African Civilizations and the Spread of Islam

1. African Civilizations and the Spread of Islam 9

2. Figure 9.1 In 1324, Mansa Musa, King of Mali, made a pilgrimage to Mecca that brought the attention of the Muslim world to the wealth of his kingdom. A Jewish cartographer in Spain, Abraham Cresques, depicted the trip more than 50 years later in the map shown above. Mansa Musa is depicted at the bottom right with a golden scepter and crown, symbolizing his royal power, and an enormous gold nugget, symbolizing his country’s wealth.

3. Chapter Overview • African Societies: Diversity and Similarities • Kingdoms of the Grasslands • The Swahili Coast of East Africa • Peoples of the Forest and Plains

4. TIMELINE 100 C.E. to 1400 C.E.

5. African Societies:Diversity and Similarities • Political forms vary • Different religions • Societies With and Without States • Stateless societies • Kinship fundamental • Secret societies • State-building under a variety of conditions

6. African Societies:Diversity and Similarities • Common Elements in African Societies • Bantu migration • One language base • Animism • Cosmology • Ethical code • Lineage important in relation with god • Religion, economics, history intertwined

7. African Societies:Diversity and Similarities • The Arrival of Islam in North Africa • Part of Mediterranean • Ifriquiya • Maghrib • Arrival of Islam • Spain, by 711 • Berber Almoravids • Western Sahara • Assist conversion

8. African Societies:Diversity and Similarities • The Arrival of Islam in North Africa • Almohadis • Succeed Berbers, 12th century • Appeal of Islam • Equality within community

9. African Societies:Diversity and Similarities • The Christian Kingdoms: Nubia and Ethiopia • Copts • Egyptian Christians • Welcome Muslims • Spread to Nubia (Kush) • Ethiopia • Heirs to Axum • King Lalibela

10. Figure 9.2 This extraordinary 13th-century church, Bet Giorgis, represents the power of early Christianity in Ethiopia. It was one of a great complex of eleven churches that King Lalibela believed God had commanded him to build. Dedicated to St. George, the patron saint of Ethiopia, it was cut out of the bedrock of the earth. Its roof, in the shape of an enormous cross, lies at ground level. Although it is surrounded by impassable walls and can be reached only by way of an underground tunnel carved in stone, it is still used for worship today.

11. Kingdoms of the Grasslands • Caravans across Sahara • Sahel (grasslands) • Transfer point • Sudanic States • Rulers sacred • Islam • From 900s • Supports state

12. Kingdoms of the Grasslands • The Empire of Mali and Sundiata, the "Lion Prince" • Malinke peoples from Ghana • Agriculture, gold trade • Merchants, juula • Griots • Oral historians, keepers of traditions • Ibn Battuta

13. Map 9.1 Empires of the Western Sudan

14. Kingdoms of the Grasslands • The Empire of Mali and Sundiata, the "Lion Prince" • Sundiata (d.1260) • Mansa (emperor) • Expanded state • Mansa Kankan Musa • Pilgrimage to Mecca • Brings back Ishal al-Sahili • Architect from Muslim Spain • Beaten clay architecture

15. Kingdoms of the Grasslands • City Dwellers and Villagers • Jenne, Timbuktu • Thrive with expansion of Mali, Songhay • Mandinka juula • Merchants • Farmers the majority

16. Kingdoms of the Grasslands • The Songhay Kingdom • Middle Niger valley • Independent by 700 • Muslim by 1010 • Capital at Gao • Sunni Ali (1464–1492) • Expanded territory • Successors: askia

17. Kingdoms of the Grasslands • The Songhay Kingdom • Muhammad the Great • Defeated by Morocco, 1591 • Hausa states, northern Nigeria • Kano becomes Muslim center

18. Kingdoms of the Grasslands • Political and Social Life in the Sudanic States • Fusion of Muslim, indigenous traditions • Sharia • Slavery as a process of conversion • Women and children

19. The Architecture of FaithDogon village mosque in Kani-Kombole, Mali, west Africa.

20. The Architecture of FaithDomed Middle Eastern mosques shown in the skyline of Yazd, Iran.

21. The Swahili Coast of East Africa • Trading ports • Muslim influence strong • Rest of population remains traditional • The Coastal Trading Ports • Mogadishu, Mombasa, Malindi, Kilwa, Pate, Zanzibar • Zenj

22. Map 9.2 The Swahili Coast; African Monsoon Routes and Major Trade Routes

23. The Swahili Coast of East Africa • The Coastal Trading Ports • Madagascar • Southeast Asian immigrants • Bring bananas, coconuts • Blended culture • Bantu, Islamic • Swahili • Spreads along coast • Trade with Asia

24. The Swahili Coast of East Africa • The Mixture of Cultures on the Swahili Coast • Islam unifies with Swahili • Swahili language • Matrilineal and patrilineal

25. Peoples of the Forest and Plains • Artists and Kings: Yoruba and Benin • Nok culture, 500 B.C.E. and 200 C.E. • Nigerian forests • Agriculture, iron tools • Gap in record, 200-1000 C.E.

26. Figure 9.3 In the 13th and 14th centuries, Ile-Ife artists worked in terracotta as well as bronze and produced skilled individual portraits like this one.(The Brooklyn Museum of Art)

27. Peoples of the Forest and Plains • Yoruba • Urbanized agriculturalists • Small city-states • Divine kings • Ile-Ife • Holy • Notable portrait heads

28. Peoples of the Forest and Plains • Edo • Benin, 14th century • Ewuare • Iguegha

29. Two Transitions in the History of World Population • Two periods of human population • Very slow growth • 1750–present: very rapid growth • Demographic transition • Process of shifting from agrarian to industrialized society • Higher life expectancy • Less possible to emigrate • Unprecedented rate of growth

30. Peoples of the Forest and Plains • Central African Kingdoms • Bantu close to Cape Horn by 1200 • Form states • Katanga • Luba peoples • Divine kingship • Hereditary bureaucracy

31. Peoples of the Forest and Plains • The Kingdoms of the Kongo and Mwene Mutapa • Kongo • Along lower Congo River • By late 15th century • Agricultural • Pronounced gender division of labor • Women farm, run household • Men clear forest, hunt, trade

32. Peoples of the Forest and Plains • The Kingdoms of the Kongo and Mwene Mutapa • Kongo • Mbanza Kongo • Capital • Federation of 8 states

33. Figure 9.4 Bronze plaque of Oba and retainers. African rulers often negotiated with the Portuguese on equal terms and incorporated them into local political and commercial networks. In this plaque, the presence of Portuguese retainers—the helmeted figures armed with muskets on each side of the main figure’s head—were marks of the Oba’s power.

34. Peoples of the Forest and Plains • The Kingdoms of the Kongo and Mwene Mutapa • Shona speaking peoples • Zimbabwe (stone courts) • By 9th century • Great Zimbabwe • Mwene Mutapa • Control of gold sources

35. Figure 9.5 Great Zimbabwe was one of several stone settlement complexes in southeastern Africa. Added to at different times, it served as the royal court of the kingdom. In their search for traces of the non-African people they believed “must” have built these massive stone structures, European explorers and treasure-seekers stripped the site of layers of artifacts that might have told more of the story of Great Zimbabwe.