West Africa in The 12th Century

• 🌍 Takrur was an early West African kingdom, thriving as a hub for trans-Saharan trade, particularly in gold and salt, and played a significant role in spreading Islam.

• The Mali Empire began forming during the 12th century, controlling trans-Saharan trade and gold-producing regions, eventually becoming a major power.

• Songhay, located on the Niger River, was emerging as a key regional player in trade, with Gao as its capital.

• The Mossi States, in present-day Burkina Faso, were known for their cavalry and resistance to invasions from neighboring empires like Mali and Songhay.

• The Hausa States, a collection of city-states in modern northern Nigeria, became prominent for their trade in leather, textiles, and slaves across the Sahara.

• Kanem, near Lake Chad, was a center of Islamic scholarship and controlled crucial trans-Saharan trade routes during the 12th century.

• Bornu, a successor to Kanem, emerged as a powerful state, maintaining diplomatic relations with North Africa and controlling trade in the central Sahara.

• The Bono Kingdom, established around 1295, became a significant hub for trading gold, kola nuts, and ivory, connecting West Africa to North African merchants.

• The Oyo Empire, later known for its sophisticated cavalry around the 17th century, was expanding its influence during the 12th century, becoming one of the dominant Yoruba states.

• The Kingdom of Benin, famous for its bronze work, had low crime, a developed religious system, and an economy built around agriculture and artwork under its powerful Obas.

• The Aja people, located in present-day Benin and Togo, were gaining prominence and would later contribute to the formation of the Kingdom of Dahomey.

• Timbuktu, founded by the Tuareg around the 11th century and emerging as a small settlement in the 12th century, would later become a renowned center of Islamic learning and trade in gold and manuscripts.

• The Berbers, a nomadic and semi-nomadic people in North Africa, played a critical role in trans-Saharan trade, controlling routes between West Africa and the Mediterranean.

• The Marinids, a Berber dynasty, were still an Afro Islamic group in the 12th century, rising to prominence as the Almoravid dynasty waned.