Chapters 6, 7, & 8
Economic
Trade
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Another major aspect of the culture
Small communities did develop in certain
places to help facilitate trade
◦ Mecca:
 Founded by the Umayyad Clan of the Quraysh Tribe
 Very affluent
 Ka’ba: located here and is part of the pre-Islamic religion
◦ Medina:
 Established as an Oasis
 Very agricultural
 Controlled by multiple clans that didn’t get along
 Meant that Medina was not very strong
Trade
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Urban Expansion linked the revived
trading system
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Arab dhows: Sailing vessels
Joint Ventures with Christians and Jews
Specialized trade of luxuries for the elites
Growth encouraged handcraft production
Unskilled labor = slaves
Manufacturing
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Guild system.
◦ regulated quality, prices, weights, and
measurements of all manufactured goods.
◦ quality high and prices low stimulating trade.
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Islamic manufacturing centers
◦ Persia for carpets
◦ Damascus for steel swords and daggers
◦ Cordoba for leather goods.
Africa common themes
Economy - Familial agricultural society
 Incredibly varied levels of economic
sophistication/involvement
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◦ North Africa – very involved
◦ Sub-Saharan – varies considerably
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Increase in slave trade after introduction
of Islam
◦ Growing demand for slaves due to practice of
freeing children of slaves
Nubia and Ethiopia
the region around the segment of the
Nile River that lies in northern Sudan and
southernmost Egypt
 Trade
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◦ Ethiopia exported gold, ivory
◦ Nubia rich with gold and amethyst
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Agricultural
Ghana
Power based on trade , wealth (gold),
control of conquered areas
 Point of contact between north, west, and
sub-Saharan
 Slave trade
 Controlled trans-saharan trade routes
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◦ Made the region VERY rich
◦ Traded: Gold and Salt
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Grasslands and forests
Mali
Agriculturally based
 Traded gold (Juula)
 Tradition of active trade
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◦ Traded throughout the empire
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Spread its territory into Western Africa
Songhay
Middle of Niger River Valley
 Gao became a large city for trade
 Got the gold from Western Africa
 Agriculturally based
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Central African States
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Traded salt
◦ Source of gold
Swahili States
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Heavily based on long-distance trade with
India, Middle East, and the Mediterranean
◦ Became strong due to trade
Swahili cities were important trading
ports for trade with the Middle East and
Far
 Fishing and farming
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