Key Elements of Ancient Ghana

Ancient Ghana
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In ancient Ghana, people were majorly organized in kingdoms. For instance, the Ghana kingdom was located in Senegal. Furthermore, in old Ghana, people were involved in various economic, political, and social activities. Ghana was in a fantastic position to become a significant commercial hub. The enormous Sahara, to the north, was the source of much of the salt. In addition, Ghana was a gold-rich country. People desired gold because of its beauty, yet they needed salt in their diets to exist. This article discusses the geography of the kingdom of Ghana. Furthermore, the paper discusses ancient people’s religious, intellect/artistic, economic, social, technological, and political activities in Ghana.
Geography
Ghana was a kingdom that existed in modern-day Senegal. The region is primarily savanna grasslands and is located just south of the Sahara Desert. The Gambia River, the Senegal River, and the Niger River functioned as main transit and commerce routes. Around 300 C.E., the Soninke people built the kingdom. The Soninke were thought to be the first West Africans to produce iron tools and weapons, giving them a significant edge over other ethnic groups in the region. Gold and salt, in addition to iron goods, were important in the expansion of the Ghana Empire. The climate and the landscape of Ghana were favorable to the kingdom. The region is filled with hills, lakes, marshes, and woods. The artificial lake Volta has had a significant influence on Ghana. Ghana is 499 feet above sea level in 50 percent of its territory. This is significant since the lake provides various services, including transportation, because it is artificial. Because of trade routes and survival, this is critical. On the African continent, there is the Sahara desert. It is the world’s biggest hot desert and the third largest desert overall, covering 9,200,000 square kilometers. The kingdom of Ghana developed when several tribes of Soninke were brought together under their first king, Dinga Cisse; the kingdom was born. Ghana’s geographical position sandwiched between the Sahara desert and the woods aided its rise as an empire. This allowed them to trade with people in the Sahara and the woods, making them wealthy and robust.[Trinity Franklin and William Fan, Civilization: Ghana (n.d)] [Ibid]
Social
In ancient Ghanaian civilization, the family was essential. The family is seen as the cornerstone of all social activity, sustained by a series of kinship networks and marriages. The family is not only the foundation of Ghanaian social institutions, but it is also the primary or single carer for the young and the main source of social protection in the old life. The family is the fundamental unit of production and distribution and the primary social control agent. More importantly, in a region where marriage is nearly ubiquitous, marriage continues to be the primary source of reproduction. Women in premodern Ghanaian culture were viewed as child bearers, farmers, and food dealers. Within the traditional realm, women’s reproductive ability was described as allowing lineage ancestors to reincarnate. As a result, barrenness was seen as the worst affliction.[Acquah, Emmanuel Obed, and Eric Ahor Adjei. "GEOGRAPHIES OF GOMOA FETTEH AHOBAA FESTIVAL: ORIGIN, MUSICAL PERFORMANCE, AND SOCIO-CULTURAL IMPACT."]
Additionally, sweeping, cooking, and laundry are some of the duties that women and children share. When the boys reach a particular age, they are no longer capable of doing such chores. The Ghanaian Empire united disparate peoples and regions into a confederation of kingdoms commanded by a warrior tribe and a powerful royal family. In addition, the domain was split into three hereditary classes: royals, commoners, and slaves. The monarchs had exclusive rights to fill the king’s principal positions. The population of the kingdom was 25.37 million, divided evenly among the country’s ten regions. Rural regions accounted for 68% of the people, while urban areas accounted for 38%. Women were not expected to have more than five children at a time. The problem of women’s barrenness was strongly criticized. Both men and women had a 70-year life expectancy.
Political
The kingdom’s supremacy was feudal, with joint rulers ruling. The kings paid a compliment to the high king but had complete control over their domains. The Soninke people used the name “Ghana” to refer to their ruler. The king, “Ghana,” was the most powerful of all the rulers. In essence, his word was law. He was the army’s commander and leader, the controller of all commercial activities, and the justice administrator. The monarch selected mayors, civil officials, advisors, and ministers to help with administrative responsibilities, but the king remained in command at all times.
In their judicial system, there existed a succession of authority. Village leaders would handle simple situations. The case might then be taken to the state ruler for review. The king’s decision might be challenged. It’s pretty similar to how things are now in the United States. Severe cases might be adjudicated according to Serahule or Soninke’s tradition of Islamic law if the party was Muslim. The monarch would be the commander of an organized army, the overlord of all trade, and the primary superintendent of fairness. The monarch selected mayors, civil officials, advisors, and ministers to help with administrative responsibilities, but the king was always in command. The monarch gathered his court and invited individuals to air their grievances in public. The king listened to all complaints, whether they were neighborly disputes or cases of rights violations, and then decided. The refusal to pay a debt and blood loss was two of the most severe criminal crimes. The criminally accused was given a nasty mixture to drink that contained rotten and bitter-tasting wood and water; if he puked after drinking it, he was pronounced innocent and celebrated; if he did not vomit, he was judged guilty. The kingdom’s governance was feudal, with local monarchs paying complement to the high king but governing their domains as they saw appropriate. [Ibid 3] [Ibid 1]
Religion
Ancient Ghana believed that approaching the gods was natural and that the gods would listen to them. They worshipped numerou...