H World History - Chapter 7 (7.1 - 7.3 Notes, Class Notes)
- Far to the east is a terrain of snow-capped mountains, upland plateaus, and lakes - A distinctive feature is the Great Rift Valley, where mountains loom over deep canyons - Much of this region is grassland populated by wild animals
Africa south of the Sahara is divided into a number of major regions. What is found far to the east?
- In the west is the so-called "hump" of Africa which juts into the Atlantic Ocean - It's here where the Sahara gradually gives way to grasslands in the interior and then tropical jungles along the coast
Africa south of the Sahara is divided into a number of major regions. What is found in the west?
- To the south lies the Congo basin with its dense vegetation that's watered by the Congo River - The tropical rain forests of this area then fade gradually into the hills, plateaus, and deserts of the south
Africa south of the Sahara is divided into a number of major regions. What is found to the south?
African religious beliefs were *challenged*, but not always *replaced*, by the arrival of *Islam*
African religious beliefs were __________, but not always ________, by the arrival of _______.
Swahili
African-Arabian culture and language
- lineage groups - Each lineage group could trace itself back to a founding ancestor or group of ancestors - Ritual ceremonies were dedicated to ancestors because the ancestors were believed to be closer to the gods - They had the power to influence, for good or evil, the lives of their descendants
Another key element in African religion was the importance of ____________. Describe how this was incorporated into African religion.
Ibn Battuta
Arab traveler who lived in the 14th century and visited the cities of Kilwa, Mogadishu and Mombasa
- The Great Enclosure, whose exact purpose is not known, dominated the site - It was an oval space surrounded by a wall 800 feet long, 17 feet thick, and 32 feet high - Near the Great Enclosure were smaller walled enclosures that contained round houses built of a mudlike cement on stone foundations - In the valley below was the royal palace, surrounded by a high stone wall
Artifacts found at the site include household implements, ornaments made of gold and copper, and porcelain imported from China. Describe the site. (4)
- Boys cleared the fields, built houses, and took part in the village discussions and ceremonies - Girls took over more responsibility for the household tasks, took care of younger brothers and sisters, and attended village ceremonies (especially marriages and funerals)
As the children matured, they played a larger role in the community. How?
- The northern fringe (on the coast washed by the Mediterranean Sea) which is mountainous along much of its length - South of the mountains is the largest desert on earth (the Sahara) which stretches from the Atlantic Ocean to the Indian Ocean - To the east is the Nile river which is the heart of the ancient Egyptian civilization - Beyond this is the Red Sea which separates Africa from Asia
Describe Africa's distinct geographical zones.
1. *A mild climate zone stretches across the northern coast and southern tip of Africa* - Moderate rainfall, warm temperatures, and fertile land make abundant crops that can support a large population 2. *Deserts, which cover about 40% of Africa* - Sahara in the north and the Kalahari in the south are the two largest deserts 3. *The rain forest, which stretches along the equator and makes up about 10% of the continent* - Heavy rains and warm temperatures produce dense forests where little farming and little travel are possible - Home to the tsetse fly which infects both animals and humans with sleeping sickness 4. *Savannas which exist both north and south of the rain forest* - Cover perhaps 40% of Africa's land area - Get enough rainfall for farming and herding, but the rain is unreliable
Describe Africa's four distinct climate zones.
- African dancing served as a way to communicate with the spirits *\/ sorry this stuff is more social* - It was also "the great popular art of the African people" - With its strong rhythmic beat, African music would influence modern Western music
Describe African music and dance in terms of religion. (3)
- It was used to pass on to young people information about history of the community - In the absence of written language, the words to songs served to transmit folk legends and religious traditions from generation to generation
Describe African music in terms of social purpose.
