World’s second
largest
continent
Earliest human
beings appeared
there and then
spread to other
areas of the
world
World’s second
oldest civilization,
Egypt, was in
northeastern
Africa
Carthage was also
located in
northern Africa
Ghana
Mali
Kush
Axum
Great
Zimbabwe
KUSH
• Located south of Egypt in modern-day Sudan
• Flourished between 700 BC-300 AD
• Egyptian influences were of paramount importance in the
development of this region
– Had trade contacts with Egypt since Middle Kingdom
– New Kingdom Egypt actually took over the region and turned it
into a satellite state
EGYPT AND KUSH
• New Kingdom would leave
indelible mark on Kush
– Sons of elite were sent
to Egypt for education
– Egyptian temples, gods,
rituals, traditions, and
writing system were
transplanted into Kush
– Even buried their rulers
in pyramids
BLACK PHARAOHS
• Once New Kingdom faded and
Egyptian culture became diluted
by wave after wave of foreign
invaders, Kush saw itself as the
guardian of pure Egyptian culture
– Even invaded Egypt in 750 BC
to drive out nomadic invaders
from Libyan Desert
• Occupied the country for 50
years
• Known as the period of the
“Black Pharaohs”
GOLDEN AGE OF KUSH
• Kush was driven out of
Egypt by the Assyrians
– But its greatest days still
lay ahead
• Golden Age of Kush was
between 300 BC and 100
AD
– Keys to its success were:
• Its location
• Its land
• Its energetic people
MEROE
Meroe
• In general, Kush was rich in minerals
but arid
– Not well-suited for agriculture
• Exception was the area immediately
around the capital of Meroe
– Well-watered by Nile River and
heavy annual rainfall
– Possessed a broad expanse of crop
and pasture land that fed the
entire kingdom and produced a
surplus for export
• Upriver from Egypt
– Its best trade partner
• Along several caravan routes
– To Red Sea and Arab cities
CULTURE
• Culture flourished in Kush
– Huge walls surrounded Meroe
engraved with military victories,
famous rulers, and gods
– Huge stone pyramids
• However, Kush abandoned
hieroglyphics around 300 BC
– Developed their own alphabet
• Not deciphered entirely yet
• So we don’t yet know what they
wrote after this date
REASONS FOR DOWNFALL I
• Limited agricultural land around
Meroe finally became
exhausted as farmers
overworked it in attempt to
keep up with growing
population
– Began to dry up and become
part of the Sahara Desert
• Best trading partners, the
Egyptians, were squeezed dry by
the Romans and plunged into
poverty
– Business with Kush suffered
as a result
REASONS FOR DOWNFALL II
• Trade with Arabs taken
over by new peoples who
had established themselves
along the African coast of
the Red Sea
– In fact, one of these
new Red Sea powers,
the Kingdom of Axum,
conquered a weakened
Kush around 350 AD
• Golden Age of Kush
over forever
ORIGINS OF THE AXUMITES
• Around 600 BC, Arabs
crossed the Red Sea and
settled in the region that is
now Ethiopia
– Over time, they merged
with the native people
who already lived there
• Eventually produced
the hybrid
nationality known as
the Axumites (100
BC)
MERCHANTS
• Axumites were merchants above
all else
– Obtained rhinoceros horn,
ivory, and gold from African
interior
• Then shipped these
commodities to the rest of
the world at fantastic prices
• Merchants were active in
Red Sea region, the eastern
Mediterranean, Rome, and
maybe even India
POWER AND CULTURE
• Used wealth to increase
political and military power of
Axum
– Conquered all the land
from Kush down to what is
now South Africa
• Capital city, Axum, developed
highly sophisticated culture
– Stone castles
– Massive engraved walls
– Obelisks
CHRISTIANITY
• Originally polytheistic
– But King Ezana converted to
Christianity
• 400 AD
• Tore down old temples and
replaced them with churches
• Conversion to Christianity originally
strengthened Axum’s trade contacts
with Christian Middle East
– But the spread of Islam throughout
Middle East and North Africa cut
Axum off from rest of Christian
world
• Axum then began long decline
DECLINE AND SOLACE
• Axumite Empire disappeared
by 900 AD
– Survivors lost their power
and wealth but they clung
to their Christian faith
• Comforted them in the
long centuries of poverty
and isolation that
followed
• Allowed them to survive
to become the ancestors
of Africa’s oldest
independent people, the
Ethiopians
Prosperity of Islamic North
Africa stimulated trade across
the Sahara Desert
Merchants sought West
African kola nuts, gums,
cotton cloth, hides, slaves, and
gold
Exchanged salt for these items
Merchants had to follow very
These individuals
often
evolved
into
Soon after the creation of an Islamic world
specific routes across the
powerful rules who controlled impressive
states economy, a number of states developed along desert
the southern border of the Sahara Desert
allowed local strongmen
Also used learning
literacy they gained
whichand
monopolized
key trade routesThis
and
who controlled these valuable
from Moslem
merchants
to createfame for their wealth
gained
widespread
and
routes to tax all caravans that
impressive administrative systems
and
power.
