Stefani
Goglia
A
period
Africa’s Geography
Africa is the second largest continent
It has five climate zones: The Rain Forest, the Savanna, the
Desert, The Mediterranean, and Dry Woodlands.
The most populated is the savanna, or grassy plains
The varied regions offer a variety of mineral resources
including salt, gold, iron, copper, diamonds, and oil.
Migration of Early People
By 2500 B.C. the process of desertification devoured
thousands of acres of fertile cropland that used to be
in the Sahara.
Desertification caused
people to migrate,
contributing to the rich
diversity. West African
farmers migrated south and
east between 1000 B.C and
A.D 1000. The root of
their diverse languages
was Bantu.
The Nile Kingdom Of Nubia
The ancient kingdom
of Nubia, also called
Kush, was located in
present day Sudan.
By 500 B.C, Nubian
rulers have moved their
capitol to Meroe. They
controlled a large trade
network and was rich in
iron ore
In 750 B.C they
conquered Egypt but
were invaded by the
Assyrians and forced
to retreat south.
Nubian
Sculpture
Eventually the Nubians were
overwhelmed by the Kingdom
of Axum in about 350 B.C
North Africa
Early African civilizations had
strong ties with the Mediterranean
world. Carthage dominated trade in
this region. They forged a vast
empire and created outposts in
England and France. Rome
Eventually Crushed Carthage in
The Punic Wars.
Under Roman rule, Christianity
spread to North Africa. They
developed roads, dams, aqueducts,
and cities there. They developed its
farmlands and North Africa also
provided soldiers for the Roman
Army.
In the 600s, Arab armies carried Islam into
North Africa. It replaced Christianity and
Arabic replaced Latin as it’s language.
Muslim Traders in North Africa carried Islam
into West Africa.
Kingdoms Of West Africa
Mali, Ghana, and Songhai were among the richest of the
West African states. They dominated the Sahara trade.
Two products
that dominated
the Sahara trade
were gold and
salt. These
commodities, or
valuable
products, were
plentiful.
Sahara Trade Routes
Ghana, Mali, and Songhai
In A.D. 800 the rulers of the
Soninke people united many
farming villages to create
Ghana. It was called “the land
of gold.” The capitol of
Ghana was Kumbi Saleh
which was comprised of two
separate towns. Muslim
merchants brought their
Islamic faith to Ghana. They
also introduced their written
language coinage, buisness
methods, and architecture. In
time Ghana was overtaken by
Mali.
Sundiata founded the
kingdom of Mali. Mali’s
kings were called mansas.
The greatest emporer of
Mali, Mansa Musa,
expanded Mali’s borders
and worked to keep peace.
He converted to Islam and
actuallly fulfilled one of
the five pillars of Islam by
making the hajj. He
formed diplomatic and
economic ties with other
Muslim states, increasing
Mali’s renown.
Gao, a wealthy trading state
became the capital of
Songhai. It’s leader, Sonni
Ali, made it the largest
stateto have ever existed in
West Africa. He followed
traditional beliefs. After his
dead Askia Mohammed set
up a Muslim dynasty and set
up a bureaucracy. He also
completed the hajj which
improved histies with the
Muslim world. After the fall
of Songhai this part of West
Africa splintered into many
small kingdoms
Other Kingdoms of West Africa
The fertile Northern Lands of
Modern day Nigeria were home
to the Hausa people. By the
1300’s they had built a number
of clay-walled cities/ Their
city-states remained
independent but expanded into
thriving commercial centers.
Kano was the most prosperous.
Kano’s greatest king was
Muslim. The Hausa developed
a written language based on
Arabic. Many Hausa rulers
were women.
Benin rose in the rainforests of
the Guinea coast. They carved
out farming villages and traded
goods such as pepper, ivory,
and, later, slaves to their
neighbors in the savannah. An
oba, or king, was both political
and a religious leader. Other
figures, such as a queen mother,
had power also. Benin city was
the capitol. It was decorated
elaborately with brass
sculptures and plaques.
Axum
Axum extended from the
mountains of present day
Ethiopia to the shores of The
Red sea. The people of
Axum were descendants of
African farmers and traders
who brought Judaism
through Arabia. This merging
of cultures introduced
another religion to Axum. It
also gave rise to the spoken
language of Geez. Axum
Commanded a triangular
trade network that connected
Africa and India and the
Mediterranean world.
