly displayed Mali’s huge wealth—his lavish gifts of gold made European and Mediterranean mapmakers (like the Catalan Atlas) take notice, putting Mali on global trade maps. Second, the pilgrimage helped spread Islam and strengthened ties with North African scholars and merchants, boosting Timbuktu and Sankoré as centers of learning and trade. Third, his trip encouraged more trans-Saharan commerce and interest from Mediterranean traders, shifting how Europeans thought about trading for West African gold (and later influenced maps and trade plans). For quick AP review, check the Topic 1.5 study guide on Fiveable (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-african-american-studies/unit-1/5-the-sudanic-empires-ghana-mali-and-songhai/study-guide/9Z0Xy4gouUYuqDCS).

Islam reached West Africa mainly through trans-Saharan commerce. North African Muslim merchants crossed the Sahara with salt, cloth, and books in exchange for West African gold (Bambuk goldfields) and other goods. Those merchants and the scholars, bureaucrats, and administrators who traveled with them introduced Islamic beliefs and practices (EK 1.5.A.3). Rulers and elites often adopted Islam first—because it helped with long-distance trade, tax administration, and diplomatic ties—so cities like Timbuktu and Djenné became centers of Islamic learning (Sankoré University) and conversion. High-profile contacts—like Mansa Musa’s 1324 hajj and travelers such as Ibn Battuta—spread Mali’s fame and strengthened religious and intellectual ties across the Mediterranean (EK 1.5.B.1). For AP exam prep, focus on how trans-Saharan trade shaped political, economic, and religious change in Ghana, Mali, and Songhai (LO 1.5.A). For a clear topic review, check the Topic 1.5 study guide (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-african-american-studies/unit-1/5-the-sudanic-empires-ghana-mali-and-songhai/study-guide/9Z0Xy4gouUYuqDCS) and practice questions (https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-african-american-studies).

Trans-Saharan trade moved goods, people, and ideas across the Sahara using camel-led caravans that linked West African goldfields (like Bambuk) to North African markets and the Mediterranean. Caravans carried West African gold, kola nuts, and enslaved people north in exchange for salt, horses, and manufactured goods from North Africa and the Mediterranean. Because camels could cross long dry stretches, trade became regular and large-scale, letting empires like Ghana, Mali, and Songhai control and tax trade, build powerful cavalry (with North African horses), and fund learning centers in Timbuktu and Djenné. North African merchants and scholars also brought Islam, spreading religion and administrative practices (see LO 1.5.A and EKs 1.5.A.2–1.5.A.3). Trans-Saharan routes were more reliable and profitable than earlier local routes because of scale, desert-crossing tech, and links to Mediterranean markets—until Portuguese Atlantic exploration shifted major trade to the coast, weakening Songhai (EK 1.5.A.4). For more on this topic, check the Topic 1.5 study guide (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-african-american-studies/unit-1/5-the-sudanic-empires-ghana-mali-and-songhai/study-guide/9Z0Xy4gouUYuqDCS) and practice questions (https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-african-american-studies).

When the Portuguese began sailing the West African coast in the 15th–16th centuries, ocean-based Atlantic trade grew—and that shift undercut Songhai’s economy. Songhai’s power depended on trans-Saharan commerce (gold, kola, salt) and control of caravan routes and trade cities like Timbuktu and Djenné (EK 1.5.A.2, 1.5.A.4). Portuguese ships and coastal trading posts redirected European trade toward the Atlantic, reducing revenue from Saharan routes and weakening Songhai’s fiscal base. That economic strain combined with internal political instability and a decisive external blow: Moroccan forces invaded in 1591 with firearms and artillery, undermining Songhai’s military and political cohesion. Together—lost trade income, leadership problems, and the Moroccan invasion—led to Songhai’s decline. For the exam, this is a classic causation question about how shifts in trade networks and technology changed West African empires (see the Topic 1.5 study guide: https://library.fiveable.me/ap-african-american-studies/unit-1/5-the-sudanic-empires-ghana-mali-and-songhai/study-guide/9Z0Xy4gouUYuqDCS). For more practice, check Fiveable’s AP practice problems (https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-african-american-studies).

Start with a clear thesis that directly answers the prompt (e.g., “While all three empires built power on trans-Saharan gold trade, Ghana centralized authority around control of gold routes, Mali combined royal authority with Islamic scholarly centers to legitimize rule, and Songhai expanded bureaucratic/military administration to govern a larger territory”). In the intro give quick context: timeline and role of gold + trans-Saharan commerce (CED EK 1.5.A.1–3). Body: organize by claim (political then economic) and use documents to support each point—name each source, quote or paraphrase specific evidence, and link it to your thesis. Use at least three documents for DBQ evidence and include one piece of outside evidence (e.g., Mansa Musa’s 1324 hajj and the Catalan Atlas showing Mali’s wealth; Askia Muhammad’s administrative reforms). For two sources explain perspective/purpose (per DBQ rubric). End with synthesis or reasoning (compare continuity/change—e.g., Atlantic shift after Portuguese exploration weakened Songhai). Practice: follow the AP DBQ rubric (thesis, context, evidence, sourcing, reasoning). Review the Topic 1.5 study guide (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-african-american-studies/unit-1/5-the-sudanic-empires-ghana-mali-and-songhai/study-guide/9Z0Xy4gouUYuqDCS) and practice DBQs on Fiveable (https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-african-american-studies).

