 Sit in groups of 3
 Take out paper to take notes.
 Have your laptop available.

• Note taking strategies
• SOAPPS activity
• Gold-Salt Trade activity
HMWK: Study for Period 3 part I test. Don’t forget to review Periods 1 & 2!

AFRICA: Large area with many different environmental zones
& many geographical obstacles to movement
 Sahara Desert—North Africa
 World's largest desert
 Maghreb—northwest Africa
 Coastlands and Atlas
Mountains of Morocco,
Algeria, and Tunisia
 Sahel—belt of grasslands
• south of Sahara
 Sudan—just below the Sahel
 Guinea—rainforests
 Along Atlantic coast from
Guinea to Nigeria
 Congo—rainforest region of
Congo River Basin
 Southern Africa

The most arable land in
Africa is in the region of the tropics.

 Forms of Government
 Various : Chiefdoms, Kingdoms, Empires, Kinship based tribes 
 Religion
 Various: Animism, Ethical Codes, Shamanism,
Christianity
 Society: - Bantu
 Migration over 600 years (West-East)
 Largest in human history
 Common language base
 No written language
 The Bantu-speaking groups are still found in many areas including Uganda, Kenya and in Tanzania.

 The Bantu peoples
 Originated in the region around modern Nigeria/Cameroon
 Influenced by Nok iron making, herding, agriculture
 Population pressure drove migrations, 2000 BCE – 700 BCE
 Two major movements: to south and to east and then south
 Languages split into about 500 distinct but related tongues
 Bantu agriculture and herding
 Early Bantu relied on agriculture – slash-burn, shifting
 Pastoralists, semi-nomadic due to agriculture, cattle
 Iron metallurgy
 Iron appeared during the 7th and 6th centuries B.C.E.
 Iron made agriculture more productive
 Expanded divisions of labor, specialization in Bantu societies
 Population Pressures
 Iron technologies produced population upsurge
 Large populations forced migration of Bantu

 Stateless societies
 Early Bantu societies did not depend on elaborate bureaucracy
 Societies governed through family and kinship groups
 Village council, consisted of male family heads
 Chief of a village was from the most prominent family heads
 A group of villages constituted a district
 Villages chiefs negotiated intervillage affairs
 Chiefdoms
 Population growth strained resources, increased conflict
 Some communities began to organize military forces, 1000 C.E.
 Powerful chiefs overrode kinship networks and imposed authority
 Some chiefs conquered their neighbors
 Kingdom of Kongo
 Villages formed small states along the Congo River, 1000 C.E.
 Small states formed several larger principalities, 1200 C.E.
 One of the principalities conquered neighbors, built kingdom of
Kongo
 Maintained a centralized government with a royal currency system
 Provided effective organization until the mid-17th century

 Diversity of African societies in Sub-Saharan Africa
 Complex societies developed into kingdoms, empires, and city-states
 Coexisted with small states and stateless societies
 Lineages consisted of all members descended from a common ancestor
 Kinship groups of stateless societies
 Extended families and clans as social and economic organizations
 Communities claimed rights to land, no private property
 Village council allocated land to clan members
 Sex and gender relations
 Men undertook heavy labor, herding,
 Women were responsible for child rearing, domestic chores, farming
 Men monopolized public authority but women could be leaders
 Women enjoyed high honor as the source of life
 Many societies were matrilineal; aristocratic women influenced public affairs
 Women merchants commonly traded at markets
 Sometimes women organized all-female military units
 Islam did little to curtail women's opportunities in sub-Saharan Africa
 Age grades
 Publicly recognized "age grades" or "age sets"
 Assumed responsibilities and tasks appropriate to their age grades
 Coming of age ceremonies and secret societies restricted by age, gender

