Ch. 20 The Influence of Islam on West Africa

What protected Ghana from being conquered by Muslim armies in the 700s?

• strong walls
• elite warriors
• a peace treaty
• the vast desert

One way the Mande people built Mali into an empire was to

•  construct large irrigation systems
• find the the secret gold mines.
• take control of trans-Saharan trade
• require military service from women

Sunni Ali led the Songhai people to

• construct new trade routes.
• return to the forest to mine gold
• migrate to a different region
• break away from Mali by force 

How did the Songhai empire differ from the empire of Mali? 

• It spread Islam by force
• It controlled a smaller area
• It began and ended earlier
• It restored traditional beliefs

Why did Islam spread fairly easily in Mali? 

• Arab rulers visited Mali and explained Islamic beliefs.
• Muslim leaders conquered Mali and imposed Islamic law
• People in Mali blended Islam with their traditional religion

What goes best in the empty box?

• increase in attendance at Islamic schools
•  adoption of Islam by West African rulers 
• decline in loyalty to the older Islamic empires
• popularity of Islam among the common people

As the use of Arabic spread, how were native West African languages maintained?  

•  They were spoken in everyday life
• They were taught in children's schools
• They were required in the royal courts
• They were used for trade and commerce