1 jan 300 ano - La route transsaharienne

Descrição:

The Trans-Saharan Trade Route from North Africa to West Africa was
actually made up of a number of routes, creating a criss-cross of
trading links across the vast expanse of desert. These trade routes
first emerged in the fourth century CE. By the 11th century, caravans
composed of more than a thousand camels would carry goods across the
Sahara. Gold, slaves, salt, and cloth were traded along the route, as
were objects like ostrich feathers and European guns.
The trade route was instrumental in the spread of Islam
from the Berbers in North Africa into West Africa, and with Islam came
Arabic knowledge, education, and language. The Trans-Saharan trade route
also encouraged the development of monetary systems and state-building,
as local rulers saw the strategic value in bringing large swathes of
land, and thus their commodities, under their control. By the 16th
century, as Europeans began to see the value in African goods, the
Trans-Saharan trade routes became overshadowed by the
European-controlled trans-Atlantic trade, and the wealth moved from
inland to coastal areas, making the perilous desert route less
attractive.