THE SPIRIT WORLD
African Animism-believed that the natural
world was suffused with spiritual power.
The Spirit World is south of the Sahara.
They learned Islam from Imams.
God of Fertility*
Most polytheistic spirits
They believed in divine kingship meaning that
people of higher stature could speak to
spirits/the dead.
The spiritual role of women was to tend to
the lands
Islam spread over trade routes in Africa.
The Sudanic Tradition of Divine Kingship
persisted and people thought they could contact
the spirit world
Secret
Societies
Poro (men)
Celebrated
fertility
Sande
(women)
Spirits
United Clans
TRANS-SAHARAN AND COASTAL
TRADE
TRADE GOODS
-Trade goods include salt, textiles, and various metals
-Salt was very valuable being used for preserving food
-Songhai provides gold and slaves from Africa
-A wealth inequality was caused between workers and the gold mine executives; gold
sustained the trading system
SLAVE TRADE
-Slaves were often used for bartering
-1482; a local castle used as a store house of African goods, becomes the first slave
trading post in Africa
-The castle is called Elmina, and is based in present day Ghana. The cell blocks for
storing slaves were often cramped with over 200 slaves.
- The infamous “Door of no return,” is located in Elmina castle.
EMPIRES, KINGDOMS, AND
MINISTATES
GHANA
-Appeared around 800 A.D and ended 1000 A.D
-They capitalized on recently domesticated camel.
-Took control and pioneered trade routes.
-Conquered by the rising Songhai.
MALI
-Mali was second of three African empires to emerge
-Located between the Sahara Desert and the coastal rain forest
-Strategically located between gold mines and the Niger River floodplain which was
rich with agriculture
-Took over part of Ghana’s empire, which could not be reestablished, which resulted
in taking their gold mines
-Made up of the modern countries of Mauritania, Senegal, Gambia, Guinea, Mali,
Burkina Faso, Niger, Nigeria, and Chad
SONGHAI
-The Songhai Empire was the largest and last of the three major pre-colonial empires
to emerge in West Africa. These three were Ghana, Mali, and of course, Songhai.
-The Songhai empire began at the expense of the Mali. The Songhai took control of
major cities such as Timbuktu, Djenne, Mema, and Gao.
-The end of the Songhai empire started in 1591 with a civil war and soon ended with
the Moroccans conquering the Songhai. Choking there supply’s from them
but then withdrew from the region in 1661. Even without the Moroccans in
the regions, the empire was unable to rebuild. And was finally
extinguished in1901.
QUIZ QUESTIONS
Where is the spirit world located?
What were the Secret Societies celebrating?
In 1450-1600, where did Islam spread to?
Who did they learn Islam from?
When did Ghana end?
Name three modern day countries that make up the Mali Empire.
What year did the Songhai Empire officially end? A) 1592 B)1901 C)1345 D)800
Where is the “Door of No Return” located?
What type of architectural structure was the place?
What were the three trading goods?