AFRICA
Nile Valley Civilization
Earliest Civilization
in Africa
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7,000 years ago
Fertile Soil
Lots of wildlife
The Pharaohs
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3,000 BCE
United villages
along the Nile
Polytheism
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The worship of many Gods
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Amon-Re
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Osiris
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The Chief God/ The Sun God
God of the Underworld and the Nile
Isis
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Osiris’s Wife
The Pyramids
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Built as tombs for Pharaohs
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Filled with:
Food
Clothing
Jewels
Anything needed for the afterlife
The Kingdom of Kush
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900 BCE - 350 CE
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Major accomplishment:
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Manufacture of iron
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Tools
Weapons
Why important?
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Major trading center
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Ethiopia
Egypt
Persia
Kingdom of Axum
Kingdom of Axum
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Modern Day Ethiopia
Why important?
Important center of trade
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Spices
Gems
Ivory
First African Christian Kingdom
Kingdom of Axum
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King Ezana
330 A.D.
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Conquers the Kush
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Burns towns
Destroys temples
Axum Obelisk
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Symbol of Axum
The Gold-Salt Trade
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Timbuktu
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Country:
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Mali
Timbuktu
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Importance:
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Center of trade
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Gold
Salt
Ideas
Center of Muslim Scholars
Navigating the Sahara
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Navigators used stars
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Rested during the day
Navigated at night
Oasis in the Sahara near Taghit
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Relied on:
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Oasis
Gold – Salt Trade
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Salt more valuable than gold
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Western Africa
Sahara
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Salt was plentiful
Savannah
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Gold was plentiful
This trade gave rise to the great empires of
western Africa
The Empire of Ghana
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Ghana – war
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Ancient Ghana
chief
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Note:
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Ancient Ghana’s
location in
comparison with
the present state
of Ghana
The Emperor
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Power rested on the control of the gold
trade.
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Owned all the gold mined in the empire
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Source of wealth
Allowed emperor to build strong armies
Invasions
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Almoravids
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(1076 BCE)
Former trading partners
Invaded Ghana
Broke up the empire into smaller states
Empire of Mali
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Mandingos
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Farmers that had lived under Ghana’s rule
Seized gold producing lands.
Mansa Musa
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1307-1337
Most influential ruler of Mali
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Extended borders
Captured salt mines.
Mansa Musa and Mali
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Mali
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Following Musa’s death Mali was revered
for its safety and security.
This lasting security revealed the power
and strength Mansa Musa established
during his reign.
Mali Empire
Influence of Islam - Mali
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Adopted by Mansa Musa
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Influence of Islam increased
Laws became based on the Koran
The Great Mosque
Djenne, Mali
The Great Mosque in Mali
Musa’s Decline
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Weak rulers followed Mansa Musa
Empire was weakened and shrank.
Songhai
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Sunni Ali
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A lifetime of war
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Captured Timbuktu and many key trading
centers
Preserved safety of trade routes
Songhai
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Askia Muhammad
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Encouraged teachers and writers to settle
in Timbuktu
Timbuktu became a great center for
teaching and learning
Tomb of Askia
Songhai
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Morroco Invasion
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Why?
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Heard of the great riches of the Songhai
Empire
How?
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Better technology
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Cannons
Guns
The Forest Kingdom of Benin
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Delta of the Niger River
Ewuare
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Captured 201 cities and towns
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Including Ibo country
Benin City
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Center of industry
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Broad avenues
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Produced:
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Woven Goods
Brass
Wood
Ivory Objects
Cities of East Africa
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City-State
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Pillar of Vasco de Gama
A large town that has its own government
and usually controls the surrounding
country side.
Examples:
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Kilwa; Malindi; Mombassa
Kilwa
Arab – African Trade
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Swahili
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Mixture of:
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Bantu and Islamic Words
Portuguese Invasion
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Early 1500’s
Portuguese attacked and occupied
many city-states, thus ending their
prosperity.
Zimbabwe
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“Great Stone House”
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Importance:
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Gold Mines
Made rulers wealthy, but most of the populace
were herders or farmers.
Power struggles ended the kingdom in the 1500’s.
Next to each civilization, phrase,
or word, explain its importance
or key characteristic in one
phrase.
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Review
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Zimbabwe
Timbuktu
Askia Muhammad
Portuguese
City-State
Kilwa
Mombassa
Songhai
Swahili
Benin City
Mansa Musa
Islam
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Christianity
Islam
Gold Salt Trade
Mali
Gahna
Askia Muhammad
King Ezana
Amon-Re
Forest Kingdom of Benin
Axum
Kush
Sunni Ali