John P. McKay ● Bennett D. Hill ● John Buckler
Patricia Buckley Ebrey ● Roger B. Beck
Clare Haru Crowston ● Merry E. Wiesner-Hanks
A History of World Societies
Ninth Edition
CHAPTER 10
African Societies and Kingdoms,
1000 B.C.E.–1500 C.E.
Copyright © 2011 by Bedford/St. Martin’s
I. The Land and Peoples of Africa
A. Africa’s Geographical and Human Diversity
1. Geographical economic development
2. African groups
B. Egypt, Race, and Being African
1. Hamitic thesis
2. Egyptian cultural identity
II. Early African Societies
A. Settled Agriculture and Its Impact
1. Plant cultivation
2. Slash and burn
3. Domesticated plants and animals
4. Settled life
B. Bantu Migrations
1. Bantu languages
2. Eastern and southern movements
II. Early African Societies
C. Life in the Kingdoms of the Western Sudan,
ca. 1000 B.C.E.–800 C.E.
1. Senegal and Niger River populations
2. Kingship and the Queen Mother
3. Animistic and polytheistic religious beliefs
III. The Trans-Saharan Trade
A. The Berbers of North Africa
1. Caravan routes
2. Tuareg threats
B. Effects of Trade on West African Society
1. Mining
2. Slaves
3. Urban centers
III. The Trans-Saharan Trade
C. The Spread of Islam in Africa
1. Berber conversion
2. Ghana
3. Mogadishu
IV. African Kingdoms and Empires,
ca. 800–1500
A. The Kingdom of Ghana, ca. 900–1100
1. The Soninke people
2. Koumbi Saleh
3. Trade and tribute
IV. African Kingdoms and Empires,
ca. 800–1500
B. The Kingdom of Mali, ca. 1200–1450
1. Agricultural and commercial base
2. Sundiata
3. Mansa Musa
IV. African Kingdoms and Empires,
ca. 800–1500
C. Ethiopia: The Christian Kingdom of Aksum
1. Religious backgrounds
2. Trading state
3. Written records
4. Queen Makeda
5. Prester John
IV. African Kingdoms and Empires,
ca. 800–1500
D. The East African City-States
1. Swahili culture
2. Kilwa
3. East African slave trade
E. Southern Africa and Great Zimbabwe
1. Geographical features
2. Gold trade