African Kingdoms
The Post- Classical Era
Objective: To understand and analyze the
effects of African trading kingdoms on
the Post- Classical Era.
Ms. Costa 
Early Civilizations of Africa:
Great Rift Valley
Nile Valley ( Ancient
Egypt)
Desertification- Bantu
Migrations
 Kingdom of Nubia
Great Zimbabwe
North Africa- Carthage
Trade & Camel Caravans
Introduction of Islam 600
Civilizations on the Nile:
Ancient Nubia
Ancient Egypt
• Flooding of the Nilesilt for farming
• 5,000 BC people begin
farming- scattered villages
• Ruled by kings & queens
(pharaohs = Gods)
• Large burial tombs & pyramids
for afterlife
• Use of hieroglyphics
• Skill in paper-making,
architecture, medicine and
astronomy
• 6000 BC hunting and fishing
communities South of Egypt
along Nile
• 3100 BC start of kingdoms
• Greatest city Napata- 724
conquered Egypt rule for 60
yrs.
• Later kingdom established
South of Nubia
• http://www.youtube.com/watc
h?v=tp6P_hBnF1s&feature=resu
lts_video&playnext=1&list=PL06
DEB820AFD029A5
North African Trading Powers
Rise and Fall of Carthage
• 800 BC Phoenicians establish
Carthage (Tunisia)
• Powerful city-state of N. Africa
• Textiles, metals, slaves, & food
• Dominate Med. Trade 500 BC200BC
• War with Rome- lose and fall
to Roman Empire 146
Roman and Islamic Influences
• Cities grew up in Morocco,
Algeria, and Tunisia under
Roman Empire
• Spread of Christianity
• Roman roads
• Fall of Rome 476 AD compete for
control of N. Africa
• 600s Arab traders took Egypt
and N. Africa- spread of Islam
• N. Africans spread Islam to W.
Africa
The Roman Empire
Gold for Salt:
 Dominate trans-Saharan trade
 Plentiful gold in Ghana,
Nigeria & Senegal (Savanna of
W. Africa)
 North Africa wants gold to
make coins (Have Salt)
 City of Taghaza salt blocks
used to build houses
 Salt is going South
 Gold is going North
 West Africans trade for saltnecessity for diets
 Control of gold supply
=wealthy trade kingdoms
Ghana: “Land of GoLd”
(700-1000)
Sonike people
Between Niger &
Senegal Rivers
Use of Iron
 Lavish court set up
Dominate gold/salt
trade
Go-between for North
African traders & gold  Import: cloth, broaches, copper &
and ivory producers of salt
 Export: Gold
South
Trade with Berbers from N. Africa
Ghana: Trade & Islam
Ghana’s kings grew richtax on imports/exports
 Islam: though in contact
with Muslim traders,
Ghana kept traditional
religion
Tolerant and welcome
Muslims
1050 Almoravidscampaign to spread
Islam/ invasions
MaLi: “Where the KinG dWeLLs”
(1200-1450)
 Mandinke people
 Famous for weaving, mining, and
architecture
 Sundiata- founder
 Takes over old empire- encompass
parts of Ghana
 Greatest leader Mansa Musa 1312
(takes salt mines to the North)
 MM Enlarges empire- Adopts Islam
 Assembly of Kings- legal code
 Timbuktu- center of scholarship/
wealth
 Ibn Batutta “There is complete
security in their country.”
Trade: Gold, Salt,
cloth, books &
Copper :
the eMperor’s hajj:
1324 sets out for Mecca
with caravan
Pass through Cairo
Egyptians in Awe – shows
wealth of kingdom
New trading ties
Return with Muslim
scholars, artists, writers,
teachers & architects
Building of mosques in
Gao & Timbuktu
Decline – after MM dies
his successor are weak
Songhai: 1300s
Founded by Sonni-Ali – bring
trading cities under his control
 Great military leader – takes
over Timbuktu
Gao = capital
Largest empire
Asika Muhammad- military
and administration (height of
kingdom under him)
Asika makes pilgrimage
brings Muslim scholars to
Timbuktu
1400 Timbuktu center of
learning
1586 invasions from North
Education: Uniform weights &
measures, banking and credit
Benin
Other Kingdoms of West
Africa:
 Rose in forests of Guniea
near Equator
 1300 kingdoms emerge
 King is political and
religious leader (Ewuare)
 3 mile long wall around city
 Palace with bronze
The Hausa:
 1300 walled cities of clay
 Thriving commercial centers
 Merchants trade with Arabs
and Berbers
 Develop a written
language based on Arabic
 Hausa rulers- some are
women
 Gain control of Saharan
trade routes
East African Trading
Kingdoms:
The Post Classical
Age
East African Kingdoms
 Trade with Middle East, Persia, India, China
E. African coast good harbors and cities
City-States: a large town that has its own government &
usually controls the surrounding countryside
 Trade at coastal and inland cities – Malindi, Mombasa,
Zanzibar, Mozambique, Mogadishu, Sofala & Kilwa
 Traders brought slaves, ivory, gold, and animal skins from
interior of Africa to coast
Other trade use trade winds to sail across Indian Ocean using
monsoons
Arabs bring Islam to E. Africa
Development of Swahili (Arab blended with local lang.)
The Kingdom of Axum:
• Christian missionaries 1st
introduce Christianity to
Ethiopia AD 300
• AD 500 Spread to Nubia
• Kingdom of Axum grew as
Arab & African traders settle
on Red Sea
• 600 decline bc Arabs
• 1200 re-mergence of
Christian stronghold King
Lalaibela
• 11 Rock churches
The Kingdom
of
AXUM
BBC: THE LOST KINGDOM OF AXUM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkEvbZZ1FuU&feature=related
The Great Kingdom of Zimbabwe:
• Inland & South from E.
African City States
• Located near Limpopo
• Connect to I.O. Trade
• Height 1300- rulers
organized large
kingdom/Cntrl gold mines
• Zimbabwe = “great stone
house”
• Today stone buildings, city
walls, fortresses, and homes
still stand
• Archeologists found
porcelain from China, beads
from India
• 1500s power struggle decline
Sources:
• BBC Lost Kingdoms of Africa
• Google Images