Transcript African Kingdoms

African Kingdoms
With Bantu Migration Action!
Geography of Africa


2nd largest continent
Continent divided into 5
regions:

Northern coast- moderate

Dry grasslands- too dry to

Rain forest- deadly animals
rainfall and dry temps
 Southern coast- moderate
rainfall and dry temps
 Deserts- 1/3 of Africa’s land
farm but suitable to graze
(tsetse fly- the natural
protector
Varying Lifestyles
Develop in Africa
 Nomads
 Hunting
and
gathering
 Before the Sahara
became desert
 Was
a Grassland,
became desert-y
about 6000 BCE
 Pastoral
 Cattle
People
Nok (500 BCE-200 CE)
Occupied what is now central Nigeria
 Skilled farmers
 Used iron to make tools and develop a
unique sense of art


Never went through the Bronze or Copper
ages, iron working brought from N. Africa
Kush 2000-1000 B.C.

Traded with Egypt


Egypt took them over, they took Egypt over
Greatly influenced by Egyptian culture



Wrote in hieroglyphics
Imitated pyramid building
Adopted the idea of king-god like the pharaoh
Kush 2000-1000 B.C.

751 B.C.- Kushite king,
Piankhi, conquered Egypt


Piankhi and his decadents became
Egypt’s 25th Dynasty
Dynasty was short lived
Assyrians took over
 Rebuilt on the city of Meroë


Statue of King
Piankhi
participated in trade with
Africa, Arabia, and India
Golden Age of Meroë
Traded iron weapons and tools
 exchanged iron goods for jewelry, fine
cotton cloth, silver, and glass bottles


Fall of Meroë


reasons unknown
Maybe rising power of Aksum/Axum

Rival city about 400 miles southeast
Aksum:
Power and Authority
Aksum became a
major trading
center for Indian
Ocean and
Arabian trade
 also became the
center of
Christianity in
Africa

The Power of Aksum




A legend tells King of
Aksum descended from
King Solomon and the
Queen of Sheba
Spread influence from the
Red Sea to the Blue Nile
Became major player in
trading
 Salt, ivory, emeralds
and gold were traded
for cloth, brass, olive
oil, iron, and copper
***Salt Ivory and
Gold Major African
trade goods***
The Reign of Ezana

Aksum reached its height during the reign
of Ezana (325-360 AD)



captured and burned Kush as well as part of the
Arabian peninsula
Ezana converted to Christianity and made it the
kingdom’s official religion
Aksumites developed a cosmopolitan
heritage including a variety of peoples from
Greece, Rome, Persia, India, and Egypt
Innovations of Aksum
Minted its own
coins
 Had own writing


Only 3 African
kingdoms did:




Egypt
Kush
Aksum
Terraced
Farming
The Pillars of Aksum
Used no mortar
 Carved great stones
together
 Created false doors,
windows, as well as tall
peaks
 The Pillars are often
dedicated to the
Christian God

The Fall of Aksum- Rise of Islam

After 800 CE the
kingdom declined


Islamic invaders
Aksum became
isolated Christian
kingdom


750 AD it declined
No longer was
considered a world
power
Hunters and Gatherers and Stateless Societies
SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA
Hunter-Gatherer Societies





found in rainforests (like in
Congo) or in deserts (like
the Kalahari)
Small, family-based groups
Non-permanent
settlements
No formal laws or
government
Gender Relations

Men



Hunting
Older males – respected for
opinions
Women

gatherers
Stateless Societies
Clan/Lineage-based
villages
 No centralized
government


Council of clan/village
leaders = government
i.e.. Ibo of Nigeria
 May be matrilineal or
patrilineal

Bantu Migration (2000 BCE- 1500 CE)

2000 BCE people in
Western Africa began
migrating east



Probably due to population
Continued until 1500 CE
Spread knowledge of:



Cattle raising
Farming the edge of
rainforest
ironworking
Africanity


Bantu migration also spread
Bantu language
Syncretic language:






Animistic religion
Oral traditions preserved by
Griots (storytellers)
All property communal
Society organized into age
grades

Modern Griot
Swahili: mix of Arabic, Indian,
and Bantu
Still major language today
Age group that shared
responsibilities
Berbers: Almoravids and Almohads
NORTHERN AFRICA
Maghrib- Berber Muslim civilizations

Almoravid Empire





11th century AD
Mauritania to
Morocco and
southern Spain
Capital: Marrakech
Origins: Berber
pilgrims convinced
a leader to return to
Mauritania with
them
Major Conquests
Ghana
 Spain

The Maghrib – Berber Muslim Empires

The Almohad
Empire




Takeover in 1148
AD
They have stricter
interpretation of
Islam.
Capital: Marrakech
Split up in late
1200s AD
Trans-Saharan, Indian Ocean
AFRICAN TRADE ROUTES
Indian Ocean Trade



