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Chapter 7. Early African Civilizations 2000 B.C. – A.D. 1500. Modern Day Africa. Key Events. The continent’s immense size and distinct geographical and climatic zones influenced where civilizations developed and how they survived
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Chapter 7 Early African Civilizations 2000 B.C. – A.D. 1500
Key Events • The continent’s immense size and distinct geographical and climatic zones influenced where civilizations developed and how they survived • The introduction of Christianity and Islam affected the way civilizations developed and interacted • The development of trade led to the exchange of goods and cultural ideas
The Impact Today • The expansion of trade creates a global society, allowing people to exchange goods, services, and ideas throughout the world • African art, music, and dance remain very influential today
Chapter Preview • “Explorer Finds Great Zimbabwe”
Section 1 The Development of Civilizations in Africa
The Land of Africa • Northern coast is mountainous • South of the mountains is the Sahara desert • Major regions south of the Sahara • Hump of Africa (Sahara gives way to grasslands and the tropical jungles) • Great Rift Valley (Mountains loom over deep canyons) Grasslands with many wild animals • Congo Basin (Dense Vegetation watered by the Congo river)
The Climate of Africa • 4 Distinct Climate Zones (Map 224) • Mild Zone (Moderate rainfall and warm temperatures result in fertile land that produces abundant crops) • Deserts (40% of Africa) • Rain Forest (Heavy rains and warm temperatures produce dense forests where little farming and little travel are possible) • Savannas (Broad grasslands dotted with small trees and shrubs)
Kush • Became independent in 1000 B.C. • In 750 B.C. Kush Conquered Egypt • In 663 B.C. the Kushites were overwhelmed by the Assyrians and returned to upper Nile Valley • Economy originally based on farming • Soon emerged as one of the major trading states in the region • Kushites made iron weapons and tools
Kush (Continued) • For the next 200 years, Kush was a major trading empire, providing iron products and goods from central and eastern Africa to the Roman Empire, as well as to Arabia and India. • Other Exports – Ivory, gold, ebony, and slaves. • Imports – Luxury goods, including jewelry and silver lamps from India and Arabia.
Axum • Located in the highlands of what is now Ethiopia • Founded by Arabs from the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula • Eventually combined Arab and African cultures • Prosperous due to location on Red Sea trade route • Conquered Kush in 4th century A.D.
The Coming of Islam • For hundreds of years, relations between Christian Axum and its Muslim neighbors were relatively peaceful. • 12th Century – Problems arose as the Muslim states along the coast began to move inland to gain control over trade. • 15th Century – Axum was deeply involved with the Muslim state of Adal.
Section 2 Kingdoms and States of Africa
The Kingdom of Ghana • The first great trading state in West Africa – Emerged in A.D. 500 • Most people were farmers living in villages under a local ruler • Together the villages formed the kingdom of Ghana • The Kings of Ghana were strong rulers (with great wealth) who governed without any laws.
Ghana – Economy and Trade • Lived off the land and also prospered from their possession of both iron and gold. • Received imports of metal goods, textiles, horses, and salt from Muslim merchants • Exchange of goods took place through “silent trade” – page 229. • Also exported ivory, ostrich feathers, hides, and slaves.
The Kingdom of Mali • Established around 1240 by Sundiata Keita (Compared to George Washington) • Extended from the Atlantic coast to the famous trading city of Timbuktu • Local rulers sent tax revenue to the Kings of Mali • Richest and most powerful king – Mansa Musa • By 1359, civil war divided Mali.
The Kingdom of Songhai • Located south of the bend in the Niger River in Western Africa • Due to military victories Songhai had control of the trading empire, especially salt and gold • Declined in the 16th century mainly due to Morocco forces occupying much of Songhai • By 1600 the Songhai Empire was all but gone
African Trading Empires • Review chart on page 232 Kush Axum Ghana Mali Songhai
Bantus • Migration of Bantus to East Africa (1st millennium B.C.) • Communities based on subsistence farming • Sometime after A.D. 1000 , descendants of a Bantu tribe established the prosperous city of Great Zimbabwe
Bantus • String of trading ports on the Eastern edge of Africa (Mogadishu, Mombasa, and Kilwa) – 7th and 8th centuries. • Later in the 1500’s a Swahili culture began to emerge throughout the coastal area.
South Africa • Until the eleventh century A.D., most of the peoples lived in a stateless society. • From about 1300 to 1450, Zimbabwe was the wealthiest and most powerful state in the region.
Section 3 African Society and Culture
King and Subject • Less of a divide between king and common people in Africa. Nevertheless, the king was still held in a position high above all others. • Relationship helped both sides • Merchants received favors from the king • King’s treasury received taxes paid by merchants • King maintained law and order in the kingdom so that the merchants could practice their trade
Family and Lineage • Extended family and lineage groups were very important to Africans. • All members of a lineage group could claim to be descended from a real or legendary common ancestor. • The elders in the group had the most power • Members took care of one another
Role of Women • Usually subordinate to Men • Women often worked in the fields while the men tended cattle or hunted • Most African societies were matrilineal rather than patrilineal
Community Education and Initiation • At age 6, boys went to live in “house of the men” and girls in “the house of the women” – raised for adult roles • Initiation and ritual ceremony took place at puberty where they became men and women and entered into the life of the community
Slavery • Had been practiced in Africa since ancient times • Berber groups raided farming villages south of Sahara for captives and sold them throughout the Mediterranean • Slaves used in a variety of ways (Page 238)
Religious Beliefs in Africa • Most early Africans believed in a single creator - God. • Sometimes, the “creator god” was joined by a whole group of lesser gods. • Communication through rituals – by diviners.
Religious Beliefs in Africa (Cont.) • Importance of ancestors (closer to the gods) • Many African religions shared a belief in afterlife • Islam began spreading rapidly in Northern Africa and more slowly south of the Sahara • Christianity also spread in the mountains of Ethiopia
African Culture • Earliest art forms in Africa were rock paintings showing the life of the peoples. • Wood carvers made remarkable masks and statues (usually representing gods, spirits, and ancestral figures). • Later, metal workers produced handsome bronze and iron statues • Dance, music, and storytelling served religious purposes.
Chapter 7 Early African Civilizations Wrap Up and Review
Key Events (Re-visited) • The continent’s immense size and distinct geographical and climatic zones influenced where civilizations developed and how they survived • The introduction of Christianity and Islam affected the way civilizations developed and interacted • The development of trade led to the exchange of goods and cultural ideas
The Impact Today (Re-visited) • The expansion of trade creates a global society, allowing people to exchange goods, services, and ideas throughout the world • African art, music, and dance remain very influential today