Ghana got rich first because it controlled early trans-Saharan trade and gold, but Mali became more powerful for a few key reasons. After Ghana declined, Mali gained direct control of richer goldfields (like Bambuk) and the major trade routes, boosting revenue. Mali’s rulers (especially Mansa Musa) used that wealth to buy North African horses and steel arms, build a stronger state, and sponsor Islamic scholarship and cities like Timbuktu and Djenné—making Mali a commercial and cultural hub (LO 1.5.A & 1.5.B). Mansa Musa’s 1324 hajj also raised Mali’s international profile, attracting merchants and scholars. For AP review, focus on how gold + trans-Saharan commerce shaped political, economic, and religious development (see the Topic 1.5 study guide: https://library.fiveable.me/ap-african-american-studies/unit-1/5-the-sudanic-empires-ghana-mali-and-songhai/study-guide/9Z0Xy4gouUYuqDCS). For extra practice, try Fiveable’s practice problems (https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-african-american-studies).

The connection is geographic, cultural, and historical. The Sudanic (Sahelian) empires—Ghana, Mali, and Songhai—were major West African centers (stretching from Senegambia to present-day Côte d’Ivoire and parts of Nigeria) that controlled trans-Saharan trade in gold and ideas (EK 1.5.A.1–A.3). Many people enslaved and sent to the Americas descended from West Africa (and West Central Africa), so some came from societies shaped by these empires (EK 1.5.C.1). That means cultural continuities—languages, oral traditions (griots), Islamic influence from trans-Saharan commerce, musical forms, and agricultural/metalworking skills—survived in the African diaspora. Also note how Portuguese Atlantic exploration shifted trade away from trans-Saharan routes, increasing Atlantic commerce and the flow of enslaved people (EK 1.5.A.4). For AP exam prep, practice connecting these origins to diasporic cultural and religious continuities; see the Topic 1.5 study guide (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-african-american-studies/unit-1/5-the-sudanic-empires-ghana-mali-and-songhai/study-guide/9Z0Xy4gouUYuqDCS) and try related practice questions (https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-african-american-studies).

Horses and steel arms gave Mali two big advantages. Crossbred North African horses produced faster, more mobile cavalry that could move quickly across the Sahel to patrol and secure trade routes, pursue raiding parties, and project authority over neighboring communities. Steel arms (stronger iron tools and blades traded across the Sahara) increased soldiers’ effectiveness compared with groups armed only with traditional iron or wooden implements. Together mobility plus better arms let Mali win more conflicts of control, protect gold-mining regions and caravan routes, and incorporate neighboring polities into the empire—helping leaders like Mansa Musa extend influence, trade, and taxation (CED EK 1.5.B.1–2). For AP work, this is a clear cause/effect point you can use on short-answer or DBQ prompts about how trade and military tech shaped political expansion (see Topic 1.5 study guide: https://library.fiveable.me/ap-african-american-studies/unit-1/5-the-sudanic-empires-ghana-mali-and-songhai/study-guide/9Z0Xy4gouUYuqDCS). For extra practice, try related questions at Fiveable’s practice page (https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-african-american-studies).

The Catalan Atlas shows Mansa Musa as enormously wealthy because European mapmakers heard about—and wanted to visualize—Mali’s real economic power. Mali controlled major goldfields and trans-Saharan trade (EK 1.5.A.2), and Mansa Musa’s 1324 hajj put that wealth on display: he traveled with a huge caravan, gave gold as gifts, and drew attention to Timbuktu as a trading and learning center (EK 1.5.B.1, 1.5.B.3). Crescent-era cartographers in Spain combined travelers’ tales (and Islamic and Mediterranean merchant knowledge) into the Catalan Atlas, portraying him with a gold crown and orb to signal Mali’s role in global exchange and the influence of Islam in West Africa. The map is a useful AP source because it links LO 1.5.A/B ideas about gold, trade, and cultural exchange—so use the Catalan Atlas when you analyze how Mali’s wealth shaped politics, religion, and Mediterranean interest (see the Topic 1.5 study guide: https://library.fiveable.me/ap-african-american-studies/unit-1/5-the-sudanic-empires-ghana-mali-and-songhai/study-guide/9Z0Xy4gouUYuqDCS). For practice interpreting sources like maps, try Fiveable’s practice problems (https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-african-american-studies).

Short answer: not just rulers, but mostly rulers. Gold and trans-Saharan trade made Ghana, Mali, and Songhai extremely wealthy at the top—rulers (like Mansa Musa) controlled mines, taxed caravans, and redistributed wealth selectively (gifts, royal patronage, armies). That wealth did help regular people in specific ways: growth of cities (Timbuktu, Djenné) created jobs for merchants, artisans, scholars, and dock/market workers; taxes funded public works (mosques, learning centers like Sankoré) and trade infrastructure; and increased trade brought more manufactured goods and opportunities for local traders. But much of the actual gold income was concentrated in elite hands and used to strengthen state power (horses, steel arms, expansion—see EK 1.5.B.2). For AP exam focus, connect this to LO 1.5.A and LO 1.5.B: explain how gold shaped political power and urban economic life (use the Topic 1.5 study guide for examples: https://library.fiveable.me/ap-african-american-studies/unit-1/5-the-sudanic-empires-ghana-mali-and-songhai/study-guide/9Z0Xy4gouUYuqDCS). For extra practice on sources and questions, try Fiveable practice problems (https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-african-american-studies).