- Because most African societies did not have written languages, much of what we know about these societies comes from descriptions recorded by foreign visitors (ex. Arab traveler Ibn Battuta) - *African society had several unusual features, including the relationship of African kings to their subjects* - For example, African rulers would frequently hold an audience to allow people to voice their complaints
Describe African society. (3)
- tended to begin as fortified walled villages and gradually grew into larger communities serving several purposes - were the centers of government and trade, with markets filled with goods from faraway regions - were home to artisans skilled in metalworking, woodworking, pottery making, and other crafts, as well as farmers who tilled the soil in the neighboring fields
Describe African towns. (3)
- Recent archaeological work has provided many insights to the Bantu society - Their communities were based on subsistence farming - Grains like millet and sorghum were the primary crops along with yams, melons, and beans - Iron and stone tools were used to farm the land - Men hunted or conducted local trade in salt, copper, and iron ore, while women tilled the fields and cared for children
Describe Bantu society. (5)
- *Ghana's gold made it the center of an enormous trade empire.* - Ghanians traded their abundant gold for products brought from North Africa - Muslim merchants from North Africa exchanged metal goods, textiles, horses, and salt with the Ghanians - *Salt, a highly desired item, was used to preserve food and to improve food's taste* - It was also important because people needed extra salt to replace what their bodies lost in the hot climate - Other Ghanian exports, including ivory, hides, and slaves, were carried to the markets of the Mediterranean and beyond
Describe Ghana's trade with other areas (trade empire).
- It was one of the most magnificent cities and was located in what is now Tanzania - *In the 14th century, two monumental buildings were constructed in Kilwa of coral cut from the cliffs along the shore* - One was the Great Mosque of Kilwa - Even grander was the Husuni Kubwa palace, an enormous clifftop building that contained more than a hundred rooms - *Members of Kilwa's wealthy elite built their houses near the palace and the Great Mosque* - With imported Chinese porcelain and indoor plumbing, these homes provided a luxurious lifestyle
Describe Kilwa. (6)
- Likely mostly urban - At first, state authorities probably controlled foreign trade - expensive luxury goods found in private tombs indicate that material prosperity was relatively widespread
Describe Kushite society.
- Extending from the Atlantic coast inland as far as the famous trading city of Timbuktu, Mali built its wealth and power on the gold and salt trade - Most of its people were farmers who grew grains such as sorghum, millet, and rice - Farmers lived in villages with local rulers, who served as both religious and administrative leaders - The ruler sent tax revenues from the village to the king
Describe Mali (location/people). (4)
- Mansa Musa was joined by thousands of servants and soldiers on his pilgrimage journey - Accompanying the people were hundreds of camels carrying gold, as well as food, clothing, and other supplies - Everywhere he went, Mansa Musa lavished gold gifts on his hosts and bought hundreds of items with golds - In fact, by putting so much gold into circulation in such a short time, he caused its value to fall - Mansa Musa's pilgrimage demonstrated his wealth and power
Describe Mansa Musa's pilgrimage to Makkah. (5)
- Located just north of the Equator, Mogadishu was founded by Arab traders - Arising in the 10th century, this trading port enjoyed hundreds of years of prosperity, but declined in the 16th century
Describe Mogadishu.
- Arab traders settled in Mombasa, which is located on the coast of present-day Kenya, in the 11th century - Like Mogadishu and Kilwa, Mombasa played a key role in trade across the Indian Ocean
Describe Mombasa.
- Lineage groups served as the basic building blocks of African society. - All members of a lineage group could claim to be descended from a real or legendary common ancestor - The elders (the leading members of the lineage group) had much power over the others in the group - A lineage group provided mutual support for all its members - Members of extended families and lineage groups were expected to take care of one another
Describe lineage groups. (5)
- Storytelling was usually by priests or a special class of storytellers known as griots - Storytellers were historians who kept alive a people's history - Ex. much of what we know about Sundiata Keita has come down to us from the oral traditions of the griot
Describe storytelling in Africa. (3)
- Terra-cotta (clay) and metal figurines served a similar purpose (often represented gods, spirits, or ancestral figures, and were believed to embody the spiritual powers of the subjects) - Ex. terra-cotta human figures and human heads found near the Nigerian city of Nok are thought to have had religious significance - The Nok culture is the oldest known West African culture to have created sculpture
Describe terra-cotta clay in Africa. (3)
- On the eastern fringe of the continent, Bantu-speaking peoples took part in the regional sea trade along the East African coast - With the growth in regional trade following the rise of Islam during the 7th & 8th century, the eastern coast of Africa became a part of the trading network along the Indian Ocean - *Beginning in the 8th century, Muslims from the Arabian Peninsula and the Persian Gulf began to settle at ports along the coast* - The result was the formation of a string of trading ports that included Mogadishu, Mombasa, and Kilwa in the south.
