The advantage that Ghana had was it was located between two areas who wanted to trade, North Africa and the southern forests of West Africa. Ghana had control because they were in the middle. When traders wanted to trade they would have to pass threw Ghana. When they did they would have to pay heavy taxes on their goods. The taxes from the traders helped Ghana become a rich empire.
The King who ruled Ghana at the time was very strong. He was the head of the army and he also led his people in religious worship. The King needed great wealth to control the gold trade, to do so the King collected taxes on the gold that passed. To keep their wealth they had to tightly control the gold that passed. The gold nuggets or gold chunks were given to the King. With his god he would decorate his crown, the army’s shields that protected him, and swords. With the gold dust that came threw other people in the Empire would get.
Sources
http://regentsprep.org/Regents/global/themes/economic/images/BD09070_.gif
Frey, Wendy. History Alive.Palo Alto, Teachers' Curriculum Institute, 2005
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