Africa Timeline

Ghana Empire

Mar 30, 750

750-1076 A.D
The Ghana Empire was mainly located in what is now southeastern Mauritania and Western Mali. Regarding the foundation of the Ghana Empire, French colonial leaders concluded that the empire originated from a nomadic group from northern Africa. Lastly, the Empire’s economy benefited greatly from the large resources of gold, ivory, and salt located within the region.

Kilwa (sometimes called “Kilwa Sultanate”) Empire

Mar 30, 1000

1000-1400 A.D
The Kilwa Empire was part of a larger empire built by the Iranian Bazrangids. It became it’s own, independent empire after Ardashir I of the Sassanid Empire conquered the parent or owner Bazarangi state that the kingdom was originally contained within. Emperor Ardashir's successor, Shapur I, conquered lands around the southern shore of the Persian Gulf, as well as the region of Muskat on the Indian Ocean.

Yoruba (Oyo) Empire

Mar 30, 1100

1100-1700 A.D
The Yoruba empire is what is known as today as western and northern Nicaragua. The empire was (for the most part) established in the 14th century and later grew to become one of the largest West African states. The empire’s success could be traced to the outstanding organizing skills of the Yoruba, thriving trade, and powerful military horsemen used in battle.

Great Zimbabwe Empire

Mar 30, 1200

1200-1500 A.D
The peak of Great Zimbabwe could have held as much as 18,000 people. Great Zimbabwe acted as a royal palace for the Zimbabwean monarch and would have been used as the seat of their political power. The decline of Great Zimbabwe was complete abandonment of their cities and were also declining in trade and dramatic climate change.

Songhai Empire

Mar 30, 1235

1235-1610 A.D
The Songhai Empire, also known as the Songhay Empire, was a state located in western Africa for a period of 375 years. The Songhai are thought to have settled in the city of Gao as early as 800 AD, but the empire did not establish this city as the capital until the 11th century. In 1340, the empire expanded greatly because of the sudden decline of the Mali Empire.

Benin Empire

Mar 30, 1440

1440-1897 A.D
The Benin empire was located in what is now called Nigeria in western Africa. The empire was founded by the edo-people and they believed to speak the language of Edo. Lastly, slave-trade played a huge role in the economic success of this kingdom.

Mutapa Empire

Mar 30, 1450

1450-1698 A.D
The Mutapa empire was a kingdom that stretched between the Lambezi and Limpopo rivers.The kingdom’s founders are thought to be considered politically related to the builders of the Zimbabwe Empire. Lastly, the first records of this dynasty go back to sometime in the first half in the 15th century.

Africa Timeline

Period: Mar 30, 2000 to Mar 30, 2000

Mali Empire

Mar 2, 2022

800-1550 A.D
The Empire of Mali is not where the present day Mali is located. The most famous emperor of Mali was Mansa Kankan Musa I, Musa wasn’t the first emperor to embrace Islam. The Hajj of 1324-25 called for bundles of gold that were carried to the city of Cairo and given to the city. Musa brought peace and “lawfulness” to the Malian Empire. After Musa’s death the Empire declined shrinking its size by 1645.

Hausa Empire

Mar 2, 2022

999-1805 A.D (?)
The Hausa lived in Northern Nigeria, with a population of about 15 million people. The hausa people spoke the language of Hausa...along with their neighbors the Kanuri, Fulani, Akan, Songhay, and Yoruba. The leadership of the government and the economy was all based off of ancestry from Bayajidda, who seemed to be their true leader.