In the 300’s Axum’s king
converted to Christianity and
the religion took hold among
the people. When Islam began
spreading Axum became
isolated from its own trade
network. Axum’s political and
economic power faded but its
cultural and religions influences
did not. Their descendants,
Ethiopian Christians, kept ties
with the Holy Land despite
their isolation. They saw their
country as a Christian
outpost.They adopted East
African drum music and dances
that are still in Church services
today.
East African City-States
Commercial cities,
including Kilwa,
Mogadishu, Mombasa,
and Sofala, rose along
the East African Coast.
Phoncecian, Greek,
Roman, and Indian
traders visited the coast
and under the protection
of local rulers, Arab and
Persian Merchants set
up Muslim
Communities
Offshore islands were
ideally located for trade
with Asia.
East African rulers saw the
advantages of trade and
welcomed ships from Arabia,
Persia, and China. Traders
acquired ivory, leopard skins,
iron, copper, and gold. A
thriving slave trade also
developed.Trade helped rulers
build strong city-states and
created a varied mix of cultures.
The blend of cultures gave rise
to Swahili, a new language that
fused Arabic words onto a Bantu
base and was written in Arabic
script.
Zimbabwe
Europeans came upon massive stone ruins in the 188’s which,
they thought, were created by ancient Phonecians.
The builders were actually
a number of Bantuspeaking people who
settled in the region
between 900 and 1500 and
brought there improved
farming skills, iron, and
mining methods.
Little is known about how this civilization
developed. The capital probably reached its
height about 1300. Great Zimbabwe was
part of a trade network that reached across
the Indian ocean. It was also a center for
manufacturing. Weaving cotton cloth also
seemed to be important.
Very little is known about
the government in Great
Zimbabwe. Some suggest
that their ruler was god-king
who presided over a large
court. There may have been
a queen mother. Under the
king was most likely a
central bureaucracy
Great Zimbabwe went into decline
when over farming had exhausted the
land. Civil war and dwindling trade
also contributed to the decline.
People and the Environment
Farming communities
Bantu-speaking people
practiced slash and burn
migrated across Africa for
agriculture. Their
thousands of years. They
governments were
carried farming skills and
usually run by a set of
knowledge of iron working
people rather then a
with them. Everywhere they
single leader. Villages
went they adapted to local
often made decisions by
environments and absorbed
a process called
ideas from people they
consensus. Nuclear
encountered. As a result
families were common.
African society varied greatly
Families could be both
from place to place. In Fringe
matrilineal and
areas the people were hunter
patrilinieal. Each family
gatherers while on parts of the
belonged to a lineage.
savannah some herded cattle.
Religious beliefs across
Along the coasts and rivers
Africa were varied and
were fishermen.
complex.
African artists
created works in
ivory, wood, and
bronze. Art
strengthened bonds
in communities.
Often their art had
important meaning,
usually religious.
They preserved
history through oral
and written
literature.
Regents Questions
1)
The wealth and power of Mali’s ruler, mansa musa, were significant
because they contributed to the
a)
Start of the crusades
c)
b)
Growth of European nationalism
d)
Spread of Islam
Rise of Arab nationalism
2) The spread of Islam into the kingdoms of Ghana and Mali
resulted from
a)
Imperialism
c) cultural diffusion
b)
Ethnocentrism
d) self- determination
1._________
3) Which
civilization best
completes the
heading of the
partial outline
a)spread of Islam
b)Gold and salt trade
c) Growth of Timbuktu
d) Pilgrimage of Mansa Musa
1)
Benin
3) Mali
2)
Kush
4) Egyptian
Regents Questions
a)
4) Which description best
characterizes the city of
Timbuktu
b)
c)
d)
5) Which economic activity was the a)
basis for most of the wealth and
b)
power of the West African empires
of Ghana and Mali
c)
d)
Port of the water route to east
Asia
Major urban and industrial
center on the Silk road
Commercial and cultural center
of West Africa
Inland city of the Hanseatic
league
Hunting and gathering
Farming and cattle ranching
Trading in salt and gold
Working in bronze and brass
Answers
1) c. the spread of Islam
2) c. cultural diffusion
3) c. Mali
4) c. commercial and cultural center of West Africa
5) c. trading in salt and gold