The Arab conquest of North Africa in the seventh and early eighth centuries placed an outlook for increasing contacts between Arabs and Black Africans. The Arabs began to cross the Sahara and when they arrived they found thriving kingdoms in position. Then Ghana (modern Mali), one of the largest sub-Saharan kingdoms, was found about 300 C.E. By the ninth century Ghana was a partner and rival of the northern Berbers for control of Saharan trade; traded thought these routes were gold, slaves, hides, and ivory in exchange for copper, silver, metal goods, horses, dried fruit, cloth, and salt. By the eleventh century traders from the north invited people from the south to adopt their religion and came to establish new communities of faith and good works. The common people were not affected until the nineteenth century, leading traders and rulers to begin to convert to Islam. Around 1235 the Keita kings of Mali had greater access to the Niger River so they exceeded Ghana in importance. Therefore, Mali’s founding king, Sundiata, encouraged his people to accept Islam and Sundiata became a national epic about the tale of the king,
The Arab conquest of North Africa in the seventh and early eighth centuries placed an outlook for increasing contacts between Arabs and Black Africans. The Arabs began to cross the Sahara and when they arrived they found thriving kingdoms in position. Then Ghana (modern Mali), one of the largest sub-Saharan kingdoms, was found about 300 C.E. By the ninth century Ghana was a partner and rival of the northern Berbers for control of Saharan trade; traded thought these routes were gold, slaves, hides, and ivory in exchange for copper, silver, metal goods, horses, dried fruit, cloth, and salt. By the eleventh century traders from the north invited people from the south to adopt their religion and came to establish new communities of faith and good works. The common people were not affected until the nineteenth century, leading traders and rulers to begin to convert to Islam. Around 1235 the Keita kings of Mali had greater access to the Niger River so they exceeded Ghana in importance. Therefore, Mali’s founding king, Sundiata, encouraged his people to accept Islam and Sundiata became a national epic about the tale of the king,