African Empires

Location: South/Southeastern Africa

Started: 1000 A.D. – 1450 A.D.

Cities:
◦ Great Zimbabwe
◦ Sofala
Zimbabwe


Government:
Kingdom (feudal system)
◦ Mutuapa “The Great Conqueror”

Religion:
◦ Ancestral: Believe the ancestors watched
over them with Mwari being the supreme
being

Economy: Gold Mining and Trade
Zimbabwe

Acheivements:
◦ Great Zimbabwe was part of a trade
network that reached across the Atlantic
Ocean.
◦ Kingdom was enclosed with rounded
stones and a small gate
 Very strong and defensible
Zimbabwe

Location
◦ East Africa (Horn)

Start/End
◦ 1000 B.C. to 750 A.D.

Major Cities
◦ Adulis: The greatest seaport. Connected
Egypt, Arabia, Persia, India, and Rome
Aksum (Axum)

Government
◦ Major Leader: Ezana expanded the empire
and converted to Christianity
◦ Dynasty with kings

Religion
◦ Ancestral
◦ Christian

Economy
◦ Sea Trade with Egypt, Arabia, Persia,
India, and Rome
Aksum (Axum)

Acheivements
◦ Only African kingdom to develop a written
language
◦ First African kingdom to create its own
coins
◦ Created Terrace Farming
 Growing crops on hills
Aksum (Axum)

Location
◦ East Africa

Start/End
◦ 1100 A.D. to 1488 A.D.

Major Cities
◦ Kilwa: Import city:
Brought in manufactured
goods while shipping out
raw materials
Swahili

Government
◦ Muslim Empire

Religion
◦ Islam

Economy
◦ Based on Imports and Exports
 Imported :porcelian, jewels, cotton
 Exported: Ivory, gold, and salt
Swahili

Location
◦ North West Africa

Start/End
◦ 700 A.D. to 1076 A.D.

Major Cities
◦ Walata
◦ Koumbi Saleh
Ghana

Government
◦ Dynasty based on warfare (Ghana means
war chief)

Religion
◦ Ancestral
◦ Converted to Islam

Economy
◦ Gold and Salt
Ghana

Location
◦ North West Africa

Start/End
◦ 1235 A.D. to 1353 A.D.

Major Cities
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
Walata
Timbuktu
Gao
Koumbi Saleh
Niani
Mali

Government
◦ Empire
 Ruled by Sundiata
 Expanded by Mansa Musa

Religion
◦ Islam

Economy
◦ Gold and Salt
Mali

Location
◦ North West Africa

Start/End
◦ 1400 A.D. to 1591 A.D.
Songhai

Major Cities
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
Taghaza
Walata
Koumbi Saleh
Niani
Djenne
Gao
Timbuktu
Kano
Agades
Songhai

Government
◦ Empire
 Ruled first by Sunni Ali who built the empire
through military conquest and took over the city
Djenne by marrying their queen to complete his
conquest

Religion
◦ Islam

Economy
◦ Gold and Salt
Songhai