Peoples of the Forests and Plains (Central Africa)

Chapter 8 (4 of 4)

BY 1000, people of interior Africa mostly

farmers or herders, used iron tools and weapons

Most people preliterate, yet made great strides in

arts, building, and statecraft

People mostly lived in small villages, but some

states emerged

Village in central Nigeria

Built terra-cotta objects, demonstrates advanced art

skills

Used iron tools

Nok Ile-IfeCity in Nigeria

that was cultural center

Today, Nigeria made up of 3 large groups:Yoruba, Hausa, and Igbo

Yoruba states agricultural,

dominated by ruling family

and aristocracy

People spoke Yoruba

Terra-cotta objects and

bronze heads, used wood and

ivory too – some of finest African art of

all time

Yoruba State-Building

Kings ruled the city-states:

Divine rule but not absolute

(ex = Oyo – king who appointed princes to rule

provinces)

Yoruba highly urbanized with artisans, similar

to Italy or Germany

(though many farmed in

surrounding countryside)

Kings had royal court, with many

wives, magicians, and bodyguards of soldier-slaves

The Edo People

Edo people lived east of Yoruba and were similar to them

Benin = city-state formed in 1300s. Had big population, large roads,

and ruler was called the Oba

Benin had magnificent art in ivory and bronze (learned bronze from Ile-Ife but then created own style)

Art centered on celebrations of power, majesty and royal rule

- 1480s = Portuguese come to Benin, and are impressed with the power of the ruler

- Benin artists used images of Portuguese soldiers

Central African Kingdoms

Region south of Lake Victoria and the rainforests

Bantu had spread from Nigeria, through this area, and eventually all way to

east coast (provided common language)

The interior of Africa was mostly away from Muslims

influence

By 1000s, kingdoms emerged in interior Africa, replacing kinship-based (stateless)

societies

The 3 Major Central African Kingdoms

1) Katanga2) Kongo3) Great

Zimbabwe

KatangaState formed by the

Luba people

Set up bureaucracy to rule, but only

members of divine family held power

positions

The Central African Kingdom of KongoPolitical Economic Social

Agricultural kingdom along Congo River

Had weaving, pottery, ad blacksmithing

* Sharp division of labor b/t men and

women

Confederation of 8 provinces controlled by

king (rule through heredity)

Artisans highly esteemed, used copper, wood, and

iron

Men = cleared forests, produced palm oil and

wine, built houses, hunted, traded

Flourished by the 1400s Women = raised animals, household chores,

collected seashells as currency

Capital was Mbanza, but many lived in family-

based villages

Formed by the Shona speaking people (a Bantu

langauage)

Had most advanced stone

buildings in world

Great Zimbabwe no relation to modern day Zimbabwe

Great Zimbabwe

Rapidly expanded in the

1400s and controlled most

of southeast Africa

Had a king, whose title was Mwene Mutapa

Controlled areas with gold, so had big trade

advantage

By the 1500s, internal

divisions broke kingdom apart

By 1800s, the Shona people still controlled area, but was

smaller (interior only) and people

were mostly farmers (not like when they had

great cities)