Africa and the Spread of
Islam
Chapter 8
African Societies
 Stateless – organized
around kinship or other
obligations
 Bantu = base on most
African language
 Religion
 Animism
 Veneration of ancestors
 Economics
 North Africa =
Mediterranean trade
 Sub-Saharan = varied;
mostly agrarian
 Trade conducted by
professional merchants
North Africa and Islam
 640-700: Invasions
 Unified under Abbasid
 Berbers (desert people)
formed own states
Almoravids and
Almohadis – launched
jihads to purify
 Appeal: method of unity
and egalitarian
Christian Kingdoms
 Nubia and Egypt
 Ethiopia (Axum)
 Copts borrowed from
Byzantine
 Limited outside influence
due to geography
 Spread up Nile to Nubia
(Kush)
 King Lalibela built 11
churches
 Independent kingdom
until 13th century
 Remained independent
The Grasslands and Ghana
 Sahel: southern edge of Sahara = trading posts
 Subject to attack and drought
 Ghana profited from taxing salt and gold trade
 10th c. – rulers converted to Islam
Mali
 13th c. Malinke people
broke from Ghana
 Islam used by kings to
justify power
 Agrarian + trade
 Juula (merchants) formed
partnerships and expanded
through west Africa
Sundiata, the Lion Prince
of Mali
 Grouped the people by clans

16 military clans

5 religious duty clans

4 specialist clans; ex.
blacksmiths and griots (oral
historians)
 Garrisons provided safe
travel and trade
 Successor Mansa Musa
traveled to Mecca
 Outside influence grew
Life in the Mali

Cosmopolitan court life

“Port” cities grew (Timbuktu)
off of Niger River

Libraries, universities and
mosques flourished

Book trade was most lucrative

Still mostly agrarian



Many small farms
Geography made it difficult
Polygamy helped with labor
supply
The Songhay Kingdom
 Middle area of Niger valley
 “Masters of the soil”
 Gold trade from west
Africa thrived
Politics and Society in
Sudan
 Unified states = structure for different groups to coexist
 One ruling family
 Islam provided common core of beliefs and law
 Animism/paganism still important
 Women enjoyed social freedom; some matrilineal
societies as well
 Extensive slave trade; slavery = one step in conversion to
Islam
The Swahili Coast – East
Africa
 “Zanj” (Arabic name)
 Many Bantu-speaking
herders and trading ports
and fishing villages
 Refugees from Oman settled
 Very diverse communities
 Swahili combined Bantu
with Arabic
 Muslim ruling famlies
 Extensive trade and wealth
A Hybrid Culture

13th c – Growth of Islam in East
Africa

Mosques built in trading ports

Rulers and merchants Muslim;
townspeople retained traditional
beliefs

Swahili became dominant

Maternal (property) and paternal
lines used for lineage for rulers

1500s: Portuguese influence
introduced but minimal


Mozambique
Fort Jesus, Mombasa
Central Nigeria: Yoruba
and Benin
 Yoruba = language
 Terracotta and bronze art
 Small city-states
 Oyo – king controlled
“princes” with tribute
 Edo people in Benin
 Strong emphasis on image
of king and royal lineage
Central African Kingdoms
 Rainforest region
 Congo River Basin
 Kinship based societies
 Katanga: Divine kinship
and kingship – ensured
crops’ success
Kongo
 Late 15th century
 Strong agriculture = strong
artisan class
 Traditional division of labor
between men and women
 Family-based villages
 Hereditary kingship but
local chieftains were not
 Confederation under
“manikongo” (king)
 Iron and art important
Great Zimbabwe and Mwene
Mutapa
 Bantu confederation
 Shona-speaking herders and
farmers
 Between Zambezi and
Limpopo Rivers
 “Zimbabwe”: Stone houses
built for rulers
 The bird of God = link with
spirits
 Mwene Mutapa became king
 Expanded kingdom
 Increased trade with coast,
Portugal and India
Impact of Islam on Africa
 While Islam spread to large areas of Africa, it was
infused with African culture.
 Many African cultures remained independent.
 Late 15th century European explorers found welldeveloped kingdoms and empires – especially those
that were Muslim.
 Africa was already a center of trade for salt, ivory,
slaves and gold.