The Early Kingdoms of Africa
Of the many diverse early African kingdoms, four in
particular stand out. These four are the kingdoms of
Ancient Ghana, Mali, Songhay (in western Africa) and
Great Zimbabwe (in south central Africa)
Ancient Ghana
It is generally accepted that the ancient state of Ghana
emerged sometime around the 7th century AD. Its oral records however, which list over 144
kings, place its emergence sometime around the 7th century BC. This marks the beginning of a
series of empires in West Africa that were involved in extensive commercial trade.
The kingship of Ghana, as with all Sahelian monarchies to follow, was matrilineal. It was the
sister of the king who provided the heir to the throne.
Ghana's kingdom consisted of a monarchy quite different
from those of their contemporary European counterparts.
The king was assisted by a People's Council whose members
were chosen from the various social strata. This social
organization indicates a long evolution of political
development that extends well beyond the kingdom's
founding.
Some have called the Kingdom of Ghana the "land of gold, " an excellent description
since it was abounding in gold. The gold trade was largely responsible for the development of
Ghana into a powerful, centralized kingdom. The peoples of West Africa had independently
developed their own gold mining techniques and began trading with people of other regions of
Africa and later Europe as well. Pictured above is a gold weight from the Akan people of
Ghana.
Fueled by its economic vitality, the kingdom of Ghana rapidly expanded into an empire.
It conquered local minor states, requiring tribute from these subordinate vassals. This tribute,
however, was not the main form of Ghana's wealth. Ancient Ghana boasted a mixed economy of
extensive agriculture, iron smelting, stonemasonry, carpentery, pottery, goldsmithing, and
cloth manufacturing. A strong trade emerged in goods that passed from western Africa east to
Egypt and the Middle East.
The Ghanaian kings controlled the gold that was mined in their kingdom and implemented a
system of taxation for their people. Around 1054, the authority of the king eventually
diminished, which opened the way for the Kingdom of Mali to begin to gain power. The trade
that had begun, however, continued to prosper. It was to be Mali who would later continue the
legacy of the Sahelien states.
Ancient Mali
Located in west Africa is the second great Sahelian kingdom: Mali. The historical founder of
Mali was a mystic by the name of Sundjata Keita or Sundiata. An historic figure, was said to
have begun as a royal servant and magician among the Soso peoples who then ruled the
Ghanian empire. The rulers of Mali nominally converted to Islam, but held strong ties with
traditional religions. Sundiata was said to
have ruled Mali from 1230-1255. At its
height, Mali was a confederation of 3
independent, freely allied states and 12
garrisoned provinces.
The most significant of the Mali kings was
Mansa Musa(1312-1337) who expanded
Mali influence over the large Niger citystates of Timbuctu, Gao, and Djenné. Mansa Musa was a devout Muslim who built magnificent
mosques all throughout the Mali sphere of influence. In 1324 Mansa Musa made a pilgrimage
to Mecca with an entourage of 60,000 people and 80 camels carrying more than two tons of
gold to be distributed among the poor. Of the 12,000 servants 500 carried a staff of pure gold.
It has been said that the gold markets of regions such as Egypt were ruined for months or
years after Musa's visit through their respective
kingdoms.
It was under Mansa Musa that Mali became one of the
major cultural centers not only of Africa but of the
entire world. Several great centers of Islamic learning
were established, among them the legendary
Timbuktu, Djenne, and Gao. Scholars came from all
over the Muslim world to study at these places, which have a long and rich history of
learning in religion, mathematics, music, law, and literature. Although many people in
Mali maintained their indigenous religions during this time, Islam was becoming well
established throughout the kingdom.
After the death of Mansa Musa, the power of Mali began to decline. Losing its sphere of
influence, its subject states began to break off and establish themselves independently.
Ancient Songhay
The exact origins of the Kingdom of Songhay are not clear to historians, although there
are records of a King Kossoi accepting Islam around 1009 CE. This began an integration of
commerce and religion in this West Africa region that would continue throughout the history
of the Kingdom of Songhay. Thus, Islam became a unifying force for the people and an
important factor for maintaining state power.
However, Songhay would not fully eclipse the Kingdom of
Mali until the reign of the Sunni king, Sonni Ali, who reigned
from 1464-1492 The first of two great rulers in the Kingdom of
Songhay, Sonni Ali made the Songhay perhaps the most powerful
state in western/central Africa at the time. He seized Timbuktu
and Djenne, which had been parts of the Kingdom of Mali. These,
as well as the capital city of Gao, continued to be important
centers of learning and commerce.
Roughly around the same year Christopher Columbus had
reached the western hemisphere, Askia Muhammad Touré (14931528), established the Askia dynasty of Songhay. Under the
leadership of Askia Mohammed, Timbuctu once again became a
prosperous commercial city, reaching a population of 100,000
people. Merchants and traders traveled from Asia, the Middle East and Europe to exchange
their exotic wares for the gold of Songhay. Timbuctu gained fame as an intellectual center
rivaling many others in the Muslim world. Students from various parts of the world came to
Timbuctu's famous University of Sankore to study Law and Medicine.
In order to maintain his large empire
Muhammad Touré further centralized the
government by creating a large and
elaborate bureaucracy. He was also the
first to standardize weights, measures,
and currency, so culture throughout the
Songhay began to homogenize. These
programs of conquest, centralization, and
standardization were the most ambitious
and far-reaching in Africa at the time.
After the reign of Askia, subject peoples
began to revolt. Even Songhay's massive
army, said to be over 35,000 soldiers,
archers and cavalry, could not keep order. The Kingdom of Songhay came to an end when the
Moroccans invaded and conquered them. By 1600 CE, the days of the great kingdoms of West
Africa were over.
Great Zimbabwe
As opposed to the three previous kingdoms, which were in the northern half of Africa, Great
Zimbabwe was located in southern Africa. Great Zimbabwe existed between approximately the
12th and 15th centuries CE The name “Zimbabwe” comes from the Shona. Roughly translated
it can mean "Houses of Stone" and is associated with rulership.
Located here in the nation of Zimbabwe are the ruins
of monuments and cities built of stone. These ruins
extend a radius of 100 to 200 miles, a diameter almost
as great as the entire nation of France. Believed to
have been built by southern Africans about 600-1,000
years ago, they are evidence of a thriving culture in the
heart of Africa. Most archaeologists agree that the
Zimbabwe-type stone structures were indicators of the dwelling places of the elite.
Great Zimbabwe was an early example of a state
in southern Africa with much political, economic,
and military power. With its formation, social
and political organization became more
hierarchical. This involved a move from village
level organization to a larger, broader social and
political organization resulting in the Kingdom
of Great Zimbabwe.
Around 1000AD people began to build large
stone buildings for their kings, positioning them
away from land. Many believe this move may
have occurred to escape the dangerous tsetse fly. About 150 of these great ruins similar to
Great Zimbabwe exist today. Many of these have been severely impacted and almost
demolished, at least 50, as a result of the hunger for gold by Europeans.