Answer:
In the period from 1200 to 1450 CE, the trade network influenced state formation in West Africa by supporting the development of large states in the area. Opportunities for taxes and the control of imports and exports generated wealth and resources needed to support the development of a sophisticated government. Additionally, these networks encouraged the development of urban centers, increasing the power of the states in the region.
As the trans-Saharan trade network developed, empires in the region repeatedly taxed and controlled trade. For example, historical record shows that the mansas of Mali controlled trade of goods such as metals and horses, since they were critical in establishing effective and strong military forces. They also taxed the trade of key goods including salt and copper. In a similar fashion, other empires in the area enforced heavy taxes on merchants, using the funds to support the state. Control over gold trade by Ghana’s leaders allowed for the collected funds to establish and maintain a large, administrative bureaucracy.
The effects of the development of trans-Saharan trade networks on West African states can be better comprehended by considering earlier developments of cities and states in the region. Due to the difficulty encountered in raising livestock and crop growth in the Sahara, West Africa’s economy fell behind that of North Africa until trade grew. Similarly, while a sophisticated civilization developed in the Niger Valley after 300 BCE, growing trade cities at that time had not joined to form a larger empire. The ongoing development of the trans-Saharan trade, however, provided West Africa the resources needed to change.