Describe the Bantu-speaking peoples involvement in trade and what it lead to (for trade). (4)
- Sahara (40%)- largest desert in the world - Larger than the US - Little rainfall (almost none) - 500 ft sand dunes - No crops - Nile - only water source in the Sahara (mostly); water was a very important resorce bc there wasnt much of it
Describe the Sahara. (6)
- Like the Nile, the Niger River floods, providing a rich soil for raising crops and taking care of cattle - East of Timbuktu, the Niger makes a wide bend - Along the river, south of that bend, a people known as the Songhai established themselves there
Describe the area that the Songhai are around.
- Swahili began to emerge throughout the coastal area - Intermarriage was common among the ruling groups - Gradually, the Muslim religion and Arabic architectural styles became a part of society that was still largely African - The term Swahili (from *sahel* = "coast" in Arabic, and thus "peoples of the coast") was also applied to the major language used in the area
Describe the arrival of Swahili and what it influenced/did. (4)
- 750 BC - Kush conquered Egypt - 663 BC - Kushites (who still used bronze and stone weapons) were overwhelmed by the Assyrians (who were armed with iron spears and swords) - Kushites were then driven out of Egypt and forced to return to their original lands in the upper Nile Valley
Describe the battles Kush was involved in.
- After Askia Dawud (Daud)'s reign (guy who made Songhai the largest empire in African history), Songhai entered a period of slow decline - Near the end of the 16th century, that decline quickened when the forces of the sultan of Morocco occupied much of Songhai - By 1600, the Songhai Empire was little more than a remnant of its former glorious self
Describe the decline of the Songhai.
- based on farming at first - but soon emerged as one of the major trading states in the region, with its center at the city of Meroe - Meroe was located where a newly opened land route across the desert to the north crossed the Nile - Meroe had abundant iron ore resources - Having learned iron ore smelting from the Assyrians, the Kushites made iron weapons and tools
Describe the economy of Kush. (5)
*Iron ore* - Created agricultural tools for use and trade - Created weapons used for use and trade *Gold mining* - Its location near one of Africa's richest gold-producing areas increased Ghana's wealth *Agriculture* - Fertile soil and iron tools helped farmers produce a surplus of food allowing other parts of the economy to grow *Trade* - Traded with Muslim merchants - Exchanged iron goods and gold for salt, metal goods, textiles, and horses - Increased Muslim merchants' demand for gold, as currency increased Ghana's trading power
Describe the economy of the kingdom of Ghana.
- a mixed economy of farming, cattle herding, and trade had developed over a period of many centuries here - villages were usually built inside walls to protect the domestic animals from wild animals at night - Beginning in the 11th century, some of these villages in southern Africa gradually united
Describe the grassland region of the Zambezi River. (3)
- The process was even more gradual in East Africa - It had less success in areas of Ethiopia, where, as we have seen, Christianity continued to gain followers - *Islam was first brought to East Africa by Muslim traders from Arabia, but it did not gain many converts there until 12th and 13th century* - At that time, Swahili culture emerged, and many upper-class people converted to Islam
Describe the process of the spread of Islam in East Africa. (4)
- From about 1300 to about 1450, Zimbabwe was the wealthiest and most powerful state in the region - It prospered from the gold trade with the Swahili trading communities on the eastern coast of Africa - Zimbabwe's gold ended up in the court of Kublai Khan, emperor of China
Describe the prosperity of Zimbabwe. (3)
- 641 - Arab forces captured Egypt (entire coast of Africa + Strait of Gibraltar is Muslim) - *Early 700s - Arabs ruled North Africa's coast west to the Strait of Gibraltar* - Muslim states also occupied lands along the Red Sea - Their relationship with Christian Axum was relatively peaceful - *12 century - Muslim states moved inland to gain control over the trade in slaves and ivory* - Axum fought back - 15th century - Axum became involved in a growing conflict with the Muslim state of Adal (located where the Indian Ocean meets the Red Sea)
Describe the rise of Islam. (7)
