Question

Am I right?



Explain the decline of each kingdom: Songhai, Mali, and Ghana.

Answer 1

This is what I have:

Songhai: Like the Mali Empire, the Songhai Empire also suffered from many battles over succession. Many men were killed in the battle for control of the country and the Songhai army was weakened. When troops from Morocco invaded to seize control of and revive the trans-Saharan trade in gold, the Songhai Empire could not win and was conquered, making this the last of the great West African empires.

Mali: Kings followed the patrilineal tradition, where the eldest son succeeds the father. Since there seems to have been no strict tradition, there were many fights over succession. This led to civil wars and was a large part of the reason why the Mali Empire declined.

Ghana: Climate change and struggles with Berber groups in the Sahara led to the downfall of the Ghanaian Kingdom. The Sahara was moving southward and Kumbi Saleh was no longer a good endpoint for the trans-Saharan trade. Smaller kingdoms to the south, where the land was greener and more productive, became more powerful.

Am I right?