Kingdoms and Trading States of Africa 750 B.C. – A.D. 1586

Kingdoms and Trading States of Africa 750 B.C. – A.D. 1586 Rachel Farrell, Victoria Perez, AlleaFrasier, SIENNA OLIVER, Adam Green

Section 1 – Early Civilizations of Africa Geography of Africa • Africa is the 2nd largest continent after Asia, covers a fifth of the Earth’s surface • Rainforests cover 5% it, thick trees and roots it unsuitable for farming • The largest and most populate climate zone is the savanna, or grassy plain Christian

Geography Cont’d • The savanna stretches north and south of the forests • Good soil but irregular rainfall patterns which leads to drought • Cattle herding is common in other parts of Africa • In parts of the savanna, flies infect people and cattle • The savanna belts trail off into dry steppe zones and two major deserts – the Sahara and the Kalahari Christian

Geography Cont’d • Fertile farmland lies along the North and Southern tips • Geographic barriers hindered the movement of people – mountains, water • Africa has a huge coastline but few harbors Christian

Geography Cont’d • Much of inner Africa is a plateau • Rivers approach the coast and dissolve into rapids that hinder travel between the coast and interior • Red Sea and Indian Ocean linked East Africa to the Middle East, North Africa was part of the Mediterranean world Christian

Geography: Resources and Trade • Various regions offer resources such as salt, gold, iron, copper, diamonds and oil • Mineral resources led to trade among regions • Salt, gold, iron and copper were important earlier • Diamonds and oil were important later Christian

The Sahara and Migration • Great Rift Valley of East Africa was the home of the earliest people • The Sahara was also fertile and well watered • By 5,550 BC, Neolithic farmers cultivated the Nile Valley and domesticated animals • Villages appeared in the Sahara and North Africa • Desertification hit the Sahara slowly in 2500 BC • Migration started as people sought fertile land Christian

The Bantu Migrations • Migration contributed to diversity and culture over thousands of years • West African farmers and herders migrated to the south and east between 1,000 BC and 1,000 AD • The West Africans spoke a variety of languages derived from a common root language • This common root language is called Bantu Christian

The Rise of Nubia • Nubia (also known as Kush) took shape in present day Sudan while Egypt was still developing • Egyptian pharaohs subdued Nubia from time to time but the Nubians always regained independence • Nubian rulers adopted many Egyptian traditions including the pyramid and palace designs Christian

The Rise and Fall of Nubian Egypt • During 750 BC, the Nubian King Piankhi conquered Egypt and Nubian kings ruled Egypt for a century • The Nubians retreated as the Assyrians invaded with superior weapons Christian

The Furnaces of Meroe • By 500 BC, Nubian rulers moved their capital to Meroe • Meroe commanded the north-south and east-west Nile routes from the Red Sea to the savanna and North Africa • Nubia sent gold, ivory, animal skins, perfumes and slaves along this trade network • Nubia traded to the Mediterranean and Middle Eastern peoples • Meroe was also rich in iron ore Adam

Splendor and Decline • Nubians worshipped their own gods • Artistic styles reflected a greater sense of freedom than Egypt’s styles • They created their own writing system that used an alphabet • Nubia’s golden age dimmed after the join reign of King Natakamani and Queen Amanitere in the 1st century AD • Armies from the Kingdom of Axum on the Red Sea conquered Nubia in 350 AD Adam

North Africa • Early African civilizations had strong ties to the Mediterranean world • Carthage, founded by the Phoenicians, rose as a great North African power • Wealth came from trade, which it dominated • Carthage forged an empire between 800 BC and 146 BC that stretched from present-day Tunisia to Spain and Sicily. • Cathage also had outposts, or distant military stations, in England and France Adam

Rome and North Africa • As Rome expanded, territorial and trade rivalries caused the Punic Wars • Rome destroyed Carthage, but trade to the region continued • The Romans built roads, dams, aqueducts and cities across North Africa • Also developed farmland, imported goods and used soldiers for the Roman Army • Christianity was also spread to African cities Adam