 Creator god

 Recognized by almost all African peoples
 Created the earth and humankind, source of world order
 Lesser gods and spirits
 Often associated with natural features, forces in world
 Participated actively in the workings of the world
 Believed in ancestors' souls influencing material world
 Diviners
 Mediated between humanity and supernatural beings
 Called shamans and inappropriately “witch doctors”
 Interpreted the cause of the people's misfortune
 Used medicine or rituals to eliminate problems
 African religion was not theological, but practical
 Religion to placate the gods, ask for assistance, cures, fertility
 Public celebrations inc. dancing, singing formed community
 Genders honored different deities, had separate ceremonies

The term Bantu refers to group of people who speak the same or similar language with common word “NTU” which means a person.
The Bantu Migration
This largest among known migrations in African and human history, began in 100
B.C. and progressed until the third or fourth century A.D. In its early stages this expansion was slow and thorough. It is estimated that the Bantus took about 600 years to cover
1000 km, at an overall rate of no more than 22 km each decade. The migration to S.A. occurs at about the same time as the Dutch arrive.


• Linguistic evidence
• Spread of iron and other technology in sub-
Saharan Africa
• Original homeland of Bantu was area on the border of modern Nigeria and Cameroon
• Spread out toward east and south through series of migrations in first millennium CE
• Introduce cattle, iron, slash-burn agriculture
• By 8 th century
BCE
, Bantu-speaking people reached East Africa

 The Bantu Migration
 Population pressure led to migration, c. 2000 B.C.E.
 Movement to South, along Southeast and Southwest coasts
 Languages differentiated into about 500 distinct but related tongues
 Occupied most of sub-Saharan (except West) Africa by 1000 C.E.
 Split into groups as they migrated: Eastern, Central, Southern
 Bantu spread iron, herding technologies as they moved
 Bananas
 Between 300/500 C.E., Malay seafarers reached Africa
 Settled in Madagascar, visited East African coast
 Brought with them pigs, taro, and banana cultivation
 Bananas became well-established in Africa by 500 C.E.
 Bantu learned to cultivate bananas from Malagasy
 Bananas caused second population spurt, migration surge
 Reached South Africa in 16 th century CE
 Population growth
 3.5 million people by 400 B.C.E.
 11 million by the beginning of the millennium
 17 million by 800 C.E.
 22 million by 1000 C.E.



 Early Christianity in North Africa
 Christianity reached Africa during 1 st century C.E.
 St. Mark converted Egypt, spread up Nile
 Romans introduced faith to North Africa
 North Africa was home to many heresies
 Arianism = Jesus was human
 Monophysites = Jesus had one nature

 Donatists = Apostate Christians could not return
 Vandal German settlers were Arian Christians
 Byzantine conquest returned north to Catholics
 Region had no influence on sub-Saharan African
 Monophysite Christianity along the Nile
 Believed Christ had one nature, largely divine
 Persecuted; declared heresy by Chalcedon
 The Christian kingdoms of Nubia and Axum
 1 st Christian kingdom, 4th century C.E.,
 Nubians of Kush also became Christian
 Both adopted Monophysite form of Christianity
 Ethiopian and Nubian Christianity
 Had little contact with Christians of other lands
 Shared basic Christian theology/rituals, developed own features
 Isolated, attacked by Islam

 Islam in Africa
 North Africa
 Arab armies conquered region by early 8 th Century; pushed up Nile
 Mass conversions of local inhabitants due to tax incentives
 West Africa
 Introduced by Trans-Saharan Trade route
 Merchants were greatest contact with Islam
 Local rulers, elites converted by 10th century
 Gave elites control of trade, many benefits
 Allowed people to observe traditional beliefs
 Nomadic Berbers in North Africa
 Berbers and Arabs were bitter rivals
 Arabs settled coastlands, cities
 Berbers lived in deserts, mountains
 Berbers became puritanical Muslim, Shia
 Berber fanatics invaded Ghana, Morocco
 Ghana weakened, fell 10 th century CE
 Elite religion vs. common practices
 Most people remained polytheists especially outside
 Produced syncretic blend such as accommodation
 After conversion by elites, old beliefs remained; part
 Religion introduced writing, literary traditions

