Due to the large amount of time that has passed since this kingdom existed, as well as the developments (or lack thereof) of recording information in this time period, we know very little about the kingdom's history, but I will do what I can to tell you about it. The Kingdom of Aksum, also known as the Axum Empire, is located in what is now known as northern Ethiopia and Eritrea and was deeply involved with Indian and Mediterranean trade! Aksum is thought to have been founded by Sabaens, a group of Arabian settlers from Yemen. However, there is other evidence that suggests the Agaw and other Ethiopian groups had also established civilizations in that territory before the arrival of the Sabaeans. One particular piece of evidence that supports this latter theory is the existence of the Da'amot or D'mt Kingdom (from the 10th to 5th century BCE -- which flourished prior to the Sabaean settlers' arrival to the area in approximately the 4th century BCE. Unfortunately we do not have time to cover that earlier kingdom extensively, but I welcome you to research the topic on your own if it interests you. Regardless of who founded the Kingdom of Aksum -- the Sabeans, remnants of the D'mt, or the Agaw, it is the starting point on our timeline and an interesting place to build from.
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Their expansive trade network is what led to the Kingdom of Aksum's peak, under the leadership of King Ezana who ruled from 325 to 360 CE. Much of Aksum's initial trading was done over sea, but this changed in 100 CE when a land route from Egypt to India was established. Aksum was perfectly located to take advantage of the new routes and became the main port for trade. During the second and third centuries, Aksum expanded their control to the southern Red Sea basin and a caravan route to Egypt was established, allowing more inland trading than before. King Ezana then conquered the neighboring Kingdom of Kush, another trading center, allowing the Kingdom of Aksum to become the sole trade center. However, King Ezana made one fatal mistake that some claim led to the downfall of the Axum Empire, which was converting to Christianity, which some say may have been the downfall of the nation, as this religion was different from many of its neighbors.
Aksum began to decline in the seventh century and slowly lost control of some of its trade routes and profitable territories, which is believed to have created a bit of a domino effect. The empire was eventually defeated and conquered around 950 CE. While some historians claim that a Jewish queen defeated the empire and burned all evidence of the Christian faith, implying that there was a religious disagreement that caused wars, most historians believe that the reason for the decline of the Aksum empire was much less exciting and simply due to climate change and trade isolation. Overfarming the land led to a decline in crop yield, which led to less food and less trade. In addition to the floods from the Nile and significant drought, the non-magical people of Aksum were unable to keep up with the demands from their neighbors, and significant ecological issues caused them to fall into disrepair. Looking for greener pastures, many of the magic users left the kingdom, which may have further weakened the nation.
Kingdom of Ghana (300 - 1200 CE)
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