States and Societies of Sub-Saharan Africa

1. States and Societies of Sub-Saharan Africa • Pre Islamic Sub Saharan Africa has no written history • Stories preserved by Griots – tribal story tellers • Reports by travelers from other countries give credibility to oral traditions • Continuing migration and expansion brought more land under cultivation • Trade promoted urban development

4. Migration Push Pull Factors

5. Migrations Completed • By 1000 ACE most of the Bantu, Kushite, Sudanese, Mande had settled South of the Sahara • Some migration continued into the 19th Century • Agriculture and herding spread to all but most dry desert and wet equatorial areas of the continent

7. Agriculture • New crops resulted in improved health and longer life • Bananas, yams and chickens from SE Asia • First to Madagascar then to mainland • Population grew requiring more land and new migrations • New crops grew in tropics and allowed their settlement

9. Iron Working • Jumped over the bronze age and entered directly into the iron age • Metallurgy brought by migration • Major commodity for export

11. Trade • Small scale before the introduction of the Camel • Camel • Allowed for long distance trade • Horse were kept as sign of status and for use in war

14. Emergence of Chiefdoms • Around 1000 ACE • Increased populations • No place to expand • Village conflicts over resources led to organization of armies • Government was required • Kingdoms emerged

15. Village life • Matrilineal traced family through mothers • Male family heads made up village counsel • Village chief represented the settlement when dealing with neighbors • work divided along gender and age • boys 10-12 herders • girls 10-12 planted and harvest crops • 12 became adults

16. Ghana 300-1200 ACE • rich trading nation • Salt, gold , copper and slaves • 120 kings called Ghana • controlled empire of 100,000 square miles • taxes paid on goods coming in • taxes paid on goods going out

17. Ghana the beginnings • dominated by Soninke people • capital KumiSaheh • kingship was matrilineal (sister provided the heir)

18. Ghana – the end • Kingdom never became Muslim • allowed Muslims to live in territory and help rule • Some of the last rulers converted • Environment over grazed and over farmed

19. Islam Arrives • Brought by traders • Lived separately • Religion of the cities • More acceptable because it allowed multiple wives • Villages remained loyal to local religions

20. The Almoravids • Strict Islamic sect • Fought jihad against infidels • 1040s controlled the western trade route with Ghana • 1055 took control of Trans Saharan gold trade • 1057 conquered into Spain and all of North west Africa • Too big and so leadership concentrated on the North

22. Muslim States of North Africa 1100-1400 ACE • Almoravids had become corrupt and desert Berbers rose in rebellion • Almohad jihad • Unified the northern Berbers • Mosques became center of learning • Mathematical and scientific achievements • Decimals • Split into rival states in 1300’s

23. Mali • Broke a way from Ghana • Sundiata Keita early king • established empire 1235 ACE • grabbed the gold and salt routes • sought to improve agriculture • Organized Malinke resistance to raiding at collapse of Ghana • restored the trans-Saharan trade routes

25. Native Religion and Kingship • ‘Spirits of the land’ • Ensured success of crops • Original ancestors and settlers made compact with the spirits • Through ancestors the “mansa” or chieftain was the guardian of the compact

26. Mali II • At its height Mali stretched from the Atlantic to the middle Niger River bend • Most rulers were Muslims • A few Muslim administrators • Mansa had a standing army • Elite corps of cavalry and many foot soldiers

27. Mali III • Economy • Agricultural • Food surpluses • Small independent peasant farmers majority • Mansa and army officers had large state farms manned by slaves • Mining • Independent miners • When government tried to control they stopped

28. Trade • Wangara • Professional traders • Muslim • Shifted center eastwards to Timbuktu and Jenne • Cowrie shells in 1300’s became the currency • Encouraged by the government • Improved collection of taxes • Gold dust and salt still main medium of exchange

29. Mansa Musa 1312-1332 • brought Islam to Mali • established capital in Timbuktu • Center of Islamic art and culture • Made the Hajj to Mecca (collapsed European gold market) • Carried 100 + camel loads of gold • Gave much away in gifts spreading the fame of Mali • Succeeded by brother Mansa Sulyeman • After death Mossi attacked from the north and ended Mali

32. Timbuktu • Originally tent settlement • Grazing settlement for flocks and herds • Link point for the Trans Saharan trade • Permanent homes were built of mud brick • Became center of trade and scholarship