• 1 st introduced along the Mediterranean coast
• 711AD - Arrival of Islam in Spain & Western Sahara
• The Christian Kingdoms: Nubia and Ethiopia
Copts (Coptic Christianity): Egyptian Christians welcomed Muslims
• Dar al Islam in Africa:
• Implements Trans-Saharan Slave Trade in Africa
• Introduces theocracy
• Social standards, ethics & new norms
• Extracts gold, silver, and ivory from Timbuktu (Ghana, Mali, &
Songhai)

Salt

Why Salt for Gold?
•Ghana and Mali
•People needed to replenish it after excessive perspiration (Gatorade)
•Preserved Food
•Gave it to their cattle
•Used it to flavor food
•Most people had gold, but not salt
•They had no other goods to trade

ST
 Camels
 Camels came to Egypt from Arabia, 7th century B.C.E.
 Romans introduced them to North Africa, patrolled desert
 After 500 C.E. camels replaced horses, donkeys as transport animals
 Camels' arrival quickened pace of communication across the Sahara
 Islamic merchants crossed the desert to trade in West Africa
 Established relations with sub-Saharan West Africa by 8th century
 The Kingdom of Ghana
 Kings maintained a large army of two hundred thousand warriors
 A principal state of west Africa, not related to modern state of Ghana
 Became the most important commercial site in west Africa
 Controlled gold mines, exchanged it with nomads for salt
 Provided gold, ivory, and slaves
 Wanted horses, cloth, manufactured goods
 Koumbi-Saleh
 Capital city
 Thriving commercial center

 Mandike Peoples
 Ghana was established by Mandika
 After fall of Ghana, Mandika established many small states
 Most people were not Muslims but merchants were
 Sundiata
 After Ghana dissolved, political leadership shifted to Mali empire, a Mandika state
 The lion prince Sundiata (reigned 1230-55) built the Mali empire
 Ruling elites, families converted to Islam after his death
 The Mali empire and trade
 Controlled gold, salt; taxed almost all trade passing through west Africa
 Enormous caravans linked Mali to north Africa
 Besides Niani, many prosperous cities on caravan routes

 Mansa Musa
 Sundiata's grand nephew, reigned from 1312 to 1337
 Made his pilgrimage to Mecca in 1324-1325
 Gargantuan caravan of thousand soldiers and attendants
 Gold devalued 25% in Cairo during his visit
 Mansa Musa and Islam
 Upon return to Mali, built mosques
 Sent students to study with Islamic scholars in
North Arica
 Established Islamic schools in Mali
 The decline of Mali
 Factions crippled the central government
 Rise of province of Gao as rival to Mali
 Military pressures from neighboring kingdoms, desert nomads

 Slavery in Africa
 Most slaves were captives of war, debtors, criminals
 Kept for local use or sold in slave markets
 Often used as domestic laborers especially agricultural workers
 Generally not a social stigma attached
 Slaves could receive freedom, become part of family, tribe
 Children born to slaves were not slaves
 Slave trading
 Slave trade increased after the 11th century CE
 Primary markets
 Across Sahara to North Africa and Egypt and ultimately Arabia
 Out of East Africa to Arabia and Middle East
 In some years, 10 to 12 thousand slaves shipped out of Africa
 Males preferred, could also act as carriers of trade goods
 10 million slaves transported by Islamic trade between 750/1500
 Demand for slaves outstripped supply from eastern Europe
 Original slaves preferred in Muslim world were Caucasian Slavs
 Word “slave” comes from Slav
 Slave raids against smaller states, stateless societies
 Muslims could not be used as slaves (Quran) yet often ignored

Because of the trading expeditions, rock salt
What incentive was there for people to
Africa. Do you think the price of rock salt was the same in both locations?
Why or why not?

