what was the ghana empire

The Ghana Empire, also known as Wagadou or Wagadugu, was a West African classical to post-classical era western-Sahelian empire based in the modern-day southeast of Mauritania and western Mali. It was situated between the Sahara and the rainforest, and its abundance of resources allowed its rulers to engage in years of prosperous trading. The first written references to the empire are those of Arabic geographers and historians from the 8th century, and it seems certain that, by 800, Ghana had become rich and powerful. The empire was founded by a king of the Soninke people, and the rulership of Ghana was matrilineal, which means that the sister of the king gave birth to the new ruler. The bloodline of the royal family was continued through its women, and the king was helped by a Peoples Council whose members came from all levels of society. The Ghanaian king was able to enforce obedience from lesser groups and to exact tribute from them. Much of the empire was ruled through tributary princes who were probably the traditional chiefs of these subject clans. The Ghanaian king also imposed an import-export tax on traders and a production tax on gold, which was the country’s most valuable commodity. The Ghana Empire was not where the modern country of Ghana is today, but the modern country was named in honor of this powerful, ancient, and independent West African civilization.