• Kharijite beliefs of state’s rulers interfered with trade
• Led to development of first regular trade across Sahara desert
• Northern traders would trade salt for gold with southern nomads
• Earliest known beneficiary of exchange was Kingdom of Ghana
  • Appears in Arabic text of late eighth century as “land of gold”
  • North African city-states lost independence after Fatimid dynasty
  • Fatimids culminated rise to power by conquering Egypt in 969
• Fatimid dynasty fell in 1171 due to enemies from Europe