Introduction

I am Al-Bakri, a Muslim geographer and nobleman living in southern Spain. Because many Muslim traders cross the Sahara to trade salt, metalwares, and horses for gold and slaves, I have written a book describing the lands they encounter there. The wealthiest and most powerful of these lands is the Kingdom of Ghana, "the land of gold."

Although I myself have never traveled to Ghana, I have spoken to many merchants who have. I also have consulted the works of many of my fellow Muslim geographers. From these sources, I have determined that the Kingdom of Ghana is populated by the Soninke people, who call their land Wagadugu or Wagadu. Our name for it, Ghana, is their title for the king who rules the empire. The Soninke state is strong, and its king controls 200,000 soldiers, 40,000 of whom are archers who protect Ghana's trade routes.

The power of the king of Ghana is drawn from his monopoly of the enormous quantity of gold that is produced in his realm. This wealth allows the Soninke to build and support large cities, and their capital has between 15,000 and 20,000 inhabitants. The Soninke also have used their wealth to develop other economic activities, such as weaving, iron working, and agricultural production.

I hope you will find the following excerpts from my book helpful in preparing your journey to this extraordinary land.