Ghana Empire: A Timeline of Key Events

Nov 06, 2025 0

The Ghana Empire, sometimes known as "Ghanata" or "Wagadugu," was one of the most powerful African empires for several hundred years. At the time it was far more developed than any European country. It included most of present-day Senegal and some regions of Mali and Mauritania, but did not reach as far south as what we know as Ghana today. Archaeological evidence indicates that present-day Ghana has been inhabited for many thousand years, sharing its early history with all of West Africa.

Here is a detailed timeline of key events in the history of the Ghana Empire and the subsequent developments leading to modern Ghana:

Map of the Ghana Empire.

Early History and Origins

600 BC: According to the Greek historian Herodotus, the Egyptian Pharaoh sends out sailors along the African coastlines.
3rd Century AD: The introduction of the camel to the western Sahara and pressure from the nomadic Saharan Sanhaja serve as major catalysts for the transformative social changes that resulted in the empire's formation.
300 AD: The Ghana Empire flourishes between AD 300 and 1200.
7th Century: Oral records maintain that the kingdom emerged by the 7th century and had over 144 kings. By the time of the Muslim conquest of North Africa in the 7th century, the camel had changed the ancient, irregular trade routes into a network running between North Africa and the Niger River.
750 AD: Ghana was founded about 750 by the Soninke people in a region of West Africa settled as early as five hundred years before.
8th Century: The first written references to the empire are those of Arabic geographers and historians from the 8th century, and it seems certain that, by 800, Ghana had become rich and powerful.
750-1000 AD: The Ghana Empire at its height.

The Rise of Ghana

750 AD: The Ghana Empire first appeared on the records of learned men such as al-Khwarizmi and al-Fazari who called it “the land of gold.”
8th Century: The first historical records of this nation are from the end of the 8th century.
9th Century: Tilutane (fl. ninth century), a Berber tribal leader.
10th Century: The empire controlled Takrur, Jafunu, Jaara, Bakhunu, Neema, Soso, Guidimakha, Guidimé, Gajaaga, as well as the Awker, Adrar, and Hodh to the north.

Golden Age

11th Century: According to the 11th-century Spanish-Arab chronicler Abū ʿUbayd al-Bakrī, the king welcomed to his capital many of the northern African traders of the Sahara, who, after the Arab conquest in the 8th century, had been converted to Islam.
970 and 1054: According to al-Bakri, Ghana had forced Awdaghost in the desert to accept its rule sometime between 970 and 1054.

Decline and Fall

1063: Ghana Bassi died in 1063, and was succeeded by his nephew Tunka Manin.
1076: A tradition in historiography maintains that Ghana was conquered by the Almoravid dynasty in 1076-77.
11th Century: Ghana began to decline in the 11th century with the emergence of the Muslim Almoravids, a militant confederation of the Ṣanhājah and other Amazigh groups of the Sahara who combined in a holy war to convert their neighbours.
1076-77: Ghana was conquered by the Almoravid dynasty.
1203: In 1203, Sumanguru attacked and successfully took control of Kumbi, thus asserting himself as the new king of Ghana.
13th Century: The Kingdom of Ghana is conquered by the Kingdom of Melle. After centuries of prosperity, the empire began its decline in the second millennium, and would finally become a vassal state of the rising Mali Empire at some point in the 13th century.
1235: Sundiata and Sumanguru met and fought at the Battle of Kirina.