- Women were usually subordinate to men in Africa, as they were in most early societies around the world - In some cases, they were valued for the work they could do or for their role in having children and thus increasing the size of the lineage group - Women often worked in the fields while the men of the village tended the cattle or hunted - In some communities, women were merchants - Women could often inherit property, and the husband was often expected to move into his wife's house
Describe the role of women in African society. (5)
- In the 13th and 14th centuries, metalworkers at Ife, in what is now Nigeria, produced handsome bronze and iron statues - The Ife sculptures may have influenced artists in Benin in West Africa, who produced equally impressive works in bronze during the same period - The Benin sculptures include bronze heads, many of kings, and figures of various types of animals
Describe the sculptures at Ife. (3)
- The massive walls of Great Zimbabwe are unusual - The local people stacked granite blocks together without mortar to build the walls - By the middle of the 15th century, the city was abandoned, possibly because of damage to the land through over-grazing or natural disasters such as droughts and crop failures
Describe the walls of Great Zimbabwe. What happened to the city later? (3)
Few Africans ever had an audience with their kings
Did Africans have audiences with their kings?
yes; it's also longer than it is wider
Does Kush follow the Nile River?
- Early African religious beliefs varied from place to place - Most African societies shared some common religious ideas
Early African religious beliefs _____________. Most African societies _____________________.
- This transition (occurred at the time of puberty) was marked by an initiation ceremony in which young people were kept isolated from the community - They then underwent a ritual ceremony in which they symbolically died and were reborn - Young females were then considered fully women; young males fully men - Both entered completely into the life of the community
Finally, young people reached a point in their upbringing where they were expected to enter the community fully. Describe how this happened. (4)
- For a time, Axum competed with the neighboring state of Kush for control of the ivory trade - RESULT: 4th century AD - King Ezana (Axumite ruler) invaded and conquered Kush
For a time, who did Axum compete with and why? What was the result?
Axum owed its prosperity to its location along the Red Sea on the trade route between India and the Mediterranean
How did Axum prosper from its location?
- The people of Ghana had to live off the land for centuries - They prospered from their possession of both iron and gold - *The region had an abundant supply of iron ore* - The skilled blacksmiths of Ghana were highly valued because of their ability to turn this ore into tools and weapons - *Ghana also had an abundance of gold* - The heartland of the state was located near one of the richest gold-producing areas in all of Africa
How did Ghana (+ the people of Ghana) prosper?
- Ghana flourished for several hundred years, but was eventually weakened by wars and collapsed during the 1100s - In its place rose the new trading states of West Africa - the greatest of which was Mali, established in the mid thirteenth century by Sundiata Keita
How did Ghana fall?
- Kilwa's splendor did not lost long, and it began to decline. - The Portuguese sacked the city in 1505 and destroyed its major buildings, bringing Kilwa to its end
How did Kilwa reach its end?
- Mansa Musa proved to be the last powerful ruler of Mali - By 1359, civil war divided Mali - Within another hundred years a new kingdom (that of Songhai) was beginning to surpass Mali
How did Mali decline?
- By 2000 B.C. - busy trade had arisen between Egypt and Nubia - Egyptian merchants traveled to Nubia to obtain ivory, ebony, frankincense, and leopard skins - so Nubia was originally under Egyptian control for many centuries, then freed itself around 1000 BC and became the independent state of Kush
How did Nubia become the independent state of Kush?
- Berber groups in North Africa regularly raided farming villages south of the Sahara for captives - The captives were then taken northward and sold throughout the Mediterranean - The use of captives for forced labor or for sale was also common in African societies further south and along the coast of East Africa
How did slavery come about in Africa? (3)
- In the first millennium BC, farming peoples who spoke dialects of the Bantu family of languages began to move from the Niger River region into East Africa - They moved slowly, not as invading hordes, but as small communities
How did the Bantus come to be?
