Transcript Western African Civilizations: Ghana, Mali, & Songhai

Western African Civilizations:
Ghana, Mali, & Songhai
Bantu
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Group of people who
originally live in West
Africa
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Migrated in search of
fertile land
Spread their knowledge of
farming, ironworking, &
LANGAUGE across the
continent
Today almost 1/3 of
Africans speak a language
derived from the Bantu
Ghana
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The first of the West African trading kingdoms
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Through weapon making technology (iron
smelting), Ghanaian warriors expanded boundaries
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Gained control over trade routes
Ghana
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Gold Salt Trade
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Location! Location! Location!
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Ghana was located in the midway between Saharan salt
mines and tropical gold mines
Caravans of Muslim merchants brought goods, which
Ghanaian people exchanged for gold
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Trade conducted via the silent trade
Muslims brought their religion to the people of Ghana
Mali
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Mansa Musa
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Devout Muslim king
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Bases legal and justice system on the Qur’an
Makes hajj to Mecca, but stops in Egypt first
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Gives Egypt so much gold that the value of gold declines for
10 straight years
Traveled with 12,000 servants each wearing silk & carrying
gold bars, which were given to the poor
Mali
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Mansa Musa
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Brings back Islamic scholars and architects to Mali
Has Timbuktu built
Timbuktu
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Center of learning and art
Increased Islamic influence in West Africa
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Use of credit
Written contracts
Education for many classes
Timbuktu
Timbuktu
Ibn Battuta
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Moroccan born traveler and explorer
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Travel the Islamic world from North Africa to China
Spent 30 years traveling
His primary source writings inform historians about
the Muslim world in Africa
Songhai
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The largest of the 3 major West African kingdoms
Took control of Timbuktu
Expanded trade to Europe and Asia
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Time of great cultural diffusion
Askia Muhammad sets up high functioning
bureaucracy
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5 provinces each with
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A governor
Tax collector
Judges (Like Mansa Musa, had laws based on Qur’an)
Trade inspectors
The East African Kingdoms:
The Shona of Great Zimbabwe
& Axum
Axum (Aksum)
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Religions
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Christianity made the official religion after
shipwrecked Syrians introduced it
However…
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Both Axumites & Egyptians viewed Jesus differently
than Rome
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Jesus was completely divine. Not human; 100% godly
Started a new Christian Church  THE COPTIC CHURCH
Axum
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Religions
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Muslim merchants brought trade and Islam
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Christian and Muslim merchants fought over control of
trade routes
In order to ensure Islam did not spread into Axum
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Government reorganized to extend into outlying areas
Monasteries built to teach the Coptic Christian faith
Built churches
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More churches per square mile in Ethiopia than any other
country in the world today
Axum
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Architecture
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Used stone instead of mud bricks to construct
buildings (unique for this part of the world)
Stelae  obelisk shaped pillars built to celebrate
king’s conquests and Axum’s greatness
Axum
The Shona of Great Zimbabwe
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Rise to Power
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Originally derived wealth
from herds of cattle
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Then found gold in
central part of kingdom
Location, Location,
Location
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Like Ghana located
between trading posts,
but on Indian Ocean
Evidence of trade with
Syria, and Persia
The Shona of Great Zimbabwe
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The Great Enclosure
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Massive wall 4-stories high and 15 feet thick
Protected the king
Stonework so precise that no mortar was needed
The Shona of Great Zimbabwe
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Cities
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Consisted of two parts
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Residences for the elite
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Homes made of stone
Residences for the
commoners
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Homes made of mud
and thatch
The Shona & Great Zimbabwe
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Disappearance
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Left the Great Enclosure for reasons unknown
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Historians best guess…
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Cattle overgrazed and the Shona need to find new land to
feed it’s people