African
Societies
Life on the Margins of Islam
Sahara
Sudan / Sahel
~the savanna coastline~
Congo
Rainforest
Definitions
Sudan = region just south of Sahara
(literally Arab for land of the blacks)
 Sahel = an arid climate zone just south of
the Sahara
 Savanna = an ecological zone of grasses
just south of the Sahara

Africa during
Classical Period?
Bantu Migrations!
Bantu Migration
Sedentary tribal group
 Experience population
pressure
→ Migration

…Spreading:
Agriculture
Language
Iron
Bantu
Ethiopia
Resulting
Culture
Ag & Iron
•More efficient, higher
pop, specialization
Women
•Source of lineage,
free to contribute &
socialize
Religion
•Animist - except,
Christian Ethiopia
Africa during
Post-Classical Era
States Form in 3 Regions
Ethiopia
Sudan
C. African
Forests
Swahili
Coast
(E. Africa)
…impacted by Islam’s spread
Islamic
North
Africa
Ethiopia
Sudan
(West Africa)
C. African
Forests
Swahili
Coast
(E. Africa)
West Africa
Sudan
Sudanic West Africa
(1)
(2)
(3)

Ghana
Mali
Songhay Empires
Empires:
 Territorial core
 w/ subordinate
tributaries
Sudanic West Africa
 Strategically
located to
profit from trade
 Salt
of desert sent
south
 Gold of forests sent
north
Sudanic West Africa
 Islamic
empires = dawn of new
international trade
 Muslims
introduce camel →
trans-Saharan trade easier
 Trade fostered expansion &
urbanization
North Africans
brought salt,
horses, cloth to
trade for gold
W. Africans
brought gold to
trade for salt
Salt Trade
Ghana

Familiar framework in Ghana
 King’s
power was absolute; acted as a sole
judge in all criminal matters
 Large, powerful army and nobles enforced the
king’s decisions
 Peasants contributed a portion of their harvest
so that city dwellers could focus exclusively on
their trade
Islam comes

Indigenous Religions
 Believed
one god created world, & lesser gods ruled
over daily life
 Believed disaster could be avoided by pleasing gods
with prayer & ritual


Islamic syncretism?
Islam
 W.
Africans tolerated Muslims
 Then, most gov’t officials & merchants converted
Why?
 Gov’t alliances; caliphal leadership of animistic & Islam
rituals w/ political rule
 Merchants brotherhood of trust

Social & Political Blending
 Islam’s
Impact
 Sharia:
common
laws & expectations for all
Muslims
does not apply to women
 Africa
tradition of slavery expands under Muslim
trade networks
Mali
 Administration
Controlled
40-50 million people & approx
400,000 sq miles (2nd largest at time)
So…
Emphasized justice & crime punishment to
maintain peaceful trade
Mali
 Administration
Sensitive
to empire’s diversity by accepting
indigenous rulers & customs
 Local
villages elected leaders
 County-level officials appointed by governors
 Governors chosen by regional custom
(election, inheritance) but must be approved
by Mansa
Mali
 Administration
Mansa’s
authority through:
 Loyal
generals & standing army of 100,000
 Each village obligated to provide a quota of
fighting age men
Laws
enforced by council of judges with
representatives from each ethnic group
Arabic as language of gov’t
Mali
 Economy
80%
of population = farmers
Blacksmiths
 Iron’s
 Taxed
had elevated status
role in military
1 gold coin for every load of salt imported
& 2 gold coins for every load of salt exported
Mali
 Mansa
Hajj
Musa & Significance
took 8 months & entourage of 60,000
Employed more than 500 slaves (who each carried a
6 pound staff of gold)
 Had 100 camels carrying 300 pounds of gold each

Charity…the
1.
2.
3.
3rd pillar
How much gold did Mansa Musa give away?
Gold is worth $1300 per ounce. How much was the
gold worth?
What do you think were the results of this charity?
Mali
 Impact
of Mansa Musa
Brought
attention of Islamic world to Mali
Center for scholars, artists, architects
 Built
large libraries, mosques
Helped
further popularize Islam
Mapmakers include Mali
 Helped
lead to European exploration
East Africa
East Africa
 Politically
fragmented into city-states
 Examples:
 Kilwa
 Mogadishu
 Zanzibar
East Africa
 Strategically
located to profit from trade
 Monsoons
to Arabia
provide
seasonal route
 Islamic empires intensify
Indian Ocean trade
to S Asia
From Central Africa:
slaves, ivory, gold,
for
 From Middle East, India,
SE Asia: tapestries, cotton
textiles, silk, porcelain

to SE Asia
The Swahili Coast?
 So,
 East Africa during the Postclassical Period best
represented by:
Swahili
A
language that combines Bantu & Arabic
 Serves to unite an otherwise diverse region
Swahili East Coast
 Cosmopolitan port cities
 Bantu, Arabs, Indians, Malay
 Highly urbanized, wealthy, luxurious

Ibn Battuta about Kilwa, “One of the most beautiful &
well-constructed towns in the world”
 Dominated
rural farmland
Central Africa
C. African
Forests
Central Africa
 Home
of: Kongo, Zimbabwe, Benin
 Source
of goods traded
in E & W Africa
 No
direct contact with
Muslims
C. African
Forests
Central Africa
 Kongo,
Zimbabwe, Benin
Bantu
migrations & trade revenues act as
seeds of state formation
Slower
development due to relative
isolation compared to other African regions
Review
Explain the
patterns seen
on the map.
Review

Explain the significance of Islam on the
Middle East and world during the
postclassical period.
– trade & technology
 Politically – law & governance
 Socially – unity, migration, urbanization,
language
 Economically
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Was trade or militaristic incursion more
influential in the spread of Islam in Indian
society? Why?
Was Islamic society or Indian society more
influenced by interactions between these two
civilizations? Why?
How did geography and trade impact affect
Africa during this time period? (What areas?
Who?, etc)
How was the spread of Islam (& its effects)
similar and different in S/SE Asia and Africa?
To what extent do you agree that trade is more
important than government in the postclassical
world?