- *The Swahili language arose as a result of trade between people from Arab lands and the Bantu people who lived along Africa's eastern coast* - The language incorporated words from both Bantu and Arabic - It enabled these two groups of people without a common language to communicate and trade - As Arab trade in ivory and slaves spread north and west, the Swahili language spread there too
How did the Swahili language arise? Describe it and where it spread. (4)
- The process likely began as a result of trade, as merchants introduced Muslim beliefs to the trading states south of the desert - At first, conversion took place on an individual basis - Initially, African rulers did not convert to Islam themselves, although they welcomed Muslim traders and did not try to keep their subjects from adopting the new faith - *The first rulers to convert were the royal family of Gao at the end of the 10th century* - By the end of the 15th century, much of the population south of the Sahara had accepted Islam
How did the spread of Islam in Africa begin? (5)
- Islam's rejection of spirit worship ran counter to the beliefs of many Africans and was often ignored in practice - Likewise, Islam's insistence on distinct roles for men and women was contrary to the relatively informal relationships in many African societies - As elsewhere, in Africa, imported ideas were combined with native beliefs to create a unique brand of Africanized Islam
How do the beliefs of Islam contrast to traditional African beliefs and customs?
- For the next several hundred years, Kush was a major trading empire. EXPORTS: - iron products, ivory, gold, ebony, and slaves from central and eastern Africa to the Roman Empire, India, and Arabia IMPORTS: - Kushites received luxury goods from India and Arabia
How was Kushite trade like (including imports and exports)?
- *In a typical African village, a process existed for educating young people and preparing them to become part of the community* - For example, in the Congo by the 1400s, both boys and girls were raised by their mothers until age 6 - From their mothers, they learned language, their family history, and the songs that gave meaning to their lives - At 6, boys and girls went separate ways: girls to the "house of women" and boys to the "house of men"
How was education for both boys *and* girls together in Africa?
- Fathers then took control of their sons' education - Boys learned how to hunt and fish, how to grow plants, and how to clear the fields for planting - By experience, young males learned how to live and survive in the natural world
How was education for boys in Africa?
- Girls continued to learn what they needed from their mothers - This included how to take care of the home and work in the fields - Girls also learned what they would need to be good wives and mothers - Marriage and motherhood would be their entry into the world of the community for females
How was education for girls in Africa?
- In Africa, the gulf between the king and common people was not as great as in other areas - Frequently, the ruler would hold an audience (meeting) to let people voice their complaints - Nevertheless, the king was still held in a position high above all others - The relationship between king and subject in many African states helped both sides - Merchants received favors from the king, and the king's treasury was filled with taxes paid by merchants - It was certainly to the benefit of the king to maintain law and order in the kingdom so that the merchants could practice their trade
How was the relationship between the king and common people? (6)
- The first stage was life on earth - The second stage was an afterlife - Ancestral souls would live on in the afterlife as long as the lineage group continued to perform rituals in their names
Human life was thought to have consisted of _______ stages. What were they?
serving religion
In early Africa, the arts (whether painting, literature, or music) were a means of ______________.
- In many African societies, lineage was based on the mother rather than the father - These were matrilineal societies, rather than patrilineal societies
In many African societies, what was lineage based on?
- In the southern half of the African continent, states formed more slowly than in the north - Until the 11th century AD, most of the peoples in the region lived in what are sometimes called stateless societies
In the southern half of the African continent, states _________________________________. Until the 11th century AD, ________________________________________.
- Islam swept across *northern Africa* in the wake of the *Arab* conquest - It was slower to penetrate the lands south of the *Sahara*
Islam swept across _________ in the wake of the ________ conquest. It was slower to penetrate the lands south of the __________.
- Those who worked on farmlands owned by the royal family or other wealthy landowners toiled hard, long hours - Others were enrolled as soldiers and were sometimes better off
Life was difficult for *most* slaves. How so?
afterlife
Many African religions shared a belief in an __________.
- Many slaves were used in the royal household or as domestic servants in private homes - These slaves usually had the best existence, with decent living conditions
Many slaves were ________________ or as _____________________. How was life like for these slaves?
