African Societies
Introduction
• Impossible to generalize about them
• Differences in geography, language,
religion, and politics
Stateless Societies
• Some African societies had rulers that
exercised absolute control
• Others were stateless – meaning that they
were organized around kinship relationships
• A council of families would hold leadership
power
• Many of these stateless societies thrived
• The downside was the issue of resisting
external pressure, mobilizing for war, large
building projects, and creating lasting longdistance trade
Common Elements
• Similarities in language
• The Bantu spread their language
• Animistic religions – included dancing,
drums, and sacrifice
• A priest class rose in light of the belief that
disasters etc. were caused by witchcraft
• Cosmology important
• Shared a belief in a creator deity
• His actions were expressed through lesser
people – ancestors
• The family, lineage, or clan had an
important role in dealing with the gods
• Deceased ancestors were a direct link
between their living relatives and the
divine
• Economies were hard to describe – North
Africa was fully involved in Mediterranean
trade
• Sub-Saharan was very diverse
• The size of Africa's population is hard to
pinpoint – some estimates show 30-60
million by 1500
The Arrival of Islam
• North Africa had long been part of the
classical world
• Christianity had taken a firm hold here
• Between 640 and 700 CE, Muslims ruled
Tunisia – in North Africa – they then crossed
into Spain
• A group called the Berbers tried to preserve
Christianity but rival groups such as the
Almoravids and Almohadis launched jihad
to spread the Muslim faith
Why did Africa like Islam?
• All are equal
• United state and religion
• All members of the umma were equal to
the newly converted
• Social stratification
Nubia and Ethiopia
• Christians had long been in Ethiopia and
Egypt
• The Coptic branch from Egypt spread to
Nubia (ancient Kush)
• Muslim attempts to penetrate this area
were met with fierce resistance
• Axum grew into Ethiopia and would be the
most important Christian outpost in
Eastern Africa
Ethiopia
• In an effort to preserve Christianity, they
turned inward
• Lived in fortified towns
• King Lalibela established a dynasty there
• Built 11 great churches
• Resistance was met by Somalia who had
sided with Islam – this fighting still exists
today