11th century – 11th century
Bilad al-Sudan and Ghana
The Almoravid invasion of Bilad al-Sudan and conquest of Ghana are presented as the culmination of a long confrontation between Berber nomads and sedentary Sudanese populations. Oral traditions in Mauritania attributed the expulsion of Sudanese people from the Sahara to the Almoravid leader Abu-Bakr ibn Umar. The southward advance of Berber groups was associated with major changes in Sahelian settlement and landscape.
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The Story
The Almoravid intervention against Ghana followed earlier advances in the Sahara and western Sahel. Their attention turned to Awdaghust in 1055, after the conquest of Sijilmāsa, and the treatment of its inhabitants was linked to their acceptance of the authority of Ghana’s king. The campaign therefore formed part of a broader struggle over political allegiance, trade, and Islamic authority.
Al-Bakrī’s account ended in 460 A.H., equivalent to 1067–68, while Ibn Khaldūn stated that the Almoravids conquered Ghana, imposed tribute on the Sudanese, and converted many of them to Islam. Al-Zuhrī placed the event perhaps in 1076–77, reporting that the inhabitants of Ghana were converted during the rule of the Almoravids. The differing chronological notices make the date a qualified reconstruction rather than an absolute certainty.
The consequences extended beyond Ghana itself. Seven years later, according to al-Zuhrī, the Almoravids helped Ghana in war against Tadmekka, which then became Muslim. The conquest also contributed to changes in the movement of salt and to the rise of Takrur, while Ghana eventually regained independence, perhaps early in the twelfth century.
11th century – 11th century
Bilad al-Sudan and Ghana
The Almoravid invasion of Bilad al-Sudan and conquest of Ghana are presented as the culmination of a long confrontation between Berber nomads and sedentary Sudanese populations. Oral traditions in Mauritania attributed the expulsion of Sudanese people from the Sahara to the Almoravid leader Abu-Bakr ibn Umar. The southward advance of Berber groups was associated with major changes in Sahelian settlement and landscape.
Continue exploring
The Story
The Almoravid intervention against Ghana followed earlier advances in the Sahara and western Sahel. Their attention turned to Awdaghust in 1055, after the conquest of Sijilmāsa, and the treatment of its inhabitants was linked to their acceptance of the authority of Ghana’s king. The campaign therefore formed part of a broader struggle over political allegiance, trade, and Islamic authority.
Al-Bakrī’s account ended in 460 A.H., equivalent to 1067–68, while Ibn Khaldūn stated that the Almoravids conquered Ghana, imposed tribute on the Sudanese, and converted many of them to Islam. Al-Zuhrī placed the event perhaps in 1076–77, reporting that the inhabitants of Ghana were converted during the rule of the Almoravids. The differing chronological notices make the date a qualified reconstruction rather than an absolute certainty.
The consequences extended beyond Ghana itself. Seven years later, according to al-Zuhrī, the Almoravids helped Ghana in war against Tadmekka, which then became Muslim. The conquest also contributed to changes in the movement of salt and to the rise of Takrur, while Ghana eventually regained independence, perhaps early in the twelfth century.
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