Multiply this number by By this number
To calculate this answer
Why were ox carts not
Why do you think journey from North
Africa through the savanna & rain forest?
10,000
19,000
2,000
1,200
4,000
12,000

the previous activity to

Camel Caravan
 Requires 20 camels, each carrying 400 lbs.
 It will take 20 days traveling
25 miles/day.
cost $232.75 for a trip that lasted 25 days, paying each
 20 camels will cost $100 at the rate of $5/camel.
 worker $0.07 per day.
Requires 80 donkeys, each
 It will take 25 days traveling
20 miles/day
 80 donkeys will cost $80 at the rate of $1/donkey
 Requires 5 drivers, each in charge of 4 camels.
 Wages for each driver is
$0.07. For 20 days total wages are $7.
 Total cost is $107
 Requires 16 drivers, each in charge of 5 donkeys
 Wages for each driver is
$0.07. For 25 days total wages are $28
 Total cost is $108

How many gallons of water can a camel drink in one minute?
Camels have a very slow rate of water loss, and they can go for much longer periods of time without consuming water—longer than any other domestic animal. In the Sahara, camels do not usually drink at all during the cool season, when plant life is abundant and they can absorb water from the vegetation they eat. Only in the hot summer months do camels need to drink water. When the temperature is between 90° and
100° Fahrenheit, they can go 10–20 days without needing to drink. Only when the temperature rises above 100° do camels need to take regular drinks of water. Five days is the longest they can go without water in extreme temperatures.
When they do drink, camels can ingest large quantities of water—as much as 2½–5½ gallons per minute. In very high temperatures, a camel needs to drink between 5½–8 gallons of water to sustain itself for a full day without needing to drink again.






What were three challenges encountered by those who participated in the gold-salt trade?

 Origins
 Situated north east of Lake Chad.
 In 11th century, Sefawa dynasty was established
 Shift in lifestyle
 From entirely nomadic to pastoralist way of life with agriculture
 State became more centralized with capital at Njimi; maintained large cavalry
 Islam and Trade
 Kanem converted to Islam under Hu or Hawwa (1067-71).
 Faith was not widely embraced until the 13th century.
 Muslim traders played a role in bringing Islam to Kanem
 Wealth of Kanem derived from ability of rulers to control trade
 Main exports were ostrich feathers, slaves and ivory; imported horses, luxuries
 Exports were crucial to their power, ability to dominate neighbors
 A Change
 Combination of overgrazing, dynastic uncertainties, attacks from neighbors
 Rulers of Kanem to move to Borno, state now referred to as Kanem-Borno
 New contacts with Hausa of Nigeria; capital becomes center of knowledge, trade
 Army modernized by trade with Muslim, Turks: acquired firearms
 Decline was long, gradual and peaceful: fell in the 19 th century

 Origins
 Sorko fishermen of Niger became merchants
 Joined Gao state (part of Malian Empire)
 Mali could never collect taxes from Gao
 Rise
 Sonni Ali the Great build cavalry, war fleet
 Disputed Mali, conquer Timbuktu
 Anti-Muslim: saw them as a threat
 Zenith
• Fall
• Civil war erupted in 16 th century
• Demographic Changes
 Askia Muhammad seized power after Sonni’s death
• Drought, desertification hurt economy
• Diseases spread
• Moroccan Empire invades and destroys state in order to control gold trade
 Devout Muslim, promoted Islam; launched jihads
 Visited Cairo, Mecca; promoted Songhai to Muslims
 Declared Caliph of the Sudan
 Built centralized state using Muslim jurists as advisors
 Tradition and Trade
 Maintained tribal rituals of sacred drum, sacred fire, dress
 Privileged caste craftsmen; slaves important in agriculture
 Traded kola nuts, gold, slaves for horses, salt, luxuries, finished goods

