Original geographic location of the Old Ghana Empire |
Ghana is one of the earliest known Negro empires in recorded history
It was first mentioned by an Arab geographer, Al-Fazari, in AD 773 in his book Al-Masudi,
where he referred to it as "a Land of Gold".Ghana is also found on the first Islamic
world map produced by a Persian geographer, Mohammed Khwarizmi, in the ninth/9'th
Century. The Arab traveler Al-Bakri, writing in AD 1067, tells us that the name
"Ghana" was the title of the Soninke kingdom called Aoukar. The title means "war
chief". It was visiting Arabs and people from other parts of the Sudanwho
referred to the kingdom by the title of its kings; and by the ninth Century,The
Wangara are a central element of a Soninke diaspora and go back for centuries in
history, namely to the Soninke kingdom of Ghana.
They
were known as Wakoré, who probably obtained royal trade privileges. Certain groups
holding the imamates in key settlements such as the Sa(gha)nogo, Kamaghaté, Diaba(gha)té,
Timité, Cissé- Haidara, Fofana and Bagayogo are of Soninke origin, but other people
identify themselves with them claiming "Wangara" status. Certain identity markers
remain stable over the centuries: long-distance trade in precious commodities, Moslem,
scholars and imams; the ethnic groups identified with them do shift and are often
not Mande but assimilated to their group identity aspiring to integration in the
trade network: Bambara, Bobo, Senoufo, Songhay, Hausa, Gonja and others.
Note: The name "Ghana" was suggested by
Dr. J.B. Danquah
before 1957 Independence to be changed from British Protectorate of
"Gold Coast" to Ghana. |
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The Ancient Ghana Empire AD 300 - 1067
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Ghana (Wagadu), the
earliest known empire of the western Sudan, first entered the historical consciousness
of North Africa near the end of the eighth century but probably originated long
before. The empire's legacy is still celebrated in the name of the Republic of Ghana;
apart from this, however, modern-day and ancient Ghana share no direct historical
connections. Despite early texts that discuss ancient Ghana, such as The Book of
Routes and Kingdoms by the eleventh-century Andalusian geographer Abu cUbayd
al-Bakri, it remains very much an enigma. Famous to North Africans as the "Land
of Gold," Ghana was said to possess sophisticated methods of administration and
taxation, large armies, and a monopoly over notoriously well-concealed golf mines. The king of the Soninke people who founded Ghana never
fully embraced Islam but good relations with
Muslim traders were fostered. Ghana's preeminence faded toward the end of the eleventh
century, when its power was broken by a long struggle with the Almoravids led by Abdullah ibn Yasin. Ghana subsequently fell to
the expanding Soso kingdom The Wangara are a central element of a Soninke diaspora and
go back for centuries in history, namely to the Soninke kingdom of Ghana. They were
known as Wakoré, who probably obtained royal trade privileges. Certain groups holding
the imamates in key settlements such as the Sa(gha)nogo, Kamaghaté, Diaba(gha)té,
Timité, Cissé- Haidara, Fofana and Bagayogo are of Soninke origin, but other people
identify themselves with them claiming "Wangara" status. Certain identity markers
remain stable over the centuries: long-distance trade in precious commodities, Moslem,
scholars and imams; the ethnic groups identified with them do shift and are often
not Mande but assimilated to their group identity aspiring to integration in the
trade network: Bambara, Bobo, Senoufo, Songhay, Hausa, Gonja and others.
Ghana (Wagadu), the earliest known empire of the western
Sudan, first entered the historical consciousness of North Africa near the end of
the eighth century but probably originated long before. The empire's legacy is still
celebrated in the name of the Republic of Ghana; apart from this, however, modern-day
and ancient Ghana share no direct historical connections. Despite early texts that
discuss ancient Ghana, such as The Book of Routes and Kingdoms by the eleventh-century
Andalusian geographer Abu cUbayd al-Bakri, it remains very much an enigma.
Famous to North Africans as the "Land of Gold," Ghana was said to possess sophisticated
methods of administration and taxation, large armies, and a monopoly over notoriously
well-concealed golf mines. The king of the Soninke
people who founded Ghana never fully embraced Islam
but good relations with Muslim traders were fostered. Ghana's preeminence faded
toward the end of the eleventh century, when its power was broken by a long struggle
with the Almoravids led by Abdullah ibn Yasin.
Ghana subsequently fell to the expanding Soso kingdomAoukar
was popularly known as "Ghana" It is not yet certain how and when
Ghana
was founded. But from Arab sources, particularly; the Tarikh
as
Sudan
, it appears to have been founded by a Soninke dynasty
between AD 300-400. The
Ghana
Kingdom
was situated on the grassland north of headwaters of
Senegal
&
Niger
. It's capital, Kumbi Saleh, is said to have been found
by Kaya Maghan, who is reputed to have overthrown the immigrant minority ruling
class of "white"(Products of Intermarriages between Berber Settlers and Negro indigenous)
about AD 770 and established a pure Soninke dynasty. By AD 1000 the Soninke kingdom
had extended its territory west to the river
Senegal
, south to Bambuk region, and east to the
Niger
and north to the Berber town of
Audoghast
on the southern edge of the
Sahara
desert. By the middle of the eleventh century, when Ghana
was at the zenith of its imperial expansion, it controlled the area covering modern
states of Senegal, Mali and Mauritania - a territory of roughly 650 000 square kilometers
with a population of several millions. |
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History Of The Land & People Of
Ghana
Before
Independence
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The
present boundaries of Ghana, enclosing an area of about 240,000 km sq., and with
a population of about 18 million in 1998, were carved out in stages from nineteenth
century, by foreign powers when they began spreading their sphere of influence in
West Africa. Until the country's present frontiers took shape, what is today the
Republic of Ghana
comprised of many independent states and kingdoms. Through
a number of "treaties" of "Friendship" and forced annexations, the independent states
were merged as one territory under the British imperial rule. In 1874, after a long
period of loose association with the people, the British formally proclaimed
as a colony the southern part of the country, from then on has been called the "Gold
Coast" colony. Two years later, the British moved the headquarters from
Cape
Coast
to
Accra
, which was since remained the capital of the country.
On 1'st January 1902, both
Asante
and Brong-Ahafo Regions and what became the
Northern territories
were annexed by the British as a crown Colony and a
Protectorate Territory
respectively. After World War I(1914-1918), the western
portion of the former
Germany
colony of
Togo
was ceded to the British under the mandate system of the
League of Nations
. This territory later became known as the Trans-Volta
Togo Thus, by 1920, the present frontiers of the country had taken complete
shape. The main groups of the people of
Ghana
are distinguished largely by language and, to a lesser
degree, by the political, social and other cultural institutions. The Akan constitute
more than half the country's population. The Ga-Adangbe and the Ewe both inhabit
the southern part of the country, while in the northern half of the country are
the Mole-Dagbani, comprising the Mamprusi Mossi, Dagomba and Gonja. Other groups
in the north include the Dagarti, Sisala, Kusasi, Lobi, Konkomba and Nanumba.
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