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Insights into Pre-Islamic Africa: Geography, Societies & Influences

Explore the diverse geography of Africa and its impact on societies. Learn about early African civilizations, Bantu migrations, cultural diffusion in East Africa, and the rise of West African empires through trade and Islam. Discover how geography, trade, and Islam shaped African culture.

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Insights into Pre-Islamic Africa: Geography, Societies & Influences

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  1. Essential Question: • What was Africa like before the introduction of Islam? • Warm-Up Question: • Get out your Ibn Battuta reading for a quick HW check.

  2. What is the geography of Africa? How might this geography impact Africans?

  3. Geography of Africa Africa’s geography was very diverse & Africans lived differently based on where they lived

  4. Geography of Africa The Sahara is the world’s largest desert & acted as a barrier to separate North Africa from sub-Saharan Africa

  5. Early Societies of Africa Early societies of North Africa were influenced by Mediterranean cultures such as the Phoenicians & Romans By 750, North Africans were part of the Islamic Empire, converted to Islam, & shared Arabic culture

  6. Early Societies of Africa African societies south of the Sahara were isolated & missed out on the cultural diffusion of the Classical Era

  7. How did early people in Sub-Saharan Africa live?

  8. Characteristics of Sub-Saharan Africa • While the societies of sub-Saharan Africa were diverse, they shared some similarities: • Most societies lived in farming villages in family-based clans • Few societies had written languages; Histories were shared orally by storytellers (griots) • Made iron tools

  9. Characteristics of Africa • Sub-Saharan people were polytheistic: • Practiced animism,a religion in whichspirits exist in nature &play a role in daily life

  10. The Bantu Migration Over the course of 4,000 years, Bantu peoples of central Africa migrated south in search of farmland These Bantu migrations helped spread new farming & ironworking techniques

  11. What factors shaped the culture of East Africa?

  12. East Africa • The societies of East Africa participated in the Indian Ocean trade network & were shaped by cultural diffusion: • The kingdom of Aksum trade withPersia, India, Arabia, & Rome; Aksum became a Christian kingdom

  13. Aksum Church

  14. East Africa • Arab merchants introduced Islam to East African trade cities • The mix of African & Arab cultures led to a new Swahili language • Towns had mosques & were ruled by a Muslim sultan • Butmanypeoplekept their traditional religious beliefs

  15. Closure Activity • Compare the impact of geography on the development of Greece, China & Africa • How are Greek myths similar to the myths and folk stories told by Africans? • Why would someone say that trade is the most important factor in the development of East African and Roman culture? • What comparisons could you make between African animism and Indian Hinduism? • How are Swahili and Hellenistic cultures similar? How are they different?

  16. Essential Question: • What was Africa like before the introduction of Islam? • Warm-Up Question: • ?

  17. What factors shaped the culture of West Africa?

  18. West Africa • West Africa was were shaped by the trans-Saharan trade network: • West Africans had large deposits of gold, but lacked salt • The gold-salt trade connected North & West Africa

  19. West Africa • The gold-salt trade increased cultural diffusion with Muslim merchants: • Islam was introduced in West Africa & slowly gained converts • Many Africans blended Islam with animism or never converted

  20. West Africa • Thegold-salttradeled to wealth & empires in West Africa • By 800, Ghana became an empire by taxing merchants, building a large army, & conquering surrounding people • Ghana kings served as religious leaders, judges, & generals

  21. West Africa • Eventually Ghana was overthrown & the Mali empire emerged • Mali’s King Sundiata took over the Ghana kingdom & trade cities in West Africa • Sundiata created an efficient gov’t, promoted farming, & controlled trade

  22. West Africa • The kings who ruled Mali after Sundiata converted to Islam • The most important king was Mansa Musa: • He built a 100,000 man army to keep control over Mali • He divided Mali into provinces ruled by appointed governors

  23. Mansa Musa Mansa Musa was a devout Muslim & went on a hajj to Mecca in 1324 Mansa Musa passed out gold nuggets to the people he met along the way

  24. This is a European map of Africa. Very little was known about Africa below the Sahara, but Mansa Musa is on the map. Based on his image on the map, what did Europeans know about Mansa Musa?

  25. West Africa • When he returned from Mecca, Mansa Musa built mosques throughout Mali, including Timbuktu • This trade city attracted scholars, doctors, religious leaders • It had a university & becameanimportant center for learning

  26. Timbuktu Djenne Mosque University

  27. West Africa • After Mansa Musa, Mali declined & was replaced by Songhai • Kings gained control of trade cities along the gold-salt routes • Songhai grew into the largest of the West African empires • Its fall in 1591 ended a 1,000 year era of empiresinWestAfrica

  28. Conclusions • African societies were transformed by two powerful forces: • Trade with outsiders • Introduction of Islam

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