Post-Empire Era

1482: The Portuguese build their first fortress on the coast.
Around 1650: The first Danish ship arrives at the coast.
1661: The Danish fort "Christiansborg" (sometimes known as Osu Castle) is built in Osu (modern-day Accra). It becomes the home of the Danish governor and later the centre of Danish slave trade.
1700's: Several of the southern kingdoms are deeply involved in the slave trade while others are almost wiped out. Akwamu, Fante and Asante are among those who benefit from the trade.
March 16, 1792: Denmark decides to stop the so-called "trade with Negroes" to the Caribbean colonies.
April 2, 1792: Britain passes a law similar to the Danish - with effect from 1807.
1800: Osei Bonsu ascends the Asante throne.
1806: The Asante kingdom invades Kingdoms to the south and war breaks out with the Fante confederation which is supported by Britain.
March 25, 1807: The British ban on slave trade from the Gold Coast becomes effective.
1824: The Ashantene, Osei Bonsu, dies.
1833: Slavery is officially abolished in all British colonies.
March 1848: Slavery is finally abolished in all Danish territories.
March 6, 1850: Denmark sells all their remaining forts and possessions on the Gold Coast to Great Britain for 10,000 pound sterling.
1863: Great Britain dominates the region completely. Only the Asante kingdom is still resisting British control.
1874: The Gold Coast is officially proclaimed a British crown colony.
1884-1885: The Berlin Conference: By Initiative of King Leopold of Belgium, the European countries agrees on the new borders for Africa.
1896: Britain has practically taken control over the Asante kingdom.
1900: Britain again seeks to humiliate the Asante: The colonial governor Frederick Hodgson demands for the Asante to hand over their Golden stool.
1902: What's left of the Asante kingdom has surrendered to the pressure from England.
1909: Kwame Nkrumah is born in the village Nkroful.
1918: After World War I the German areas in the East comes under British control.
1946: Ghana's Legislative Council gets a majority of black Africans, when the British little by little gives in to the pressure for African political representation.
1947: United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC) is one of many new political parties striding for independence.
February 28, 1948: Riots breaks out in Accra when Police fires at an anti-colonial demonstration.
1949: Dissatisfied with the efforts of UGCC, Kwame Nkrumah leaves and founds the Convention People's Party (CPP).
1952: Nkrumah becomes the first African prime minister and government leader, but still shares the power with the British governor Sir Charles Arden-Clarke.

Independence and Modern Ghana

March 6, 1957: Ghana is the first of the colonies in sub-Saharan Africa to gain independence.
1958: A new law makes it possible to arrest anyone who is suspected of working against the state.
August 27th 1963: William Edward Burghardt Du Bois dies in Accra.
1964: Nkrumah suspends the democracy by suspending the constitution. Ghana officially becomes a one-party state and Nkrumah gains the power of a dictator.
February 24th, 1966: A military coup (without blood-shed) ends the rule of Nkrumah and his government.
May 1969: NLC aims to be a provisional government until a new election.
September 1969: Multi-party elections are held in Ghana and a new civilian government is formed by Dr.
1972: Kwame Nkrumah dies in Conakry, Guinea.
January 13, 1972: Forces within the military once again finds that it is time for a change of government and carries out a coup.
1974: The population shows its dissatisfaction with the government through strikes - mostly arranged by students.
1975: Economy is close to collapse and it is no longer possible to come to agreement within the NRC-government.
July 5, 1978: Acheampong is forced to resign as general William Akuffo takes control of the "Supreme Military Council II".
May 15, 1979: The young Flight Lieutenant Jerry John Rawlings heads an uprising within the army.
June 4, 1979: A few days before the planned election a new military coup is carried out by Jerry Rawlings.
June 18, 1979: Dr. Rawlings supports the AFRC in its determination to end corruption and restore order and justice before returning Ghana to democracy.
September 1979: AFRC turns over power to Hilla Limann.
1980: Jerry Rawlings is not forgotten.
December 31, 1981: Jerry Rawlings once again takes power through a military coup.
1982 and 1983: Several coup attempts are made by dissatisfied parts of the army (mainly from the northern regions).
1984: The Ghanaian economy is finally showing signs of improvement.
1985: The Preventive Custody Law allows the government to imprison opponents for the sake of "state security".
1992: A new democratic constitution is passed.
November 1992: Multi-party elections in Ghana.
1994: A land conflict between the Ethnic groups of Konkombas and Nunumbas results in the "Guinea Fowl War" in north-eastern Ghana.
May 1995: The parliament approves a VAT at 17%, resulting in several demonstrations and some riots, especially in the capital of Accra.
1996: Rawlings is re-elected with 57% of the votes.
Late 1990's: Popularity for NDC is fading as the opposition puts forward accuses of corruption within the government.
August 1999: Police hits hard on student demonstrations.
December 2000: Rawlings' presidency ends as the constitution only allows two terms in office.
May 2001: Riots at a football stadium leads to overreaction from the police.
December 2008: After having lost Ghana’s two previous elections to outgoing President John Kufuor, opposition candidate John Atta Mills now wins a second round of the presidential election in Ghana.
2012 July: President Mills dies.

This timeline provides a comprehensive overview of the Ghana Empire and the subsequent events that have shaped the modern nation of Ghana. From its early origins and rise to power, through its decline and the colonial era, to its eventual independence and democratic development, Ghana's history is rich and complex.

The Rise and Fall of the Ghana Empire

Table of Rulers of Ghana Empire

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Ruler	Reign
Kaya Magan Cissé	c. 700
Dyabe Cisse	790s
Ghana Bassi	1040-1062
Soumaba Cisse	1203-1235

Map of Regions of Ghana.

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