Mogadishu, Mombasa, and Kilwa
Merchants in the cities of ________, ________, and _______ grew very wealthy
- Ex. The Yoruba peoples in Nigeria believed that their chief god sent his son Oduduwa down from Heaven in a canoe to create the first humans - The Yoruba religion was practiced by many of the slaves transported to the Americas
One of the African religious beliefs was a belief in a single creator God. Give an example of this and describe.
- The Ashanti people of Ghana believed in a supreme being called Nyame, whose sons were lesser gods - Because the Ashanti gods could not always be trusted, humans needed to appease them to avoid their anger - Some peoples believed that the creator god had lived on Earth but left in disgust at human behavior - The god was also merciful and could be pacified by proper behavior
Sometimes, African religions included the creator god was joined by a whole group of lesser gods. Give an example of this and describe it. (4)
Muhammad Ture
Songhai Empire reached the height of its power during his reign; a military commander and a devout Muslim
Some lived by hunting and food gathering, while others raised livestock
South of Axum, along the shores of the Indian Ocean and inland from the mountains of Ethiopia, lived a mixture of people. How did they live?
- Sunni Ali not only controlled the military, but the government of Songhai - Among his most important administrative accomplishments was uniting rural and city dwellers, who often had differing interests, under a single government
Sunni Ali not only controlled the ________, but what as well? What were his important administrative accomplishments?
- The town sits on a hill overlooking the Zambezi River and is surrounded by stone walls - 10,000 residents would have been able to live in the area enclosed by walls - Artifacts found at the site include household implements, ornaments made of gold and copper, and porcelain imported from China
The ruins of Zimbabwe's capital (Great Zimbabwe) illustrate the kingdom's power and influence. Describe this. (3)
Trade across the desert was carried by the Berbers, whose camel caravans became known as the "fleets of the desert"
Trade across _______ was carried by __________, whose camel caravans became known as the "_________."
- *The Songhai Empire reached the height of its power during the reign of Muhammad Ture* - he was a military commander and devout Muslim - Overthrew the son of Sunni Ali and seized power in 1493, creating a new dynasty: the Askia (Askia = "usurper") - Continued Sunni Ali's policy of expansion, creating an empire that stretched thousands of miles along the Niger River - An able administrator who divided Songhai into provinces - Maintained the peace and security of his kingdom with a navy and calvary - The chief cities of the empire prospered as never before from the expanding salt and gold trade
Under who did the Songhai Empire reach the height of its power? What did he do? (7)
- Trade (Berbers and Arabs has control of trade (camel caravans))
What are one of the main reasons Islam spreads throughout Africa?
- Camels became a crucial factor in trade across the Sahara, since they were well adapted to desert conditions - As many as 100 camels would be loaded with goods and supplies for the journey across the desert - The caravan moved at a rate of about 3 miles per hour - A caravan might take 40 - 60 days to reach its destination
What became a crucial factor in trade across the Sahara, and how were they used? Describe it.
- Some time after AD 1000, descendants of a Bantu tribe established the prosperous city of Great Zimbabwe - The center of a thriving state, Great Zimbabwe dominated the trade route to the coast
What city did descendants of a Bantu tribe establish?
- iron-smelting techniques - the knowledge of high-yield crops like yams and bananas
What did Bantus spread across Africa?
- About 7 or 8,000 years ago, hunters and gatherers in Africa began to tame animals and grow crops - their mastery of farming = Agricultural Revolution - this gave rise to Africa's first civilizations (including Egypt, Kush, and Axum)
What happened about 7 or 8,000 years ago involving civilizations?
- His journey also had another legacy: Mansa Musa was inspired to make Timbuktu a center of Islamic learning and culture - In Timbuktu, he built mosques and libraries, and he brought scholars to the city to study the Quran - *Timbuktu became recognized as one of the intellectual capitals of the Muslim world* - Attracted religious leaders, scholars, and artists from all over the Middle East and Africa - As many as 20,000 students may have attended the famous Sankore mosque
What was Mansa Musa's other legacy (that his journey brought)? Describe it. (5)
A work of art was meant to express religious conviction
What was a work of art meant to express?
