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Among the earliest people in West Africa were Soninke. They lived in small groups and farmed the land along the Niger River. After AD 300, the Soninke began to band together for protection against nomadic herders who wanted to move into the area.
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The first factor that hurt Ghana was invasion. A group of North African Muslims called the Almoravid attacked Ghana in the 1060s.
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Ghana was combined in the kingdom of Mali in 1240 marking the end of the Ghana Empire. A tradition in historiography maintains that Ghana fell when it was sacked by the Almoravid movement in 1076-1077.
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A ruler named Sundiata and he conquered Mali. But after a while he worked to improve Mali. Sundiata had new farmlands with beans, onions, rice, and other crops. Sundiata also introduced a new crop to Mali, cotton. People made clothing with cotton and other things. And they also sold it to other people.
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Mali laid on the Niger River, This location allowed the people to control the river trade routes. The empire grew rich and powerful.Mali's rise was because of their leader Sundiata.
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When Maghan's dad (Mansa Musa) died, he became ruler. He was a weak ruler. When raider raided Mali, he couldn't stop them. The people living at the edge of Mali's Empire broke away. But only a very tiny part of Mali was left.
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Songhai also participated in the same trade that made Ghana and Mali so rich. The Songhai leaders were Muslims. Sowhere the Berbers who traded in West Africa. Because they both are Muslims the berbers were willing to trade with the Songhai.
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Askia the Great became the ruler of Songhai when he was nearly 50 years old. He ruled Songhai for about 35 years. During his reign the cities of Songhai gained power over the countryside.
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A northern rival of Songhai, Morocco, wanted to gain control of Songhai's salt mines. So the Moroccan army set out for the heart of Songhai in 1591.
