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AFR I CAN EMP I RE S
AFRICAN CIVILIZATIONSThe continent of Africa is three times bigger than the United States. Over the centuries many different peoples and cultures have made Africa their home. Indeed it is believed by many archeologists that Africa is the birthplace of the human race. Early African peoples did not usually leave a written record. Instead, they passed on their histories through oral traditions and stories
THE KINGDOM OF GHANA Emerging in West Africa Around A.D. 300 the empire of Ghana was not located in the same place as the modern country of Ghana in West Africa. They are two different places! Ancient Ghana was located about 400 miles northwest of the modern day country of the same name. When the modern country of Ghana won their independence, they took the name of a famous (and nearby) ancient kingdom - the kingdom of Ghana.
ORIGINS • The kingdom of Ghana began around 400 CE and grew to power by 800 CE. It was one of the most powerful empires in the world by 1070 CE. The kingdom controlled a vast area of over 100,000 square miles • It is thought that a number of clans of the Soninke people came together under one leader. They needed protection from nomads that often raided their territory during times of drought. • During the third century A.D. a Soninke chief succeeded in uniting the Soninke people He was known as the Kaya maghan, "king of the gold," and as Ghana, or "war chief. A Ghanan king was referred to as the ghana, just like an Egyptian king was referred to as the pharaoh..
The Ghana and his People • The empire was ruled by a hereditary king called the Ghana (this is why we now call the kingdom, Ghana). The kingship was matrilineal ; the king's sister provided the heir to the throne. • Even though the king appears to have been the supreme judge of the kingdom, he was assisted by his council of elders. The kingdom was divided into districts and a district leader guided each district. They had laws and the people were expected to obey those laws. • In addition to military power, the king appears to have been the supreme judge of the kingdom • Ghana was a great military power. Legend says the king could order 200,000 warriors and 40,000 more with bows and arrows.
Trade Ghana never owned gold or salt mines. Salt came from the salt mines controlled by kingdoms to the north of Ghana in the north Sahara Desert. Gold came from the gold mines controlled by kingdoms to the south of Ghana. Because of this Ghana was well placed to take advantage of trade. It was located midway between the desert, the main source of salt, and the goldfields of the upper Senegal River. What Ghana did control was the trade route between the salt mines and the gold mines. The kingdoms to the south had so much gold that miners were allowed to keep all the gold dust they found. Ghana offered the traders a deal. Ghana's large army assured the traders safe passage. In return, Ghana restricted trade to gold dust only. They kept the gold nuggets for themselves. Ghana became the guardians and the negotiators. Only the nuggets had to be turned in for trade. Artists to the south and in Ghana used gold to make beautiful statues and jewelry. They made gold drinking glasses and plates and decorative objects. Ghana was dripping in gold. To get the gold Ghana wanted, Ghana traded gold with the kingdoms to the north for salt. Then, they traded salt with the kingdoms in the south for gold. Trades were even, ounce for ounce - an ounce of gold for an ounce of salt. Both sides - north and south - paid Ghana a tribute to handle the trades.
Around 750 CE, everything changed in northern Africa when Islamic traders began to use camels to transport goods across the Sahara Desert. • Camels were the perfect answer. Camels can carry heavy loads. They can keep their footing in sliding sand. They can go a long time without water. If treated well, they’re patient beasts. On flat ground, they can run very fast. • Camels soon were nicknamed the “Ships of the Desert”. • The day the first caravan of camels headed west into the Sahara Desert was the day that marked the opening of the Trans-Sahara Trade Route. • With the arrival of camel trains, the caravans, the Kingdom of Ghana expanded their control to include trade with the foreigners. They traded gold for spices and other luxury goods as well as salt. • Camel caravans crossing the Sahara brought goods such as copper and dried fruit. The caravans also brought clothing and other manufactured goods, which they exchanged for kola nuts, hides, leather goods, ivory, gold, and slaves.
Trans-Saharan trade routes between the salt mines in the north and the gold mines in the south
In about 1434, Prince Henry the Navigator sailed down the west coast of Africa in search of a short cut to India, where they knew they would find gold, gems, spices, and silk. Around 1488, Captain Dias rounded the Cape of Good Hope. Ten years later, Vasco daGama,a famous Portuguese explorer, rounded the Cape of Good Hope and continued on to India. When Portugal showed the world that it was easier to sail around the coast of Africa than travel though the desert, the cities and towns that had sprung up along the Trans-Sahara Trade Route began to decline in influence. Trade did not stop, but it did slow down considerably. It was far less dangerous and far less costly to travel by ship than by camel.
The Wisdom of the King By the tenth century, Ghana was an immensely rich and prosperous empire, probably controlling an area the size of Texas. The ruler was acclaimed as the "richest king in the world because of his gold“. He was able to do this because he did 3 things:
Number One: Taxation The first thing he did was charge a tax (or tariff) on all people entering and leaving Ghana. This tax was paid in salt, iron, peacock feathers, fine silk, spices, and other luxury goods. In exchange, Ghana warriors kept the trade routes open and protected from raiders. As long as the traders paid the tax, traders could pass in peace. It was the tax that made Ghana rich. Taxes collected on every trade item entering the kingdom were used to pay for government, a huge army which protected the kingdom's borders and trade routes, and the upkeep of the capital city.
