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World Civilizations to 1600s Chapter 6. Africa, Early History to 1000 C.E. Civilization. In the narrow sense: has writing, urban centers, uses metals, hierarchy, central authority
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World Civilizations to 1600s Chapter 6 Africa, Early History to 1000 C.E.
Civilization • In the narrow sense: has writing, urban centers, uses metals, hierarchy, central authority • In a broader sense: can be associated with the sophistication of a people’s intellectual, cultural, and artistic traditions • There are many societies that could be considered “civilized” in this broader sense
Africa • 1/5 of earth’s land mass • 31/2 the size of continental U.S. • 12 million square miles • Less than 10% is covered by rainforests, and those are in West Africa • In the north and south, 2 deserts: the Sahara and the Kalahari • Just north and south of equator are savannas or grasslands • Tropical forests along equator
Large rivers: Nile, Niger, Congo, & Zambezi • High mountains: Kilimanjaro in the east and Mt. Cameroun in the west • It is thought man originated in Africa because of fossil remains • False image, “the Dark Continent” • They have technology, crops, ideas, & material goods received from many areas
Climate changes caused migration • The Sahara used to receive up to 50% more rain than it gets today; temperatures rose and rainfall decreased about 9,000 years ago • By 3000 B.C.E droughts had created a desert and migrations began • Initially, people were hunter/gatherers • Agriculture reached them by 3000 B.C.E. and populations increased
It is thought agriculture came in from the Near East because crops grown were not native: millet and sorghum • New crops from S.E. Asia introduced: rice and bananas • New crops from the Americas introduced: maize and manioc • Livestock arrived from new areas: cattle and the camel from Asia, and horses from W. Asia
Camel played an important role in opening up Africa • Its feet were good for walking in the sand of the desert • It could consume large amounts of water and then do without for long periods • Camels increased the efficiency of the trans-Saharan trade and contributed to the growth of major trading centers
Nomadic people also raised other livestock like goats and wandered to find forage • Livestock was limited by the tse-tse fly which brought sleeping sickness to many animals • Iron came in from W. Asia by the last 1000 years B.C.E.; iron tools replaced stone ones • Bronze reached Africa by 1000 C.E.
Migrations • Migrations of people and the diffusion of agriculture and iron are probably linked to the desiccation or desertification of the Sahara • Bantu people of eastern Nigeria began to move south throughout sub-Saharan Africa and are traced through the spread of their language, Proto-Bantu • Bantus were successful in overcoming others they encountered as they migrated; had iron weapons
Bantus reached today’s South Africa by the 13th century C.E. • Bantus: • Depended on farming & fishing • Villages developed around kinship groups • Council of elders ruled • Practiced animism • Asked ancestors for help • Spread culture and it then blended with other cultures
Kingdom of the Kush 1000 B.C.E. – 300 C.E. • Smaller yet important society appearing at the southern end of the Nile River • Influenced by the Egyptians • Skilled in the use of iron • Both their writing and their political systems were similar to the Egyptian • Had extensive trade routes to the west • Produced fine pottery and jewelry • Began to decline in 100 C.E. • Taken over by Axum to the south in 300 C.E. • Their influences still felt in Ethiopia
Axum • In Ethiopian highlands • Trading state • Christian • Population was a mix of Arab settlers from Yemen, people of Eritrea and the Ethiopian highlands • Existed since the 1st century C.E. • Was an elephant and ivory market in its port of Andulis
Cosmopolitan urban center • Located close to Indian trade routes that gave access to goods and ideas from India, East Indies, Iran, Arabia, East African coast, & the Roman Mediterranean • Traded in obsidian, slaves, & gold dust • 200 C.E. Axum was involved in wars on Arabian peninsula • Became dominant power and controlled areas in southern Arabia - Yemen
King of Axum converted to Christianity in 350 C.E. and the religion, churches, and monasteries spread
Ghana • Peoples of the savanna • Great trade area • Trades salt for gold with those in Niger and Senegal and then sent the gold north to markets in North Africa • Along these trade routes in the 8th century, the states of Takur, Ghana, Gao, and Kanem were established • Ghana received manufactured goods in return for gold
Ghana grew and controlled other states • Kumbi Saleh, capital, divided into 2 areas 6 miles apart • One was for the king, his court, the houses of his people, shrines, and worship centers • The other was for long distance Muslim traders, religious leaders, scholars, mosques, and houses; this area was for Muslims
It was a powerful, well-organized kingdom dominated by a royal family • Its influence spread into the Sahara until the coming of the Almorvids (Muslims) who began to take control of the gold trade of the Sahara • Almorvids conquered Ghana in 1076 • Ghana still existed but was greatly weakened
The coming of Islam broke down established kingdoms • Eventually, the Kingdom of Mali took hold