 Early visitors to east Africa
 Egyptians visited, traded with area
 Famous expedition of Hatshepshut to Punt
 Indian, Persian visited after 500 B.C.E.
 Greeks, Romans called area Azania
 Malays established colonies on Madagascar
 Kingdom of Axum (Aksum)
 Sabeans of Yemen created Axum
 Arose in highlands of Ethiopia
 Trading state across Bab el Mandeb straits
 Tribute empire on land; trade gold, frankincense, myrrh, food, ivory
 Built stone structures, issued own coins
 Eventually became Monophysite Christian
 King Ezana converted and court followed in early 4 th century
 Developed Ge’ez language, writing in association with Christianity
 Maintained strong contacts with Egypt
 Traded with Romans, Byzantines, Persians, Indians, Arabs
 By 2 nd century: Bantus populated much of East Africa
 By 7 th century: Arab merchants begin to visit
 By 8 th century: Muslim armies, merchants push up Nile



 Monsoon winds dictate all movement
 November to February: Indians can arrive
 April to September: Swahili go to India


• 30-40 separate city-states along East African coast
• "Swahili" used by early Arabs, means "coast“
• By 1st century BCE Arab and Indian traders
• Brought bananas, cloves, cinnamon and pepper
• Left with gold, ivory and slaves
• Spoke African language enriched with Arabic and Persian vocabulary
• 8th Century CE
• Settlement Arabs from Persian Gulf
• Small settlements of Indians

 Intermarriage of the Bantu and the Arab produced Swahili
 An Arabic term, meaning "coasters"
 Dominated east African coast from Mogadishu to Sofala
 Swahili is a Bantu language mixed with Arabic
 The Swahili city-states
 Chiefs gained power through taxing trade on ports
 Developed into city-states ruled by kings, 11 th -12th centuries
 Controlled trade from interior: slaves, gold, ivory, spices
 Exchanged goods for finished goods, cloths, dyes, luxuries
 Craftsmen, artisans, clerks were Muslims
 Slaves used for domestic, agriculture
 Zanzibar clove plantations needed slaves
 Kilwa
 One of the busiest city-states
 Multistory stone buildings, mosques, schools
 Issued copper coins from the 13th century
 By 15th century, exported ton of gold per year
 Merchants from India, China, Arabia visited
 Islam in East Africa
 Ruling elite and wealthy merchants converted to Islamic faith
 Conversion promoted close cooperation with Muslim merchants
 Conversion also opened door to political alliances with Muslim rulers

 Ethiopia
 The people who stay in the mountains are able to remain undisturbed
 Somalia
 The King was enslaved, walks back and convinces his people to convert so they will not be enslaved
 Upper classes generally convert as a way to consolidate power and avoid slavery
 Slavery develops rapidly as a business in Africa.

th
th



 South Central Africa
 Wooded and grass savannahs
 Rich in minerals especially copper, gold
 Bantu herders, ironsmiths found it wonderful
 Zimbabwe
 A powerful kingdom of Central Africa arose in 13 th century
 From 5th centuries C.E. built wooden residences known as zimbabwe
 By the 9th century began to build stone zimbabwe
 Magnificent stone complex known as Great Zimbabwe, the 12th century
 18,000 people lived in Great Zimbabwe in the late 15th century
 Kings and wealth
 Organized flow of gold, ivory
 Trade include slaves
 Counted wealth in cattle, too
 Traded with Swahili city-states

Elizabeth I Christopher Haigh
Funny in Farsi Firoozeh Dumas
Sophie’s World Jostein Gaarder
Here I Stand, A Life of Martin Luther
Ronald Bainton
The Conference of the Birds
Farid –Ud-Din Attar
1453 Roger Crowley
The Power of Myth Joseph Campbell
The World That Trade Created
Kenneth Pomeranz

Ishmael Daniel Quinn
The Prince Nicolo Machiavelli
The Communist Manifesto Karl Marx
Under the Feet of Jesus
Helena Maria Viramontes
Irrational Man Willaim Barrett
Seven Years in Tibet Heinrich Harrer
The Lost Boys of Sudan Mark Bixler