What were African Civilizations and Their Roles?

1. What were African Civilizations and Their Roles? Global History & Geography 10th Grade Boys & Girls Al-Madinah School 19 December 2019

2. Africa • Second Largest Continent • Varied Geography – Mostly high Plateau in the interior, smooth coast line, rivers with rapids and falls, great rift valley • Sahara, Savanna, and Rainforests • People had village governments, lived in extended family of kinship networks, had animistic beliefs.

3. Nature of African States • Trading Empires in the West • Ghana • Mali • Songhai • Trading empire of East Africa: • Kush • Axum, • city-states in East Africa • Mogadishu • Kilwa • Sofala • Stateless societies in Southern Africa • Zimbabwe

4. States of East Africa • Kush • Grew in Nubia around 2000 B.C. • Controlled by Egypt until 1000 B.C. • 750 B.C. Kushites Conquered Egypt. • Their capital was meroë. • Mainly exported iron products. • Other exports included: • Ivory, gold, ebony and slaves. • Declined with the rise of Axum

5. Axum • Located in Present day Eritrea, & Ethiopia • Created by a mixed population of African farmers and Migrants from the Arabian peninsula • Christianity was official religion • Introduced by the Shipwrecked Syrians • Became a center of thriving trade network because of the Red Sea.

6. West African Trading Empires • Traded gold for salt with North African Berbers and Arabs • Needed Salt for dehydration & preservation of food. • Three became most famous • Ghana • Mali • Songhai

7. Ghana • Around C.E. 800 some farming villages united in the savanna to create the kingdom of Ghana • Kumbi Saleh was capital • Traded with Muslim traders in the North • Became rich • The king maintained a large army to keep peace. • Adopted Muslim Military technology & political ideas. • Muslims settled in the Kingdom, but most people remained animists.

8. Mali • A Powerful Kingdom that emerged around 1200. • Conquered Ghana • Started their capital at Timbuktu • Rulers were called Mansas • Under Mansa Musa became very rich and powerful • Mansa Musa ruled according to Islamic Shari‘ah • City of Timbuktu became center of learning and trade.

9. Decline of Mali & Rise of Songhai After Mansa Musa civil war broke out and Mali gradually declined. The empire was divided in 1359 C.E. In its place rose a new Empire – Songhai. Songhai kingdom began in Gao around 1009 C.E. A ruler called Kossi converted to Islam and Songhai became an Islamic Kingdom.

10. Songhai • The largest West African trading Empire • Sunni Ali Conquered Timbuktu and Jenne • Controlled the city of Timbuktu and trans-Saharan caravan routes • Muhammad Ture later removed Sunni Ali’s son and founded Askia Dynasty. • He ruled according to Islamic Shari’ah and had an effective organization of the state. • After Muhammad Ture Songhai declined. • Later destroyed by infighting and Moroccan invasion.

11. Other West African States • Benin • Grew south of Savanna in the rainforest. • Famous for its wood curving. • Congo • Further south in the rainforest was another Kingdom called Congo. • Homework: Questions 4, 5, 6 & 7 on page 234

12. Smaller States in West Africa • Hausa City-States • Existed in present Nigeria • Famous for cotton textile and leatherworks • Traded with North and West African empires • Benin: • Existed in the rain forests of Guinea • Ivory, pepper and slave trade • Well known for bronze and brass casting.

13. East African City States • Mogadishu, Kilwa, & Sofala were major city-states in the east • Traded with Arabia, Persia, India and Southeast Asia. • Created a unique culture, known as Swahili – a mixture of Arab and Bantu African culture.

14. Aspects of African Society • Relationship Between Royalty and Commoners • Mostly informal • Merchants had special favor from the king • Family & Lineage • People lived in Extended families of Kinship Network • Elders had much power

15. The Role of Women • Generally subordinate to men • Some societies were matrilineal • Community Education • From mothers boys and girls learned language, family history & songs • Mothers continued to teach their daughters about the ways of women • Sons then learned from father about fishing, Hunting, farming • The whole community played role in bringing up children

16. Aspects of African Society • Slavery: • Slaves included captives of war, debtors or criminals • Worked as domestic servants and farmhands or soldiers • They could win their freedom • Religious Beliefs: • Animism, Christianity and Islam

17. Homework Questions 1, 2, 5, 6 and 7 on page 241