World History

1. World History Early African Civilizations

2. Africa/geography • 2nd largest continent • Mountains along Mediterranean Sea, just south lies the Sahara= Earth’s largest desert • Southwest of the desert = grasslands & tropical jungle cover hump of Africa jutting into Atlantic Ocean • Great Rift valley = east • Congo River runs through Congo basin = dense vegetation, rain forests

3. Great Rift Valley

4. Geography • Africa has 4 climate zones • 1st = mild climate on northern coast & southern tip • 2nd = desert/ Sahara desert = north, Kalahari desert = south –cover 40 % of Africa • 3rd = rain forest along equator, 10% of land • Heavy rains & heat make for dense forests & disease carrying insects • 4th = savannas – broad grasslands dotted with shrubs & small trees that is north & south of the rainforests, cover about 40% of Africa

5. Sahara Desert

6. Kalahari Desert

7. Congo Basin Rain Forest

8. Tsetse Fly

9. The Sahel

10. Savanna

11. Emerging Civilizations • 7-8,000 years ago farming led to the first civilizations in Africa; Egypt, Kush, Axum • Early heavy trade between Egypt & Nubia around 2,000 b.c. • Nubia freed itself from Egyptian control around 1,000 b.c. & became Kush • 750 b.c., Kushites conquered Egypt/ Assyrians “iron weapons” drove them out of Egypt to their original land • Kush economy was originally based on agriculture & then became a major trading center

12. East Africa Nubia Kush Axum Ethiopia West Africa Ghana Mali Songhai African Kingdoms

14. Nubian Temple

15. Kush Kingdom • City of Meroe was center of society/ had a large supply of iron which led to them making iron weapons & tools • Major trading empire for several hundred years • It provided iron, ivory, gold, ebony, and slaves to the Roman empire, Arabia, & India for luxuries such as jewelry, silver lamps • Flourished from 250 b.c. to ad 150/ Axum caused its decline

16. Pyramids at Meroe

17. Kush Ruins

18. Axum • King Ezana conquered Kush • Founded by a colony of Arabs in present day Ethiopia/ independent state that combined Arab & African cultures • Prospered because it was located on the Red Sea & the trading route between India & Medt. Sea • Shipwrecked Syrians introduced Christianity to Axum/ 324, Ezana converted to Christianity & made it official religion • Arab forces had taken control of Egypt & almost all of North Africa

19. King Ezana Axum Stele

20. Christian Ceremony in Ethiopia

21. Muslim-Christians • Arab North Africa Muslims & Axum Christians were peaceful for years • 12 century problems arose/ Muslims moved inward to take control of slave & ivory trades from Axum/ Axum fought back • By 15 century, Axum & Muslim state of Adal were in growing conflict

22. Rather be on a Beach?

23. Ghana • First of the trading states/ emerged in the Niger valley grasslands/ Between Sahara & tropical forests/Modern Ghana is just east of the location • Most people were farmers who lived in villages • Ghana kings were strong, wealthy rulers • To protect kingdoms, Ghana kings had a well trained army of thousands of soldiers • Ghana prospered from gold & iron products • In exchange, Muslim merchants brought textiles, horses, metal goods, & salt • Salt important for preserving & spicing food/ needed to replace lost body salt in hot climate

24. African Salt Trade

25. Africa Salt Trade • Salt is essential for Life, every person contains about 8 ounces of salt in their body/ People lose salt when they sweat • African salt was traded for many items; gold, ivory, slaves • Salt trade grew with camel caravans/thousands of camels caravans carried tons of salt across the desert • Local kings placed taxes on salt – payable by gold – for caravans crossing their realms • 3 great empires gained great wealth from salt trade

