Examine the significance of trade routes to the rise and decline of the Ghana Empire.

The question requires that candidates consider the interrelationship between trade routes and the rise and decline of the Ghana Empire. Factors considered may predate the timeframe but they must be clearly linked to the issue raised in the question. Candidates may offer equal coverage of rise and decline, or they may prioritize their coverage of either. They may examine the advantageous location of the empire, which was situated at the nexus of a complex series of trade routes linking North Africa with the goldfields to the south. The empire was enriched by taxes levied on goods such as gold, salt, copper, and leather goods, leading to urbanization and the development of a sophisticated market economy. Over time, new kingdoms rose and encroached on these trade routes, threatening its economic lifeblood. The discovery of rich new goldfields in neighbouring states meant that trade routes shifted to these new centres of supply, bypassing the Ghana Empire and contributing to its eventual implosion. Candidates’ opinions or conclusions will be presented clearly and supported by appropriate evidence.