- through ritual - This process was usually carried out by a special class of diviners, usually by working with supernatural forces - Many diviners were employed by the king - This was done to guarantee a bountiful harvest or to protect the interests of the ruler and his subjects
What was one way to communicate with the gods according to African beliefs? How did this work? (4)
- At the basic level was the extended family, made up of parents, children, grandparents, and other family dependents - They lived in small, round dwellings made of packed mud, with a thatch roof of plant material such as straw - These extended family units were in turn combined into larger communities known as lineage groups
What was the basic level of Africans' sense of identity? Describe it. (3)
- The most distinctive feature of Axumite civilization was its religion - AD 330 - King Ezana converted to Christianity, which was first brought to Axum by ship-wrecked Syrians - King made Christianity Axum's official religion - Within a few centuries, Islam brought profound challenges to the kingdom
What was the most distinctive feature of Axumite civilization? Describe it and how it came to be a part of Axum.
- divides Mali - rise of the Songhai
What was the result of Mansa Musa's death?
- (Axum) exported ivory, frankincense, myrrh, and slaves - Imported textiles, metal goods, wine, and olive oil
What were Axum's imports and exports?
- Kings of Ghana were strong rulers who governed without any laws - Played active roles in running the kingdom, and their wealth was vast - To protect their kingdom and enforce their wishes, Ghanian kings relied on a well-trained regular army of thousands of men
What were kings of Ghana like?
- Most of the people in the area were farmers living in villages under the authority of a local ruler - Together, these villages formed the kingdom of Ghana
What were most people in the Ghana area?
- The earliest forms in Africa were rock paintings - *The most famous examples are in the Tassili Mountains in the central Sahara* - These paintings show the life of the peoples of the area as they shifted from hunting to herding and eventually to trade
What were the earliest forms in Africa? Describe it.
- AD 500 - Ghana emerged - Kingdom of Ghana was located in the upper Niger River valley, which is a grassland region between the Sahara and tropical forests along the West African coast - (modern state of Ghana takes its name from this early state, but is located in the forest region to the south)
When and where did Ghana emerge?
Kush flourished from 250 BC to AD 150, but declined from the rise of Axum
When did Kush flourish and why did it decline?
Islam rose from the Arabian Peninsula and spread across the region
Where did Islam rise from?
- Most people lived in small villages in the countryside - Their sense of identity was determined by their membership in an extended family and a lineage group
Where did most people in Africa live? How was their sense of identity determined?
- Located in Ethiopia - founded by Arabs and combined Arab and African cultures
Where was Axum located? Who founded it?
- After Asia, Africa is the largest - Stretches nearly 5,000 miles from the Mediterranean Sea in the north to the Cape of Good Hope in the south - Almost completely surrounded by two oceans and two seas (OCEANS: Indian Ocean and Atlantic Ocean; SEAS: Red Sea and Mediterranean Sea)
Which is the largest of the continents after Asia? Where and how far does it reach/stretch? What is it almost completely surrounded by?
- Slaves included people captured in war, debtors, and some criminals - They were not necessarily seen as inferior but as trusted servants - Some were even respected for their special knowledge or talents
Who did slaves include? (3)
- Wood-carvers throughout Africa made remarkable masks and statues - The carvings often represented gods, spirits, or ancestral figures and were believed to embody the spiritual powers of the subjects
Who made remarkable masks and statues throughout Africa? Describe.
- The trading merchants and kings of Ghana often became wealthy - Kings also prospered because they imposed taxes on goods that entered or left the kingdom - By the 8 or 9th century, much of this trade was carried by Muslim merchants - They brought the goods from local traders, using iron or copper items from as far away as Southwest Asia - They then sold them to Berbers, who carried them across the desert
Who prospered from the trade in Ghana? Describe them. Who was most of this trade then carried by?
