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African Civilizations and the Spread of Islam in Africa

Chapter Eight AP World History Ms. Tully. African Civilizations and the Spread of Islam in Africa . African Regions. Pre-Islamic Africa. Extremely diverse societies developed No political or religious unity Bantu migration  primary spoken language

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African Civilizations and the Spread of Islam in Africa

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  1. Chapter Eight AP World History Ms. Tully African Civilizations and the Spread of Islam in Africa

  2. African Regions

  3. Pre-Islamic Africa • Extremely diverse societies developed • No political or religious unity • Bantu migration  primary spoken language • Animistic/polytheistic belief systems

  4. Varied in size & influence – organized around kinship • Political power shared with councils & secret societies • Weakness of “stateless” societies • No organization to collect taxes  no effective militaries • No consensus  Difficult to resist external pressures • No undertaking of large building projects • Hard to create stability for long-distance trade • These goals contributed to the formation of states “Stateless” Societies

  5. N. Africa connected to Mediterranean & Arab economic world • Sub-Saharan African economies varied greatly • Focus on iron working & agriculture • Specialization encouraged trade African Economy

  6. 7th C – Muslim armies moved west from Egypt thru N. Africa • 11th-12th C - Almoravids and Almohadis (reforming Muslim Berbers) from western Sahara grow in power • Almohad Caliphate: 1121-1269 • Islamic tradition of political/religious ruler attractive to Africans • Introduced social stratification of Islamicized societies Influence of Islam in Africa

  7. Sahel Grasslands: transition zone between Sahara Desert and savannahs to the south • Point of exchange between North and Sub-Saharan Africa; important region of trade • Grasslands Kingdoms = Sudanic States = Ghana, Mali, Songhai Grasslands Kingdoms

  8. SudanicStates • Islam reinforced ideas of kingship and power: “royal cult” • Trade gold for salt from Berbers in North Africa • Mali, Ghana and Songhai

  9. Ghana 4th – 11thC • 1st great West African empire • Rose to power by taxing salt and gold • 10thc: rulers convert to Islam while common people remain loyal to polytheism • Reaches 11thc. height • Almoravid armies invaded Ghana in 1076

  10. Mali • Broke away from Ghana in 13th C • Islamicizedin 13th • Economy: Agriculture & Gold Trade – Juula • Founder: Sundiata • Mansa Musa successor to Sundiata – Greatest Mali ruler

  11. Mali • Great mosque of Jenne • Major cities – Jenne and Timbuktu • 80% of pop. villagers who lived by farming

  12. Songhay • Independent from Mali in 1370s – capital at Gao • Prospered as a trading state and military power • Sunni Ali (1464-1492) • Songhai remained dominant until defeated by Moroccans in 1591 for not being “Muslim enough”

  13. Islam provided universal faith and fixed law. • Rulers reinforced authority through Muslim ideology. • Many Sudanic societies were matrilineal and did not seclude women • Slavery and slave trade was prevalent from Muslim influence Influence of Islam on Grasslands Kingdoms

  14. Swahili Coast of East Africa • Islamized trading ports along coast by 13thc. • Kilwa, Mogadishu, Mombasa: large city-state centers of Islam • Rulers and merchants were often Muslim • Culture = Swahili as language and fused African and Islamic practices.

  15. Central Africa • Across central Africa, agrarian societies thrived and kingdoms developed • Preliterate – knowledge passed orally, rich artistic tradition • Yoruba people & Ile-Ife

  16. Central Africa • Edo peoples & Benin • Kongo • Great Zimbabwe

  17. Christian states are present in North Africa, Egypt, and Ethiopia before the arrival of Islam. • Egyptian Christians, the Copts, had a rich and independent tradition (Coptic Christianity). • The Nubians resisted Muslim incursions from 9th until 13th century. • Ethiopia continues to retain Christianity. • Christianity will come later to the rest of the continent with the presence of Europeans. Christianity in Africa

  18. Spread of Islam brought large areas of Africa into the global community through increasing contact from 700-1500 CE between Africa and Mediterranean and Asian civilizations. • However, most of Africa evolved in regions free of Islamic contact (Central + Southern Africa). • While no universal empires and religions develop in Africa, Christianity and Islam impact the region through political, economic, and cultural development. Global Connections

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