Camels • By 200 AD, camels were brought to North Africa from Asia • “Ships of the desert” • Revolutionized trade & created networks • Camels could carry up to 500 pounds and cover 20 to 30 miles a day without water Adam

The Spread of Islam • Arab armies carried Islam into North Africa in the 600s • The Arabs occupied cities and battled Berbers in the desert • Islam replaced Christianity as the dominant religion • Arabic replaced Latin as the dominant language • North Africa benefited from Muslim traditions in architecture in trade Adam

Section 2 – Kingdoms of West AfricaTrading Gold and Salt • Farmers in West Africa grew beans, melons and grain • By 100 AD, settled farming villages expanded • Many created surplus, or excess, food • Gold and salt dominated Sahara trade and werecommodities, or valuable product • Strong monarchs gained control of the trade routes and built powerful kingdoms Adam

Gold Wealth of Ghana • Ghana was a large kingdom created by uniting many farming villages • Located in the broad “V” created by the Niger and Senegal rivers • The king controlled gold-salt trade routes across West Africa, meeting in the marketplaces of Ghana • Called the “land of gold” Adam

Ghana’s Capital and King • The capital of Ghana was KumbiSaleh • The capital was made up of two separate walled towns some six miles apart • The king of Ghana presided over elaborate ceremonies • He was seen as a semi-divine figure Adam

Influence of Islam • Islam spread into Ghana slowly at first • The king employed Muslims as counselors and officials • Muslims introduced their language, coinage, business methods, and architecture • The Almoravids launched a campaign to spread their form of Islam and overwhelmed Ghana Allea

The Kingdom of Mali • After Ghana was destroyed, the Kingdom of Mali was soon founded • Kings were called mansas • They expanded their influence over both the gold-mining regions to the south and salt supplies of Taghaza • Mansa Musa was the greatest emperor • Came to the throne around 1312 • Expanded Mali’s borders westward and pushed Northward to conquer cities Allea

Mali cont’d • Kings worked to ensure peace and order • Kingdom converted to Islam and based system of justice off of the Quran (Islamic holy book) • Fulfilled one of the five pillars of Islam by going on a pilgrimage to Mecca • Forged ties with other Muslim states • Timbuktu became center for learning Allea

A New Empire in Songhai • Disputes over succession weakened Mali • The empire shriveled and by 1450, the wealthy trading city of Gao had emerged as the capital of a new West African kingdom, Songhai • Two great leaders: Sonni Ali and AskiaMuhammed • Sonni Ali forged a large state with a powerful army, brought trade routes and cities under his control • Askia Muhammad set up Muslim dynasty and expanded territory Allea

Invaders from the North • The empire prospered until 1586 when civil war broke out • Morocco’s armies defeated Songhai with gunpowder weapons • Moroccans were not able to rule the entire empire • Split it into many small kingdoms Allea

Walled City-States of the Hausa • Hausa had built a number of clay-walled cities • Independent of one another • Commercial centers • Had cotton weavers, dryers, leatherworkers, artisan goods • Featured Kano, the most prosperous city-state • Ruled by women Allea

Forest Kingdom of Benin • Organized in the 1300s in the rain forests of Guinea • Ruled by an oba, or king • Farming villages traded pepper, ivory and slaves • Had palaces, decorated with brass plaques and sculptures Allea

Section 3 – Trade Routes of East AfricaAxum • King Ezana of Axum conquered and absorbed Nubia • Kingdom extended from the mountains of Ethiopia to the Red Sea • Peoples of Axum descended from African farmers and traders Rachel

Axum’s Trade Network • Largest trade came from its main cities • Adulis in the Red Sea • Capital city of Axum • Axum had ivory, gold, animal skin, rhino horns • Adulis had iron, spices, precious stones and cotton cloth Rachel

Axum and Christianity • King Ezana converted to Christianity in the late 300s • Christianity strengthened ties between North Africa, Axum, and the Mediterranean world • Islam started to spread across Africa in the 600s • It was hard to trade with the Islam countries • Decline of trade let to civil war, declining culture Rachel

