Transcript Africa, 1500-1900 - Northside College Prep High School

Africa and Middle East
1000-1500
Impact of Geography
• Different and vast
terrain has created a
huge variety of races,
ethnicities and
cultures.
A. African Societies by 1500
• presentation
divided into three
parts:
– Economic
development
– Social
development
– Political
development
1. Economic Development
• Pastoral economies
became complex
– Pastoral societies
included Fulani, Maasai,
Somali
– Some of these are
nomadic or migrant,
others settle and build
villages or cities
A Fulani village in Northern
Ghana, 2004
Cattle crossing the road,
Northern Ghana, 2004
Economic Development (contd.)
• Agricultural
economies
expanded
• Farmers supplied
the food needed by
the population
• Surplus food was
brought to the
market for exchange
A market scene in West Africa
Economic Development (contd.)
• Manufacturing
• Africa’s main
manufactures
– Hides and skins
– Metallurgy (iron)
– Textile manufacturing
and dyeing
Kente cloth from Ghana
2. Social Development
• Each African society
had a religious
system
• We call that religion
African Traditional
Religion (ATR)
ATR Beliefs
• belief in a Supreme
God
• belief in several
divinities or lesser
gods, tied to nature
• belief in ancestors
• belief in life after
death
• belief in
reincarnation
ATR Beliefs (contd.)
• belief in the spoken
word
– incantations, sacred
songs, etc.
• belief in prayers
• belief in sacrifice
• role of priests, holy
men, seers, spirit
mediums
Other Religions in Africa
• Islam in Northern
and Sudanese
Africa (from
Ottoman Expansion)
• Christianity (from
European
imperialism) in
Northern and
Northeastern Africa
• Judaism (from
ancient migration) in
Northeastern Africa
Mosque in Kaduna, Nigeria
African music
• music for all
occasion
– work, naming,
marriage, funeral,
etc.
• dance, drama
African Art and Craft
• African art inspired
by religion, kingship,
and personal
beautification
• made for upper
class and royalty
• accessible to all
Benin ivory mask
African Art (contd.)
• specialized forms:
– sculpture in wood,
bronze, brass and
stone
– painting of homes
– body adornments
– charms, amulets
Ife Bronze figure of a king
3. Political Development
• Main trends were:
• rise of empires
– Ghana, Mali, Songhai
– Kanem, Bornu,
Hausa states
– Ife, Oyo, Benin,
Dahomey, Asante,
Kongo
• division of power
• rise of nation states
Ghana Empire
• established by the Soninke
people
• its capital was Kumbi Saleh,
a market town
• it engaged in the caravan
trade in gold, kolanuts, salt,
captives
• it was attacked by the
Almoravids in 1076
• the defeat weakened the
empire and it later fell
photo shows kolanuts on
sale in Djenne, Mali, 2004
Mali Empire
• established by Mandingo
people
• founded by Sundiata
• original capital was Niani
• most prominent city was
Djenne
• like Ghana, it engaged in
caravan trade
• Mali’s famous ruler was
Mansa Musa
• he performed pilgrimage to
Mecca, built Sankore
mosque in Timbuktu
The Grand Mosque of Djenne on
a market day
Songhai Empire
• established by Songhai
people
• founded by Sunni Ali
• its famous ruler was Askia
Muhammad Toure
• he expanded the empire,
performed pilgrimage to
Mecca, and made Sankore
mosque a university
• Songhai was destroyed by
the Moroccan invaders in
1590-91
Sankore mosque and
university, Timbuktu
Other Empires of Western Africa
•
•
•
•
•
Oyo Empire
Segu Tukulor Empire
Asante Empire
Benin Empire
Kongo kingdom
Photo: Asante king
adorned with gold
Ottoman Empire
• Muslim
• Great traders across
Europe, N Africa and
Asia
• Sultan was the
“landlord” and people
left to own beliefs but
many convert to Islam.
• Math, astronomy,
sciences, literature,
architecture
B. Coming of Europeans to Western Africa
Reasons for European Exploration
• Europeans came to
West Africa in the
15th century
• They came for
reasons of:
• Gold
• God
• Glory
Effects of European Exploration
1. Trade: gold, ivory,
pepper, etc.
Effects (contd.)
2. Kidnapping of
millions of Africans
along the coast
3. Construction of
forts and castles
4. Beginning of
trans-Atlantic
slave trade.
5. More direct
control develops
by 1800’s.
http://flocabulary.com/middle-agesafrica/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
uakAVGi30ps