Number Two: System of Silent Barter The second thing he did was to establish a system of silent barter. Rather than meet and argue a price, gold would be left at a special place for the traders to take. If ample goods were not left in exchange, all trade ceased. The traders of Ghana did not speak the language of many of the new traders who crossed the Sahara via the Trans-Sahara Trade Routes. This system of silent barter worked very well. Traders were afraid to leave too little. They knew Ghana would stop trading. If anything, they left more than they normally would, to keep relations good and trade flowing.
Number 3: Establish a 2nd City The King of Ghana did not wish traders to enter his city on a routine basis or in an uncontrolled manner. To protect his people, he built a second city for the traders located about 6 miles from the main capital. The capital remained a city for the king and his people. The other, the new part of the city, was reserved for Muslim traders, merchants, and foreigners. This system worked very well because it allowed the people of Ghana to continue to worship in a way that was familiar and comfortable to them. It encouraged the traders to worship in their way, in the many mosques they built in the new city. The people of Ghana were very tolerant of other religions.
Decline of the Empire There were a number of reasons for Ghana's decline: 1. The King lost his trading monopoly. 2. Drought began to have a long term effect on the land and its ability to sustain cattle and cultivation. 3. The Empire of Ghana was also under pressure from outside forces. In the 11th and 12th century new gold fields began to be mined and new trade routes were opening up further east. Ghana became the target of attacks from other empires which had previously paid tribute to the Ghanaian king. This gradually made the trade routes through Ghana too dangerous. As a result, the Muslim merchants moved eastward, and with the loss of trade, the kingdom of Ghana began to crumble By the mid-thirteenth century, the once great empire of Ghana had disintegrated. Soon Ghana was totally eclipsed by the Mali Empire of Sundiata.
THE EMPIRE OF MALI A historian compares Ancient Mali to Ancient Ghana "To some aspect they look the same, the gold, the way they made trade. But to the opposite of Ghana, Mali was really able to have more territory beyond some of the area Ghana went to, like Taghaza, the salt gulf, that was all part of the empire of Mali. “Territorial position was one of the greatest differences between Ghana and Mali. And also, the kind of ties Mali was able to make with people outside of Africa, is one of the great differences between the two empires. Mali was much, much more international than Ghana was."
The kingdom of Mali had originally been a small city-state controlled by Ghana, but around 1200 A.D. it was able to win its independence and over time, they grew to be larger than Ghana. Mali means "hippopotamus" or "where the king resides". Under the dynamic leadership of Sundiata they were able to take over this region and greatly expand it west to the Atlantic Ocean, south deep into the forest, east beyond the Niger River, and north to the salt and copper mines of the Sahara.
SUNDIATA:THE LION KING The griots( oral historians/storytellers ) of West Africa still tell the 700 year old story of a sickly boy named Sundiata. Sundiata was one of twelve brothers who were the children of a Mandinka warrior. Samanguru ( a tyrant of an African tribe called the Susu) killed eleven of the brothers, but spared Sundiata because he believed the boy would soon die anyway. That mistake would lead to Samanguru’s downfall. The ill child boy recovered and eventually assembled an army to confront Samanguru. Sundiata’s forces killed Samanguru and destroyed his forces in 1235. Sundiata then declared himself mansa, or king, of the Mali Empire
During the war with Ghana, trade had just about disappeared. Sundiata knew that trade was the way to wealth. The first thing he did was to get trade going again. He sent messengers out across Africa saying, "The invaders are gone! Let us open up the trade routes!“. He expanded Mali so that Mali controlled some of the gold mines to the south and some of the salt mines in the north. His son Wali continued his good works, and expanded the borders of the empire even more. The dotted lines are trade routes from Mali to other parts of Africa
Muslim merchants and scholars began to come to Mali. Sundiata built a strong military to protect the routes. He had his army clear farmland to help the people get back on their feet and he introduced cotton to the traders.
Sundiata converted to Islam, but only as a gesture of goodwill to the merchants and traders. But he offered his people religious freedom. He allowed his people to worship many gods in the traditional African way. He allowed slaves to work for their freedom and to become an important part of the Kingdom of Mali. Timbuktu began as a trading city, but in time he transformed the city into an intellectual and spiritual center as well as a focus for trade and scholarship in West Africa.
MANSA MUSA After Sundiata's death in 1255, there was, until Mansa Musa took power, a period of confusion. At least six different rulers took power. It is said that His son, Wali, also ruled and that Mansa Musa, the Lion King's grandson, continued the family tradition. Under Mansa Musa Mali had it’s greatest growth. The word Mansa refers to king, emperor, chief, or sultan. The name Musa means Moses and he is often referred to as “the Black Moses.”