Ethiopia as a Christian Outpost • Religion did not leave the people even as power faded • In the 1200s monks created stone chapels and rock churches • Was said to be done with divine help • Many visited the Holy Land Rachel

East African City-States • Decline of Axum gave rise to city-states on the coast • Very diverse • Muslim communities arose in the 600s • Later, Bantu people migrated and adopted Islam • Created more diversity, rich culture Rachel

East African Trade • Learned how trade with India overseas due to monsoon winds • Winds pushed towards India in the summer, Africa in the winter • Traded ivory, leopard skin, iron, copper, gold from Africa • Imported cotton, silk, spices, porcelain, glass, swords from India and China • Both shared slaves Rachel

A Blend of Cultures • Trade made these city-states powerful • Also diversified culture • Bantu-Arab mixture led to creation of Swahili language Rachel

Zimbabwe • Land of Zimbabwe settled between 900 to 1500 • New inhabitants brought improved farming skills, iron, mining methods • Produced enough food to support a growing population Victoria

Zimbabwe’s Economy and Government • Wealth swelled and economy grew with trade with India and China • Allowed them to become regional power • Masters of metal – created gold and iron works • Little is known about their government • Believed they had a god-king, nine queens, lower courts and governors Victoria

Zimbabwe’s Decline • In decline by 1500s • Over-farming exhausted the soil • Trade faded and civil war started, breaking Zimbabwe in to small states Victoria

Section 4 – Many Peoples, Many TraditionsPeople and the Environment • Over thousands of years, Bantu-speaking people migrated across Africa • Carried farming and ironworking skills • People adopted culture of people they met • Culture of African societies varied greatly from place to place Victoria

Hunting and Food Gathering • Bantu migrations pushed hunting and food-gathering people to outcast areas • Food was scarce, so people lived in small groups • Their knowledge of the natural world was unmatched by city dwellers or villagers Victoria

Herding, Fishing, and Settlements • People raised cattle in the savanna • They were nomadic, land was limited • Defended against invaders • Fish was the basic food for people along water • Traded any surplus fish for grain and other goods • Communities settled temporarily and practiced slash-and-burn agriculture • Land lost fertility so they were forced to move Victoria

Villages and Government • Farming villages lived in tightknit communities • Everyone planted but people were responsible for different crops • Power was shared among many people – a chief or a group of elders • Women took the dominant role in some villages • Decisions often made by consensus, or general agreement – elders had greatest voice • Note: Villages within Songhai also obeyed the empire’s rules, paid taxes and provided soldiers Victoria

The Kingdom of Kongo • Kingdom of Kongo flourished in about 1500 AD in central Africa • Consisted of many villages grouped into districts and provinces • Governed by officials appointed by the king • Each village had its own chief, chosen by matrilineal descent • King had limited power – appointed by electors and governed according to laws Sienna

Families • Family was the basic unit of society • Nuclear families were typical • Parents and children worked and lived together as a unit • In other communities, people lived in join families Sienna

Lines of Descent • Families were either patrilineal or matrilineal • Inheritance, family ties passed through side of either father or mother • Example: patrilineal marriage’s bride would move to the husband’s village and vice versa • Matrilineal cultures forged stronger ties between sibilings Sienna

Wider Ties • Religious beliefs were varied and complex across Africa • Village Africans were polytheistic, saw natural forces as spirits, believed in a single chief being above all gods who was the creator • As Christians call on saints, Africans called on their ancestors • Converts to Christianity and Islam associated their God as their traditional creator Sienna

Artistic Traditions • African artists have worked with ivory, wood bronze • Cloth weaving and dying, pottery, jewelry common • Closely tied to religion, often served social and religious purposes Sienna

Literary Tradition • History and values passed through oral and written literature • Oral traditions date back many centuries • Griots, or professional poets, recited ancient stories • Arabic was dominant language • Documents in Arabic give insight to law, religion and history • Histories often praised ancestors or kings, folk tales taught lessons Sienna

Kingdoms and Trading States of Africa 750 B.C. – A.D. 1586