“Zone of interaction”
First ocean to be
crossed
“Sailor's ocean”




Warm water
Fairly placid waters
Wind patterns: one way
= north of equator, the
other = south of the
equator
Lateen Sail allowed
sailors to sail across
the Indian ocean,
could sail into wind
Trade Goods







Teak from India
Mangrove swamps in East Africa
Arabian horses to India
Spices from Southeast Asia & Spice
Islands
Frankincense from Arabia and Africa
***Desired far beyond the Indian
Ocean world
Slave trades & labor migrations


Slaves from East Africa to Arabia/India
From Southeast Asia to Southern Africa
Spread of Ideas

Religion




Indian merchants brought Brahmin priests
Muslim scholars brought by Arab merchants
Christian merchants brought priests
Trading Language

Swahili: mix of Arabic, Indian, and Bantu (African)
Trans-Saharan Trade



A series of powerful
trading kingdoms emerged
in West Africa.
The West African kingdoms
controlled important trade
routes that connected
North Africa and West
Africa.
Beginning of TransSaharan Trade



North Africa was rich in the
salt that West Africa lacked.
West Africa was rich in gold.
The Trans-Saharan trade led
to an exchange of salt for
gold.
Ghana

Ghana (ca.7001200 AD)

Origins: TransSaharan trade


Camel caravans
as far back as 3rd
Century AD
Kings controlled
local trade and
taxed merchants
Howdy!
I’m a
Camel!
Ghana: 500-1200 CE

Ghana was called the “land
of gold” but it did not have
gold.



The kingdom of Ghana
emerged as early as 500
C.E. It collapsed in the 11th
century.
Used wealth to build a
powerful army


Instead, the trade routes
passed through Ghana and
all entering and exiting the
kingdom were taxed
kept the peace within empire.
Almoravids invaded and
destroyed Ghana in the
1100s.
Mali: 1250-1400



After decline of Ghana,
the West African Kingdom
of Mali emerged as a
great trading empire.
Took control of Gold
Trade
Sundiata


Sundiata was known
as the “lion Prince”
and, supposedly the
story of the Lion King
is based on his life


took over from cruel leader
Became first emperor
(mansa)
conquered Ghana & other
cities
led to peace and prosperity
Mansa Musa

Most famous king: Mansa
Musa



set up a great center of
learning in Timbuktu
Expanded empire
Converted to Islam and
went on Hajj


Gave away tremendous
amount of gold
After return from Mecca
 Many mosques built in
places like Timbuktu and
Goa

Ibn Battuta



visited Mali, saw wealth of
area
wrote about salt mines in
desert
African women, not as strict
as other Muslim women


After Mansa Musa died, more
turmoil
Empire collapsed by 1400
Songhai: 1450-1600


Once controlled by Mali
The West African kingdom of Songhai was the
largest of the three trading kingdoms


Muslim
controlled the profitable Trans-Saharan trade


Gold Discovered in Songhai
Timbuktu becomes major learning center, DjennéDjeno had large university
Songhai Leaders

Sunni Ali (r. 1464 – 1492 AD)
 united empire
 Military leader, professional army
(included horse soldiers, river
canoes)
 took Timbuktu – 1468
 took Djenné-Djeno 1473, after 7
year siege

Askia Muhammad (r. 1492 –
1529 AD)
 Drove Sunni Ali’s son out of power
because he was not a devout Muslim
 Set up a bureaucracy and provinces
 Efficient tax system

Askia Muhammad
Eventually, the kingdom of Songhai
fell to invading armies from Morocco
in 1591 (they had guns)
City-States of West Africa

Hausa


Yoruba


Divine king; known for art
Benin



On trade route
Large army, sculptures
Portuguese bought slaves here
City-states fought each
other, so they never
established empires
East Africa

Kilwa




Rich Muslims
took control of Sofala (gold trading city)
became most powerful city on East Coast
1488 AD Portuguese wanted to control trade



Took Sofala, Kilwa and Mombasa
Portuguese also sold slaves here
Great Zimbabwe 1200-1400 AD





– Swahili city-state
Zimbabwe- Bantu for stone enclose
controlled trade routes-gold to coast
political, economic and religious center
1450 abandoned city, don’t know why
Mutapa Empire ca. 1429-1500’s AD


man named Mutota left Great Zimbabwe and traveled north, established
new city
sold gold, sent to Swahili coast to trade for luxury goods.
Dailies: Africa
Why was salt such an important
commodity?
 What did Mansa Musa do in Egypt?
 What is Swahili?
 Why is the Bantu migration so important
to African History?
 Why is studying African history sometimes
difficult?
