Ancient Ghana, also called Wagadu, developed in the western Sahel. Its history belongs alongside Mali and Songhai, and is distinct from the modern republic of Ghana.
Mali and Songhai were distinct, overlapping Sahelian powers. Mali's rise in the thirteenth century preceded Songhai's expansion under Sunni Ali from 1464; Morocco's invasion broke Songhai's imperial power in 1591. Farming, gold, taxation, trade and scholarship sustained these societies.