came their way
sophisticated cultures
KINGDOM OF GHANA
• King of Ghana was basically
a middleman who
controlled the caravan
route between the
Moroccan commercial city
of Sijilmassa and the gold
mines further to his south
– Used profits from this
geographic position to
develop a powerful
army and expand his
territory into what is
now Senegal and
Nigeria
ISLAM AND GHANA
• Rulers of Ghana
welcomed Moslem
merchants and teachers
– Used Moslem learning
for economic and
administrative
purposes
– But they did not
convert to Islam until
the last days of their
civilization
END OF GHANA
• Prosperity of Ghana was based solely on its control of the Sijilmassa
caravan route
– Did not manufacture any products or even grow much of its own
food
• Just bought these things with profits of its caravan route
monopoly
• But Ghana lost control of caravan route to desert nomads
– And it quickly broke apart and collapsed
KINGDOM OF MALI
Sundiata
• Main trade route across Sahara
shifted westward after the collapse
of Ghana
– Provided the base for the rise of
Kingdom of Mali
• Local chieftain Sundiata came to
control this new caravan route
– Used huge profits gained from
this control to create a powerful
army and extend his territories
into the west
• Thus creating the Kingdom of
Mali
CULTURE OF MALI
• Mali developed a system of
internal trade based on the
production and sale of
agricultural products
– Had a more diversified
economy than Ghana had
• Rulers of Mali converted to
Islam early in their history
– Turned their capital of
Timbuktu into a famous
center of Islamic learning
and worship
MANSA MUSA
• King Mansa Musa made trip to
Mecca in 1324
– Accompanied by huge army
of retainers and servants
– Gave away huge amounts of
gold to local rulers along his
route in order to broadcast
his wealth
– Also spent vast amounts for
provisions for his entourage
• Trip also intensified Islamic
influence in Mali
END OF MALI
• After the death of Mansa Musa,
Mali was attacked by desert
tribes
– Took over Timbuktu and
northern part of kingdom
• At the same time, local
strongmen in other parts of the
kingdom exploited the general
chaos, broke away, and set up
independent states
• By the 1370s, the Kingdom of
Mali had completely collapsed
GREAT ZIMBABWE
• Located in what is now the
modern country of
Zimbabwe
– Named after ruins
– Formerly the colony of
Rhodesia
• Ruins are still impressive
– Massive stone walls
– A stone fortress
– Stone towers
– Strange statues of birds
WHO BUILT IT?
• Ruins first discovered by a white
prospector in 1871
– Thought he had found King
Solomon’s mines
• Other white “experts” variously
attributed the construction of the
city to:
– Phoenicians
– Lost tribe of Israel
– Arabs
– Immigrants from India
• Racism prevented them from seeing
the obvious fact that the city had
been built by native black people
– “Experts” simply assumed that
black people did not have the skill
or intelligence to build something
like this
THE REAL GREAT ZIMBABWE
• It was only during the
1960s that the obvious fact
that black people had built
the city became commonly
accepted
• Had been capital of a large
state in southeaster Africa
• Active in international
trade
• May have been a religious
center since the numerous
bird statues may have
represented their god of
the sky
ENVIRONMENTAL CATASTROPHE
• Population reached 25,000 people
– But this growth put
tremendous strain on fragile
agricultural and grazing
environment of the region
• Which ultimately collapsed
due to over-farming and
over-grazing
• With collapse of local
environment, people began to
leave the city
– By 1600, the site was
completely abandoned
SUMMARY
• Many more civilizations rose
and fell in other parts of Africa
– All of which points to the
same thing:
• Even though most of the
rest of the world didn’t
know about it, Africans
frequently developed
sophisticated and
prosperous civilizations
long before Europeans
arrived on the continent
with their allegedly gift of
civilization