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In the year 800 Ghana was in main control of West Africa's trade routes. Most of the trade between North and South Africa, went through Ghana. Because of this increase in trade, so did Ghana's wealth.
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Ghana gets invaded by a group of Muslims called the Almoravids. After about 14 years of constant fighting, Ghana was defeated. The Almoravids cut off a lot of trade routes and with trade, Ghana could not support its empire.
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Around 1200, the people of a country that Ghana had conquered started a rebellion and rose up. Within a couple years they took over the entire empire of Ghana, but could not order. So they got invaded and the Empire of Ghana fell apart.
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When Sundiata was a kid, Mali was conquered by a very cruel ruler, but he grew up he was able to win back his country's independence. In 1230 he conquered Ghana and took over the salt and gold trades. Sundiata wanted to improve agriculture and he introduced a new crop, cotton.
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Mansa Musa rose to power. Mansa Musa helped Mali get the height of its wealth, power and fame.
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Mansa Musa left Mali to go on a pilgrimage to Mecca. On the way there he gave everybody gold and started to decrease the value of gold. Mansa Musa left also to spread the fame of Mali.
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Around the 1400s Songhai rebelled and regained their freedom from Mali. They also took it over and expanded the Songhai empire.
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Sunni Ali became the ruler of Songhai in 1464 and helped expand the empire. Most the land that Sunni Ali conquered was part of Mali.
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The Moroccan Army invaded Songhai and left with weapons. This resulted to slowly making an end to the West African Empires.
