Cinikin Gishiri da Zinari na tsakiyar Hamada (Trans-Sahara), shi ne babban hanyar musayar tattalin arziki da al'adu tsakanin Arewacin Afirka da Yammacin Afirka, wanda ya fara kusan sama da shekaru dubu, kuma ya ci gaba har zuwa shekarun 1800s. Sana'ar ta ƙunshi ayarin raƙuma da ke jigilar kayayyaki zuwa hamadar Sahara, hakan ya taimaka wajen yada addinin musulunci daga arewacin Afirka zuwa yammacin Afirka da fasaha da gine-gine da al'adu.
A wajen shekara ta 500 miladiyya, ƙabilar Berbers ta ƴan asalin Afirka ta Arewa suka shirya cinikin tsakanin Arewacin Afirka da Afirka ta Yamma. Berbers na cinikin gishiri, amma kuma sun kawo kayan alatun kudu irin su gilashi da kyalle masu kyau daga kudu zuwa yammacin Afirka. A kasuwar musanya, yammacin Afirka ta na aikawa da hauren giwa, tagulla, fatun dabbobi, ƙarfe da hatsi zuwa arewa. Duk da haka gishiri ya mamaye kasuwancin saboda darajarsa wajen kula da lafiya, adana abinci da kuma wasu wurare a matsayin kuɗi.
Kasuwancin Zinari na Trans-Saharan ya girma sosai a ƙarni na bakwai lokacin da tattalin arzikin Bahar Rum ya faɗaɗa amfani da zinariya. A cikin ƙarni na takwas da na tara, ƴan kasuwa Larabawa da ke aiki a garuruwan kudancin Morocco irin su Sijilmasa, sun sayi zinariya daga Berbers waɗanda suke cinikin gishiri da ƙananan ƙasashen yammacin Afirka. Manyan hanyoyin kasuwanci, sun bi ta Ghana kuma a ƙarshe ta zama farko a daulolin Afirka ta Yamma da suka fito fili a ka san dasu.
A karni na 10, cinikayyar Gishiri da Zinariya ta zama cibiyar tattalin arziki ga Daular Ghana. Duk da cewa ma'adinan gishirin ya tashi daga Arewacin Afirka zuwa gefen arewacin Masarautar, in da Sanhaja Berbers ke hako shi a Awlil da Taghaza. Ana ba da haraji da kuma jigilar gishirin ta cikin birnin Audaghost na Ghana da Kumbi-Saleh babban birnin Ghana (a lokacin, yanzu birnin yana kasar murtaniya). Harajin ya baiwa sarakunan Ghana damar samar da mafi yawan kudaden shiga ga Daular ta hanyar kasuwanci. A wannan lokaci ana yawan musayar gishiri da fam da zinare da ake hakowa a Ghana da sauran yankunan yammacin Afirka.
Daga karshe Masarautar Ghana ta rushe, saboda haka wani bangare na hanyoyin kasuwanci sun koma gabas. A cikin shekarun 1300s, daular Mali ta fara mamaye kasuwancin Trans-Sahara ta garuruwa irin su Timbuktu da Djenné. Lokacin da daular Mali ta fadi, daular Songhai ta fito ta mamaye kasuwancin ta babban birninta a Gao. Daga karshe shugaban Moroko Muhammad al-Mahdi ya yi yunkurin sarrafa cinikin gishiri kai tsaye tare da mamaye Songhai, mamayar da bai yi nasara ba a shekara ta 1591.
Cinikin Gishiri da Zinari na tsakiyar Hamada (Trans-Sahara) ya ci gaba bayan faduwar Songhai kuma ya fada hannun daular Kanem-Bornu da ke kewayen tafkin Chadi. Duk da haka, babu wata daular Afirka ta Yamma, da za ta iya mamaye kasuwancin kamar yadda Ghana, Mali, da Songhai suka yi shekaru aru-aru. Hasali ma, lokacin da Sarkin Mali Mansa Musa ya yi fitacciyar ziyarar aikin hajjinsa zuwa birnin Makkah na Saudiyya a shekara ta 1324, an baje kolin arzikin kasar Mali na cinikin Gishiri da Zinariya ke samarwa, wanda wasu alkaluma suka nuna cewa ya kasance daya daga cikin manyan masu mulki a duniya. Yayin da ake ci gaba da ciniki tsakanin 1600 zuwa 1800, mutanen da ake bautar da su daga yammacin Afirka sun maye gurbin gishiri da zinariya a matsayin kayan ciniki mafi daraja.
Daga Muhammad Cisse
