New
New
Year 7
Gold and the West African economy
I can explain why gold was so important to the West African economy.
New
New
Year 7
Gold and the West African economy
I can explain why gold was so important to the West African economy.
These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.
Switch to our new teaching resources now - designed by teachers and leading subject experts, and tested in classrooms.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- Gold was the main resource traded in the Sahel.
- Empires in the Sahel could make a large profit from this trade.
- The Ghana and Mali empires indirectly controlled the goldfields through trade.
- The trade enriched the Islamic ruling elite of the Mali Empire.
- The Mali Empire used its wealth from the gold trade to improve its levels of knowledge and understanding.
Keywords
Islam - Islam is the religion of Muslim people
Elite - the elite are the group of people who hold power
Mine - a mine is an excavation in the earth to extract minerals
Trade - trade means the exchange of goods
Common misconception
Empires have to own land in order to control it.
Control can be gained through a variety of indirect means, such as through trade or tribute.
When doing the source analysis task, you could extend the task by asking students to pick out what the author of the source got right and what he got wrong about the Mali Empire. Encourage students to use the provenance to help them understand why he got some things wrong, eg crown and sceptre.
Teacher tip
Licence
This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on
Open Government Licence version 3.0
except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).Lesson video
Loading...
Starter quiz
Download starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.
This keyword is used in the Mali Empire to refer to the king or emperor.
Q2.
This keyword is a group of territories ruled over by one person or group of people.
Q3.
Which religion did the rulers of Mali and the people who lived in the trade cities generally followers?
Islam
Christianity
Q4.
Which of the following sentences accurately describes how Sundiata Keita ruled the Mali Empire? Select the two correct answers.
Sundiata Keita ruled with fear.
Q5.
What happened when Mansa Musa tried to ensure his subjects all converted to Islam? Select the two correct answers.
His subjects happily to convert to Islam.
Q6.
Which famous Muslim scholar and explorer from North Africa did not approve of religious compromise?
Mansa Musa
Sundiata Keita
the Sosso king
Exit quiz
Download exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.
Match the words with their definitions. Write the correct letter in each box.
the religion of Muslim people.
the group of people who hold power.
an excavation in the earth to extract minerals.
Q2.
The keyword meaning the exchange of goods is .
Q3.
How did the Ghana and Mali empires control the goldfields of West Africa?
by owning the land
by only allowing their citizens to dig for gold
Q4.
Who drove the demand for West African gold?
The elite of West Africa
Mansa Musa
Q5.
What did the Mansa carry as symbols of his authority?
gold coins
books illustrated with gold
Q6.
Which of the following statements accurately describes how the riches of the Mali empire were displayed? Select all the answers that are correct.
Additional material
Download additional material