"It is said that he brought with him 14,000 slave girls for his personal service. The members of his entourage proceeded to buy Turkish and Ethiopia slave girls, singing girls and garments, so much that the rate of gold fell." - Cairo born historian al-Maqurizi. Mansa Musa was a devout Muslim. In 1324 he made a pilgrimage to Mecca. This journey would become legendary and it helped to spread Mali's renown and prestige, not only in the Islamic countries but to the far corners of medieval Europe. Many stories were told about this legendary journey: “ In his train, as he traveled eastward, were 60,000 courtiers and servants, richly dressed, and 80 camels each carrying some 300 pounds of gold. Wherever his train halted on a Friday, he paid for the building of a mosque. Everywhere he went, he became legendary for his generosity and the extravagant spending of his entourage. ”
THE STORY SAYS… With a huge number of guards and attendants, along with camels carrying comforts, luxury, and bagsful of gold nuggets, Mansa Musa set out across the desert towards Mecca. Along the way, everywhere he went, he freely gave away gold. His caravan stopped in Cairo, in Egypt. Word of his incredible wealth spread quickly though the city, because of this merchants increased their normal prices on the goods they sold. Mansa Musa did not care. Mansa Musa left so much gold behind him in Cairo that it was rumored it took 12 years for prices in Egypt to get back to normal. (This is probably an exaggeration, but it did take some time for things to get back to normal.) He distributed so much gold on his way to Mecca that he had to borrow money for his return trip home. True to his nature, Mansa Musa repaid the loans most generously. His journey took about a year. He traveled around 3000 miles by camel. No one attempted to take over his kingdom while he was gone. To reduce the likelihood of a takeover, he had brought with him on his trip most of the powerful people in his kingdom. He left the army in charge.
Mansa Musa used his journey for more than one thing. After visiting the holy cities of Mecca and Medina on his pilgrimage, he set out to build great mosques, vast libraries, and madrasas (Islamic universities) throughout his kingdom. While on his pilgrimage he invited Arab scholars to come to Mali and study and many did return with him. Musa had always encouraged the development of learning and expanding the teachings of the Islamic faith. Scholars poured into Timbuktu, the capital of ancient Mali, causing the city to become a center of learning for scholars throughout the Muslim world in Africa. It became the most prestigious university in the land and trade became even more brisk.
The Sankore University prospered and became a very significant seat of learning in the Muslim world, under the reign of Mansa Musa.
The Djenné mosque in Mali. The world’s largest mud structure.
Decline of Mali A combination of weak and ineffective rulers and increasingly aggressive raids by neighboring kingdoms gradually reduced the power of Mali. In the early 1400's, The Tuareg launched a number of successful raids on Timbuktu. They did not disrupt scholastic life or commercial activity, but undermined the government by refusing to pay taxes. By 1500 the growing Songhay Empire had totally taken over Mali. But the idea of Mali regaining its former splendor and glory, remained strong in the minds of many Mandinka for generations to come.
THE SONGHAI (SONGHAY) KINGDOM When Mali’s Emperor Mansa Musa made his famous pilgrimage to Mecca in the 1320s, his return trip brought him through Gao (the Songhay capital), where he took two royal sons back to his capital as hostages. One of the boys escaped and returned to Songhay in 1335, taking the name Sonni, or savior. He established a new dynasty and began the resistance to Mali that ultimately brought independence for his people.
Songhay started as a fishing community along the Niger River. They traded fish for the goods they wanted and needed. At one time, they were part of Mali. Mali tried to get them to pay taxes, but they never would. Songhay was always stubbornly independent. Mali let them get away with it because they wanted the fish. As Mali weakened, Songhay started to take over. It was easy for them. They were strong Muslim kingdom. They were organized, had a central government, and a well-trained army.
Sonni Ali In the 15th century Songhay rose to power under Sonni Ali the Great. His military forces consisted of a cavalry of expert horsemen, and fleets of canoes. He was a great military leader, with a keen understanding of tactics on land and water. Many believed that he was leader that possessed magical powers. Sonni Ali the Great expanded the territory of Songhay considerably, so that it stretched across the Niger valley, west to Senegal and east to Agades (modern Niger). He captured Timbuktu and disrupted the tradition of scholarship. Some believe that his lack of respect for Islam caused many to call him a ruthless and oppressive leader.
LIFE IN THE SONGHAY EMPIRE • Trade: Songhay exported gold, salt, kola nuts and slaves. They imported textiles, horses, and luxury goods. Songhay was definitely a member of the slave trade. Children, women, and men would be sold into slavery without question or interest. • Daily Life: Books were important. Any traders that brought books found them quickly purchased for vast amounts of gold. Doctors, judges, priests, and other educated men were maintained at the king's expense. • Religion: The people of Songhay followed the African religions of witchdoctors, and spirits, and magic. They believed in many gods. But the leaders of Songhay practiced Islam.
Decline of the Empire Reasons why the Songhay Empire fell apart: 1. Civil war began 2. Environmental changes that began to cause droughts and disease 3. A large, spread out empire that was more territory than they could actually control 4. Invaders from Morocco. Moroccan soldiers overpowered the Songhai with their guns and cannons and the Songhai could not defend themselves with their traditional weapons of spears and arrows. In 1612, the cities of Songhay fell into general disarray and one the greatest empires of African history disappeared forever. Not since this time, has any African nation rose to prominence and wealth as did mighty Songhay.