33. Songhai • Centered on upper Niger • Fisherman and farmers • Traded food for salt and cloth • Rose as Mali declined • Army of horseman • Army of war canoes

34. Sonni Ali – ruler of Gao • took most of old Mali kingdom • military man • captured Timbuktu and Djenne • Conquering hero • Not a Muslim and so often portrayed him as ruthless

35. Muhammad Ture (1493-1528) • Established the Songhai Empire • Askiya dynasty • Askiya Muhammad 1493-1528 • law based on the Quran • appointed Muslim judges • Consolidated Sonni Ali’s conquest • Used Islam to reinforce his authority • Makes pilgrimage to Mecca • Revives Timbuktu as a center of scholarship and trade

36. Songhai II • Askia Daud (1549-1582) • empire stretched to Cameroon • largest empire in African history • 97% of population followed old religion

37. Administration • Government • Replaced traditional rulers with royal appointees • Members of court or royal family • Not an inherited position had to be earned • Trade • Salt still major currency of external exchange • Cowrie shells used for taxes and internal trade • Gold, slaves, and kola nuts exported

38. Trading Cities and States • East Africa • Trade with Arabia and South Asia • Current countries • Yemen • Saudi Arabia • Oman • Pakistan • India • Used dhows –sail boats • Ivory, gold, iron and rhinoceros horn

39. Coastal City States • Trade settlements along the coast (Indian Ocean and Red Sea trade) • Kilda –gold monopoly • Mombasa, Malinid and Sofala iron monopoly • Island of Zanzibar –ivory and gold • 1300 ACE height of prosperity • Blended Islamic and African culture • Swahili • Bantu language with Arabic and Persian words • Language of traders • Built palaces and forts of coral

40. Beginnings • 100 CE referenced in trading guide for Greek and Roman sailors • Exported Coconut oil, tortoise-shell, ivory and rhinoceros horn • Imported cotton, iron tools and weapons, grain and wine • Boosted by spread of Islam • Shi’ite refugees settled along east coast and intermarried

41. Arab Control • Indian Ocean trade • control by Arabs using Monsoon winds • Interior trade and coastal trade • controlled by local traders • Took goods to major port cities • Made trade quick for the Ocean travelers since time was a factor • Demand for gold and Ivory brought more Arabs who settled coastal towns

42. East African Islam • Came when first followers of Mohammed fled persecution in Arabia • Brought by soldiers after death of Muhammad • Trade with Persian Gulf continued the contact • Unlike Christianity traditional values were accepted (multiple wives)

43. The towns • Mixed farming communities • Agriculture • Cattle kept in interior enclosures • Homes built in circular patterns • Made of thatch and mud-brick • Exported raw materials and imported luxury goods

44. African Ivory • Main export for Chinese market • Softer than Asian elephant tusks • Used to make ceremonial chairs • India used it for knife hilts

45. Bantu Kingdoms in South • Created by trade with coastal cities • Mining communities • Copper • Gold • Great Zimbabwe(stone building) • Built by Karanga ancestors of Shona • City wall was30 feet high • Supplied Ivory and gold to Kilwa • 1400’s power lost due to internal warfare and land exhaustion

46. Slavery • Practice throughout the world • 15 million Africans will be forcibly removed • In African society used for domestic labor by nobles • Taken in raids of neighboring tribes • Women were sold but men were not until Europeans and Arabs arrived

47. Religion in Central Africa • Kingship was linked with religious power • Mediators in religious practices and communicated with ancestors • Kongo guardians of ‘spirits of land’ • Malawi and Angola ‘rain-making shrine’ • weather • Nature • Success of crops • protected and guided village

48. Kingdom of Kongo • Located on Zaire (Congo) river • Rich in copper and iron • Rich in fish • By 1500 a loose confederation of villages merged into a kingdom headed by the Manikongo • Traded cloth made of raffia and metals, copper • Expanded through trade rather then warfare- ruled by governors loyal to king (ManiKongo) • Increased population caused expansion of territory from Atlantic to Kwango River

49. Ife/Benin-Rainforest Kingdoms • Yoruba Myth says that Ife was founded by a deity Oduduwa acting on the order of the supreme God • Leader became known as Ooni • Abundant food supply • Released labor to create art centering on kingship- bronze and copper heads made using lost wax method

50. Origins • May have been from Kush • Benin inherited power from Ife • Greatest Ruler was Ewuare 1440-1473 • Magician • Warrior • Laws, walled city, police • Traded with Portuguese and Dutch