- Arab traveler Ibn Battuta, who lived in the 14th century, was among those who visited the cities of Kilwa, Mogadishu, and Mombasa - One of the most widely traveled people of his time period - Traveled 75,000 miles, visiting almost all Muslim countries and even reaching China - As he traveled, he recorded his impressions about the places he visited - Called Kilwa (visited in 1331) "one of the most beautiful towns in the world"
Who was Ibn Battuta? What did he do? (5)
- 1009 - a ruler named Kossi converted to Islam and established the Dia dynasty - This first Songhai state benefited from the Muslim trade routes linking Arabia, North Africa, and West Africa - An era of prosperity ensued with Gao as the chief trade center
Who was Kossi? What did he do?
- One of the richest and most powerful kings was Mansa Musa, who ruled from 1312 to 1337 - He doubled the size of the kingdom of Mali - He created a strong central government and divided the kingdom into provinces ruled by governors whom he appointed - Once he felt secure, he decided to make a pilgrimage to Makkah (he was a devout Muslim)
Who was Mansa Musa? What did he do? (4)
- Sundiata is considered the founder of his nation, Mali - Sundiata defeated Ghana and captured its capital in 1240 - He united the people of Mali and created a strong government
Who was Sundiata? What did he do? (3)
- Under Sunni Ali, who created a new dynasty (the Sunni) in 1464, Songhai began to expand - Sunni Ali spent much of his reign on horseback and on the march as he led his army in one military campaign after another - His armies both defended Songhai territory from attacks by outsiders and conquered new territories - *Two of Sunni Ali's conquests, Timbuktu and Jenne, were important* - They gave Songhai control of the trading empire (especially salt and gold trade) that had made Ghana and Mali so prosperous
Who was Sunni Ali? What did he do? (5)
Because people want gold and and salt, wealth
Why is Ghana a trading state?
- There were not a lot of records of Africa - Instead, they more focused on oral tradition - Also, they had not developed a system of writing
Why is the history of Africa so unknown and biased?
Great Rift Valley
a distinctive feature where mountains loom over deep canyons
Griot
a special class of storytellers
Savanna
broad grasslands dotted with small trees and shrubs
Sunni Ali
created a new dynasty, the Sunni; under him Songhai began to expand
Lineage Group
extended family units were in turn combined into larger communities known as
Timbuktu
famous trading city that Mali extends from the Atlantic coast inward to
Bantu
farming peoples spoke dialects of this family of languages and began to move from the Niger River region into East Africa
Stateless Society
groups of independent villages organized by clans and led by a local ruler or clan head
Subsistence Farming
growing just enough food for personal use
Benin
in West Africa who produced equally impressive works in bronze during the same period
Axum
independent state that combined Arab and African cultures
Sahara
largest desert on earth
Berbers
nomadic peoples whose camel caravans became known as the "fleets of the desert"; nomadic Sahara traders
Mansa Musa
one of the richest and most powerful kings who ruled from 1312 to 1337
Ashanti
people of Ghana who believed in a supreme being called Nyame whose sons were lesser gods
Kushites
people of Kush who were driven out of Egypt by the Assyrians
Yoruba
peoples in Nigeria that believed that their chief god sent his son Oduduwa down from Heaven in a canoe to create the first humans
Nigeria
region where the Yoruba people live
Plateau
relatively high, flat land areas
King Ezana
ruler who conquered Kush
Patrilineal
societies in which descent is traced through the father
Matrilineal
societies in which descent is traced through the mother
Diviner
special class of people who believe they have the power to foretell events, usually by working with supernatural forces
Nubia
the area to the south of Egypt that later became Kush
Ife
the capital of the Yoruba people
Ghana
the first great trading state in West Africa
Sundiata Keita
the founder of Mali; established the nation of Mali
Mali
the greatest of the trading states in West Africa, established in the middle thirteenth century by Sundiata Keita
Kilwa
the most magnificent city of the trading ports located in what is now Tanzania
Congo River
the river that watered the dense vegetation of the Congo basin
Kalahari Desert
the southern desert of the two largest deserts
Zimbabwe
the wealthiest and most powerful state in the region
Mombasa
trade port where Arab traders settled; located on the coast of present-day Kenya
Mogadishu
trading port founded by Arab traders that enjoyed hundreds of years of prosperity but declined in the 16th century
Ethiopia
where Axum was located