26. Salt Caravan

27. Ghana • Ghana eventually exported ivory, ostrich feathers, hides, & slaves • Exchanging goods was done by silent trade; At a boundary line, no foreigner was allowed in/ foreigners would place goods & leave, Ghana would then leave gold & leave, if one side was not happy with exchange then they would leave it & suppliers would replenish with more • Berbers = nomadic people who were main traders on the camel caravans • Kingdom was weakened by wars & collapsed in 1200

29. Mali Kingdom • Arose to replace Ghana/ established by Sundiata Keita in 13th century • Sundiata captured Ghana capital in 1240/ united people & created strong government • Empire extended from Atlantic coast to trading center of Timbuktu • Mali built power on salt & gold trade • Most people were farmers/ lived in villages with local rulers

31. Mali Village

32. Mali Kingdom • Mansa Musa = rich & powerful king of Mali • Musa encouraged the growth of Islam, study of the Quran, & ordered mosques built • Pilgrimage to Mecca is legendary/ Gave gold to the host everywhere he went, purchased items from merchants with gold/ Put so much gold into circulation that it lost its value • Most famous mosque = Sankore mosque in Timbuktu • Made Timbuktu = center of Islamic learning • Imported scholars & books to spread the word of Allah

33. Mali Kingdom • Ruled from 1307 to 1337/ doubled Mali’s size/ created strong central government • Musa was last powerful leader of Mali • By 1359, civil war divided Mali

34. Mansa Musa Timbuktu

35. Great Mosque at Timbuktu

36. Songhai Kingdoms • Niger River provided rich soil for farming & raising cattle • Established southeast of Timbuktu • 1009, Kossi converted to Islam & established Dia dynasty/ prospered around the main trading center of Gao of Songhai • Sunni Ali expanded Songhai & created the Sunni dynasty in 1464 • Ali spent most of his time on military campaigns/ able to gain control Timbuktu & Jenne which gave Songhai control of trading empire

37. Sunni Ali Expanded Independent Songhai

38. Songhai Kingdom • Empire reached its height under Muhammad Ture = devout Muslim who overthrew Ali’s son in 1493 & created the Askia dynasty • Ture created an empire that stretched a thousand miles along the Niger River • Ture created strong central government with local provinces under the control of appointed governors • Songhai cities prospered under Ture • Songhai empire came to an end after Ture’s death • Morocco came to occupy it by the 16th century

39. Muhammad Ture Ruled Songhai At Its Height

40. Bantu • Various small states & societies took root in eastern Africa/ Islam influence many of them/ lived by hunting & gathering, raising livestock • Bantu migrated east & south, & to Congo Basin/ not as conquerors but as communities • Bantu = subsistence farmers using iron & stone tools/ Women tilled the fields & cared for children/ Men tended the herds, hunted, & traded • Bantu = traded salt, animal products, copper, iron ore

41. East Africa • Growth of Islam in 7th & 8th centuries brought increased trade to the communities on the eastern coast • Arab & Persian traders settled in these ports • Mogadishu, Mombasa, Kilwa = major trading ports • Kilwa was magnificent city/Great Mosque & Husuni Kubwa palace was built in Kilwa • Portuguese sacked Kilwa in 1505 & destroyed its major buildings

42. Great Mosque at Kilwa

44. _____ ____ _____

45. East Africa • Mixed African-Arabian culture = Swahili emerged through the coastal area/ Swahili = “people of the coast” • Swahili – national language of Kenya & Tanzania

46. South Africa • States formed more slowly in the southern half • People lived in stateless societies/ 11th century ad = independent villages began to consolidate & form the 1st states • Zimbabwe = (1300-1450) wealthiest & most powerful • Prospered from trading gold with Swahili communities • Great Zimbabwe = capital/ overlooked the Zambesi river/Great Enclosure dominated the capital

47. Great Zimbabwe • Great Zimbabwe = capital/ overlooked the Zambesi river/Great Enclosure dominated the capital • Walls were unusual/ People stacked granite blocks without mortar • City was abandoned by 15th century/ possibly due to overgrazing or natural disaster

48. Great Zimbabwe