The Empires
of Africa
Geography of Africa
• Many different styles of geography
– Deserts, rain forests, Sahel (shore or coast), etc.
– Why would this make civilizations so separated
and where do you think they formed?
• Earliest humans originated in Africa
– Great Rift Valley
• People start as clans, and hunter-gatherers
Why & How Did Empires
Develop?
• Several factors facilitated the development
and expansion of kingdoms & the ability to
incorporate small farmers & herders into
the empires.
– Development and use of Iron for weapons
– Dominance of trade routes
– Control of gold
Earliest Cities of Africa
• Nok- earliest clan and city formed
– Founded iron tools around 500 BC
– Helped to produce food and weapons
– Start of the Western African empires
• Aksum- Christian empire on the Red Sea
– 1st African Christian empire
– Located where Ethiopia is now
– Adulis - major trading city of Aksum
Advent of Islam in Africa
• Islam spreads to Ghana thru trade with the
Maghrib (the area of North Africa which is now
Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia).
• Significant shift in the Maghrib began in 7th century
where dominant religion became Islam.
• The growing influence and political/military power
of Arabs in the region led to increasing numbers of
local people (“Berbers”) converting to Islam – had
previously been a mix of Christians, Jews and
people who practiced indigenous religions.
Advent of Islam in Africa
• Influx of Muslim merchants who became
involved in trans-Saharan gold trade.
• Spread of Islam is important because there
is no separation in religion and life, like in
the lives of Africans
– Africans did not connect religion to every thing
as Muslims did
Gold-Salt Trade
Sahara Desert
Taghaza
Timbuktu
Importance of Gold-Salt Trade
• Ghana’s empire based on gold
– Taken from mountains near rivers
• Needed salt for survival though
– Used on foods, and as a spice
– Salt came from the Sahara desert
• Gold was traded for salt between
Ghana and N. Africans
– Traded along the Trans-Saharan trade
route
Other Items Traded
• Other items were always traded
– Information, ideas, clothing, spices
Kingdom of Aksum
• Religions in Africa were considered
a form of monotheistic beliefs–
– Also believed in animism- belief in one
creator and then lesser nature gods
– Christianity eventually spread by
traders
– Later it would be taken over by Muslims
• Became a major trading empire due
to its location along the Red Sea
– Famous for stone towers called stelae
• Large towers that used no mortar
Kingdom of Aksum
• The Aksumite people lived in the Ethiopian
highlands near the Red Sea.
– Very fertile land
– Strategic position in the trade routes between Africa,
Arabia & India.
• It’s three major cities; Adulis, Aksum and Matara,
became three of the most important (and wealthy)
cities in the ancient world.
• Although not well-known to the Europeans, they were
as cosmopolitan and culturally important.
• Served as a crossroads of Egyptian, Sudanic, Arabic,
Middle Eastern, and Indian cultures; diverse religious
communities (Jewish, Nubian, Christian and
Buddhists).
Kingdom of Aksum
• Aksumite religion was polytheistic – believed gods
controlled natural forces of the universe.
• In the 4th century, it’s leader, Ezana, converted to
Christianity and declared the state of Aksum to be
a Christian state; this made it the first Christian
state in the world.
• Spoke a semitic language – one of the longest
continuous literate traditions; as such, the people
of Ethiopia believed that they were descendants of
the Hebrews.
– Traced their origins all the way back to David
– Ethiopic Church claims to have the Ark of the Covenant
Kingdom of Aksum
• Remained a strong empire and trading power until
the rise of Islam in the 7th century.
• Axumites sheltered Muhammed’s first followers, so
were not overthrown by Islamic powers
• Ethiopic (or “Abyssinian”) church has lasted until
present day.
Other Empires of
Africa
Kingdoms of West Africa
Ghana
Mali
Songhai
800s-1000s
1200s-1400s
1400s-1500s
Kingdom of Ghana 800-1000
• Located along the Niger
and Senegal rivers
• Bordered by the rivers
to the south, and the
Sahara to the North
• Like all empires of this
area, they based their
life around the river and
the gold from the
mountains
– Came down in the river;
so much of it they don’t
value it
Kingdom of Ghana 800-1000
• Equipped the army with
iron weapons.
• Muslim advisors appear
at court as Islam
continues to spread.
• As the control and
power of the Ghanaian
empire began to erode,
short-lived kingdoms
vied for influence
• http://videos.howstuffw
orks.com/discovery/294
91-assignmentdiscovery-songhaiempire-video.htm
Kingdom of Mali 1200-1400
• Takes over the Ghana Empire
• Founder and Ruler of Kingdom
of Mali is Sundiata Keita
• Empire built on gold wealth –
took over Ghana’s gold mines as
well as others in West Africa
• Controlled the salt trade in the
north and many caravan routes
• Traded extensively with Egypt
and the copper mines to the
East.
• http://videos.howstuffworks.com/
discovery/29491-assignmentdiscovery-songhai-empirevideo.htm
Timbuktu
Gao
Kingdom of Mali 1200-1400
Mansa Musa
• Mansa Musa expands
empire to the east and
west
• Mansa Musa was
celebrated within &
outside the kingdom.
• Went on Haj and
brought with him tons of
gold – so much that the
price of gold dropped
along the route he took.
Timbuktu
Gao
Kingdom of Mali 1200-1400
• Timbuktu and Gaomajor trading cities
• 2nd largest empire in
the world, after the
Mongolian empire in
Asia
Timbuktu
Gao
Songhai Kingdom 1400-1500
• Conquers eastern parts of
Mali
• Still mostly located on
Niger River, but includes
territories further east (the
“savanna” – treeless or
sparsely forested plain).
• Short-lasting empire, still
based on gold wealth and
salt trade
• Empire falls to Moroccan
soldiers
Kingdom of Great Zimbabwe
Great Zimbabwe 1000-1450
• Located between the Limpopo and Zambezi
rivers
• Capitol City – Great Zimbabwe
• Empire also built on gold and the gold-salt
trade to the North
Great Zimbabwe 1000-1450
• Famous for its large walls surrounding its
main city
• Portuguese eventually attack and begin
enslaving Africans for the New World