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Chapter 13 –Ghana: A West African Trading Empire
Chapter 14 – The Influence of Islam on West Africa
Fall of Ghana/Rise of Mali & Songhai
P. 153 Why did the kingdom fall? Find more than one reason.
The empire of Ghana was at its height in 1000 CE.
1- War – Muslim warriors (Almoravids had a jihad and captured Kumbi in 1076)
the empire started to fall apart.
2- Loss of natural resources*Water too scarce.
*Cut down too many trees in furnaces to make iron tools
3-West Africans called the Mande conquered Kumbi. They were Muslims.
Ghana’s Empire ended in 1203 CE. So it was from 500 CE-1203 CE.
2) The West Africans called Mande from the kingdom of Mali conquered
Kumbi in 1240 CE.
3) What religion did their leaders follow?
They controlled trade and leaders followed Islam.
**Mali’s empire went from Atlantic Ocean to Niger River.
And from southern forest to desert.
P.154—
4) How was West African Islamic faith blended with African culture? p. 158
West Africans prayed to God in Arabic and also prayed to the spirits of their dead
ancestors. Also, believed that there were spirits in animals, plants and earth.
They used amulets/charms p. 158 to protect them from harm.
Some Arabs were upset by these customs – Ibn Battuta –
Arab who wrote about what he saw.
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5) Who was the first West African ruler to practice Islam devoutly in 1312?
Mansa Musa a new leader of Mali Empire
How do we know this? What was the result of his hajj?
1- Mali – became a crossroad /hub of the Islamic world.
2- His hajj – pilgrimage to Makkah in Arabia - 3000 miles
80,000 people went – brought much gold
Read p. 157
He went to Cairo, Egypt – met the sultan there and then on to Makkah and Madinah
1375 CE – Europeans put Mali on the map of West Africa
6) What group from Mali took over the empire? How large was their empire?
Songhai was a group within Mali’s empire.
In 1460 a leader named Sunni Ali became the new ruler of Songhai.
He conquered Mali.
1490CE a strict Muslim leader took over.
Askia Mohammed Toure- had strict rules about Islam.
How large was their empire? Give some examples of where it lay.
His territory was as large as western Europe.
Timbuktu – on the Niger River became famous for trade and a center of learning –had
universities and libraries.
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Government Changes
P. 159
7) Describe succession to the throne after Islam came.
Succession is the inheritance of the right to rule (next in line)
They started to have an Islamic form of government.
Succession – or the inherited right to rule –
Became patrilineal – from father to son
Kings controlled the local rulers.
Arabic became the language of trade and government. P. 161
Government kept records in Arabic.
8) Was shari’ah followed?
Yes, many places replaced their African customary laws with it.
9) How was this different from the West African laws?
West Africa
*African laws were not written down – but everyone knew them.
*Punishment was usually not physical – instead the guilty person had to pay,
guilty person’s family could also be punished
Trial by wood – “drink sour water – throw up – means you were innocent
Islamic Law
*Shari’ah is written law – Muslims believe it came from Allah –
*Judges named qadis heard the cases and made rulings.
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BBC Video – Lost Kingdoms of West Africa
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1h_flyXLdw
We can learn a lot about history from works of art – ex. Bayeux Tapestry, Mosaics in Pompeii
Benin – a kingdom that was in West Africa – 1500’s was at its height- 40,000 square miles
1) Where can we learn about history of Africa? Much was not in writing –
Gold, statues, art, and legends, griots told the history- used poetry and music to tell the story
2) Where are the plaques (carvings of brass and bronze) from the kingdom of Benin today?
In England
How did they get there? The English took them in 1897.
The English were amazed at the technology used to create them.
3) Was Benin an important kingdom in West Africa?
Yes
Benin is in Nigeria today – it was an important kingdom
4) What structures did they have in Benin?
Walls and moats to protect the city.
5) What do the bronzes show?
They told the history. For example, events in the palace, govt. or in the community –
Even festivals
6) Are the bronze caster craftsmen important? Yes, the guild is by family
Membership, and they still use those skills today. They have a great knowledge of
pottery and metal working.
*What were blacksmiths thought of in West Africa? They were like celebrities, god-like, leaders, and
some were even doctors.
7) Do they still make statues and art the same way?
Yes, and people still think this is very important.
8) Are these bronzes history or art? They are both.
9) What three empires from our book were in West Africa 1,000 years before Benin?
Ghana, Mali, Songhai
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10) In the 1300’s Mali was the most powerful kingdom in West Africa. What was its capital called?
Timbuktu- it was known as an Islamic center of education –had libraries, and universities. It was also
a center of trade.
11) What metal did the Arab traders bring from North Africa? Copper
12) What religion did the Arabs bring to West Africa? Islam
13) Why is it difficult to find the images like the Benin Bronzes in Timbuktu? Because
Islam forbids them to create objects in human form – the Benin Bronzes have human and animal
forms.
14) What types of art will you find there? Geometric designs, calligraphy, and pottery
15) What language are the children learning to write in Timbuktu? They are Muslim and are learning to
write in Arabic.
16) Further south is the city of Djenne (Jenny) it is older than Timbuktu. What is this city known for?
Trading crossroads and still has a great marketplace today.
17) What are the house made from in Djenne? Mud and parts must be rebuilt every year after the
rainy season.
Do the houses tell a story? Yes – designs (no images of people or animals) tell about the family – how
many wives and children
18) Is there a connection to the Benin Bronzes?
Yes – just like the crafters of Benin – the masons in Djenne are in guilds too.
What about the spirits? They believe that they are found in earthly materials.
That is why they put the earthly items into their bricks. This is another example of blending Islam
with West African beliefs.
19) Is the ancient city of Jenne-Jeno from (200 BCE) close by? Yes – 2 miles away
What was this city know for? Trade
20) What artifacts can be found there? Pottery and metal
Archeologists believe that there were masons in guilds here too so this means that the crafsmenship
of the Benin Bronzes developed in West Africa over the centuries.
21) Do archeologists believe that iron working goes back to 500 BCE in West Africa? Yes
22) How do the Dogon people get to be blacksmiths? Born into the guild – family -Passed from father
to son
23) What is the blacksmith connection to the ceremony? He carves statutes and masks for it.
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24) Are the Dogon people Muslim? No, you can tell by the artwork.
25) Is the Dogon storytelling in the artwork similar to the artwork in Benin? Yes- they also have guilds.
The artwork has animals like the Benin Bronzes.
26) Why do you think the artwork and the craftspeople are so import in West Africa?
Because they recorded the history of their people with their artwork – not the written words.
It was a way for them to maintain their identity – with all the kingdoms/new religions.
27) Are the symbols from Benin connected to the Dogon mask symbols? Yes
The elders said…
Leopard- represents their ancestors- if anyone harms or kills a leopard- it’s bad for their family. If a
leopard is seen by your house – it means someone will die soon.
Snake – guardian or protector.
28) Where did the Telem live in West Africa? In the cliffs of West Africa.
29) What did archeologists find there from 2000 years ago? Jewelry, art, granary
30) What dates back to 11,400 years ago (which was 8000 years before it appeared in Brittan)? Pottery
31) How was pottery a revolutionary idea? It allowed people to store and transport things.
It means West Africa was way ahead of Europe– Europe was just coming out of an ice age.