Government- A (Sienna Higgins)
The Ghana Empire began under the rule of Dinga Cisse and consisted of many clans of Soninke people. Dinga Cisse was seen as semi-divine, so he was able to earn the loyalty of his people not only through politics but religion as well.
Ancient Ghana had a very organized, power based government. The leaders of the central government (in Serahule) were the king and his ministers. In order to create a foundation of money for the empire’s use, each king imposed taxes on all the people. The kings of ancient Ghana set the government up so that they would rule over lesser kings, and therefore have more control because the empire was composed of many states that had been conquered. Rulers of non-Serahule areas were elected using their area’s procedures and then the decision was finalized by the present king of Ghana. No one was treated better than the other or elected because of favoritism. However, Serahule was the main area that contained the capital city and the king’s residence.
Even though not everyone in the empire lived in the Serahule areas, the kings of ancient Ghana were still able to keep control. They would insist, in order to keep their adherence to the main king strong, that the sons of each lesser king be sent to the main court. All lesser rulers (so that of the Serahule and conquered peoples) had to show their loyalty by contributing supplies every year and warriors to the imperial army when they were immediately needed.
I would give them an “A” because they were able to generate money for the empire. They were also very successful at creating a government with many levels of leaders to keep control.
Dalton mixed up his duties - he was supposed to do economy - sorry for the mix up.
ReplyDeleteI would give government a lesser grade such as a B- or C+. Even though the ancient kings of Ghana designed the government so that they would have more control and power over the kings in charge of the smaller states, this system also could cause controversy. The king of Ghana's residence and the capital are both located in Serahule. This might develop feelings of injustice from the citizens and lower kings of surrounding areas. They might feel as though their portion of the empire is not being heard or being acknowledged. I would love to know more about this possibility and more about the individual rights and freedoms of the people not just in Serahule but also in the outside areas of Ghana.
ReplyDeleteThat makes a lot of sense! I never thought of the underlying conflicts that their government structure could cause. It really is something to think about - thanks for the comment.
ReplyDeleteThe blog needs mor organization, video, and applicable title. Your section on relgion is very good, the one on govt. needs more evidence and focus on size, strength.
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