Download Chapter 13: Medieval Africa

CHAPTER 13: MEDIEVAL
AFRICA
Section 1: The Rise of African
Civilizations
I CAN…
• Describe the importance of the West
African empires of Ghana, Mali, and
Songhai including:
• a.) Trade routes
• b.) Products
• c.) Spread of Arabic language
AFRICA’S GEOGRAPHY
• Holds the world’s largest desert=> Sahara
• World’s second largest continent
• Rain forests cover 10% of the land
• Areas of mild climate are found along the
Mediterranean Sea
• Almost all of Africa lies on a plateau
• Nile River is Africa’s longest river
WEST AFRICAN EMPIRE
• Berbers were the 1st known people to
settle in N. Africa
• Started the trade w/ Western Africa
• Trade would lead to small cities which
lead to great empires
Had a huge
army; had iron
weapons
“Crossroads of
Trade”
Traders had to
pay a tax to
get through
Ghana
Ghana
400s AD1200 AD
New gold
mines cut into
taxes collected
Couldn’t feed
people;
constant
fighting
Controlled land
from Atlantic
Coast to
Timbuktu
Warrior-king
Sundiata Keita
took over
Ghana
Controlled goldmining areas;
rebuild the salt
and gold trade
Mali
12301332
Last strong ruler
Mansa Musa;
weak rulers fall
to the Berbers
Control lands from
the Nile River to deep
in to the Sahara
Desert; Largest
empire in Western
Africa
Leader Sunni Ali
drove Berbers out of
Timbuktu
Destroyed by
Moroccan soldiers
Songhai
14681591
KINGDOMS OF THE
RAINFOREST
• Benin and Kongo
• Had farmable soil and warm, wet climate
• Great farming which led to surplus of
food which led to more trade
EAST AFRICA
• Mid- 700s AD- Many Arab
Muslim traders settled in East
Africa city-states
• Goods and ideas exchanged
btwn Arabs and Africans
Supplied gold,
ivory, and copper
to E. African coast
Founded by
Shona People
Ruled by 2 kings:
Mutota and
Matope made
Zimbabwe into a
large empire
Zimbabwe
700 AD1400s AD
South of Zambezi
River to the Indian
Ocean
SECTION 2: AFRICA’S
GOV’T AND RELIGION
GOV’T AND SOCIETY
• Kings settled arguments, managed trade, and
protected the empire
• Complete obedience was expected in return
• Ghana’s Gov’t:
• Kings relied on help from close advisers
• As empire grew, rulers divided it into provinces
which were divided into districts
• Kings held tightly to power and controlled trade
• Weird=> throne goes to king’s nephew
• Mali’s Gov’t:
• Followed Ghana’s model but on a much
larger scale
• Empire split into provinces but generals
were leaders instead of lesser kings
• Songhai’s Gov’t:
• Built on traditions of Ghana and Mali
• Gov’t never fully set up due to Sunni Ali’s
constant fighting
TRADITIONAL AFRICAN
RELIGIONS
• Believe in 1 supreme god
• Understood the Christian and Muslim
idea of one god, but wanted to worship in
own way
• Religion provided rules for living and
helped people stay in touch w/ their history
ISLAM IN AFRICA
• Mansa Musa worked to make Islam stronger in
Africa
• Most African Muslims chose Islam bc it helped
them trade w/ Arab Muslims
• Musa built many mosques to help spread Islam
• After his trip to Makkah, he brought back the
finest architects, writers, and teachers to
help share Islam w/ West Africa
• Askia Muhammad strengthened Islam in Songhai
• Made court honor Muslim laws
• Made Timbuktu an important center of Islamic culture
• Set up 150 schools to teach the Quran
• In East Africa, the Swahili culture is created
• Mix of African and Muslim traditions
• Impact of Islam on Africa:
• 1.) Changes laws
• 2.) Advances learning
• 3.) Introduces Arabic language to Africa
• 4.) Influences the architecture in Africa
• 5.) Begins to change the culture of Africa
SECTION 3: AFRICAN
SOCIETY AND CULTURE
I CAN…
1.) Describe the causes and effects of
European exploration after 1400 including:
B.) Impact on the peoples of sub-Saharan
Africa
LIFE IN MEDIEVAL AFRICA
• 3000 BC-400 AD- The Bantu people moved from
Nigeria and settled much of Africa
• Wherever they went, they took their culture w/
them
• This is the reason why people all across
Africa share some common ideas and
traditions
IMPORTANCE OF FAMILY
• Family is basis of African society
• Live in extended families
• Many villages were matrilineal
• Trace descent through mothers
• Value children greatly
EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY
• Education carried out by family and
other villagers
• Learn history of their people and
skills needed to survive
ROLE OF WOMEN
• Acted mostly as wives and mothers
• Men had more rights and controlled much of what women
did
• Served as soldiers in some African kingdoms
• Some became famous rulers:
• 1.) Dahia al-Kahina=> fought Muslim invaders of her
kingdom
• 2.) Nzinga=> Spent 40 yrs. Battling Portuguese slave traders
SLAVERY W/IN AFRICA
• Europeans did not invent slavery; existed
throughout the world for a long time
• Africans enslaved criminals, captives, or
prisoners of war
• Became part of Saharan trade
• Could become free through hard work or
marrying a free person
• Human trade increased as trade grew w/ Muslim
merchants
THE EUROPEAN SLAVE TRADE
• Began in 1441 w/ Portugal
• Usually stayed in Portugal and worked as
laborers
• Then, they began colonizing and used
enslaved Africans to do all the hard work
• The rest of Europe will follow Portugal’s example
• Late 1400s- Europeans arrived in America
and brought Africans over to work the land