CHAPTER 13
African Societies &
The Impact of Islam
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/africa/features
/storyofafrica/7generic3.shtml
Timeline from BBC
Mosque in Timbuktu
I.
Africa before Islam
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/world-regions/#/06/Africa
Africa 500-1000 AD – Map Links
A. Bantu Migrations (p. 302 in textbook)
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500 BC – 1000 AD Bantu tribes migrate from West Africa
Organized into families/clans
Patriarchal
B. Regional & Cultural Adaptations
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Continent makeup (see map 13.1) – regions make it difficult to
traverse
Valleys of Nile & Niger prosper
Zanzibar
Safari Picture
The Sahara
C.
Clans & Kingdoms
Location
Makeup of Kingdom
Sub-Saharan Africa
Large groups of villages under a
regional ruler
South Africa
Stateless – ruled by local chiefs
& councils
East Africa
City-states emerge with
independent rulers
Central rain forest & eastern
plans
Foraging societies – nomadic
clans
D.
African Traditional Religion
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Polytheistic
Animism (belief that spirits existed that could either help or harm
human beings)
Priests & prophets performed rituals
Sometimes King alone could contact gods
Ancestor worship
http://www.afrikaworld.net/afrel/
http://www-sul.stanford.edu/depts/ssrg/africa/religion.html
http://www.africa.upenn.edu/About_African/ww_relig.html
Links to Websites on African Religions
II.
Islamic Africa & Spain
A.
Islamic North Africa (639-642) (PBS Video)
B.
Umayyad Spain (711 AD) (PBS Video)
C.
Fatimid Egypt (909-969 AD)
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Isma’ilis – Shi’ite Islam – Orthodox
Moved capital from Alexandria to
new city – Cairo
Defeated by Crusaders in 1099
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/islam/islamsbook.html
Islamic Sourcebook – Fordham University
http://media.nclive.org.ezproxy.cpcc.edu/browse_videos.phtml?Subject=14
Link through CPCC Library to Research Database – PBS Live – World History
Empires – Islam Part 1 and 2 (Watch Part 2 for the expansion of Islam into North Africa & Spain)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/africa/features/storyofafrica/index_section7.shtml
BBC Link for Africa & Islam (REQUIRED – LISTEN TO THE COMING OF ISLAM, approx. 28 minutes)
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/sumay/hd_sumay.htm
Art of Umayyad Period
Town gate in Morocco
Berber style buildings of
Morocco
III.
Trade Across the Sahara
A. The Importance of Camels
Link to Trade and Spread of Islam in Africa (Art)
http://www.metmuseum.org/TOAH/HD/tsis/hd_tsis.htm
B. Islam’s Interaction with
West Africa & Slave Trade
http://www.geocities.com/CollegePark/Classroom/9912/easterntrade.html
Article on Arab African Slave Trade –
East Africa and West Africa
http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/islam/history/slavery_1.shtml
BBC Link on Slavery (REQUIRED READING)***
IV.
West African Kingdoms (p. 311 – 313 textbook)
A. Ghana – “land of gold”
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Actually gold & salt
Militant form of Islam evolves – followers were called Almoravid
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/almo/hd_almo.htm
Art of the Almoravid Period
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/gold/hd_gold.htm
Trans-Saharan Gold Trade
B. Mali (1200-1450 AD)
Mandinke People
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Successor to state of Ghana
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Upper Niger River - Good agriculture & lots of rainfall
**Mansa Muli
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Pilgrimage to Mecca 1324 AD
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Very rich & powerful – visits kings of other nations
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Timbuktu becomes center of learning & culture (p. 134)
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Mosque in Djenne (Mali)
V.
Ethiopia’s Christian Kingdom (p. 315-316 text)
320-340 AD - Ethiopian King Ezana made Christianity Official
State Religion
http://www.pbs.org/wonders/fr_e4.htm
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/acet/hd_acet.htm
African Christianity in Ethiopia
During the reign of Ethiopia's Emperor
Lalibela (c. 1200-1250), the monks of the
region built a remarkable series of
churches hewn out of solid rock that
remain unique to this day. The churches
stand as a testament to the strength and
fervor of the Ethiopian Christian Church.
The church shown here, the Church of St.
George, was carved out of red volcanic
rock in the shape of a Greek cross.
Workers first chipped away the stone until
they reached a depth of 40 feet.
Afterwards, they molded the exterior of
the church and hollowed out its interior.
Photo credit: Georg Gerster/ Photo
Researchers, Inc.
St. George’s – the Rock Church
Procession
Priest
Pilgrim
Paintings
Ruins at the Palace of the
Queen of Sheba
Obelisks
At Axum
St. Mary of Zion Church, Axum