Section 1: The Rise of African Civilizations

CHAPTER 13: MEDIEVAL AFRICA

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

Ghana400s AD-1200 AD

“Crossroads of Trade”

Had a huge army; had iron

weapons

Traders had to pay a tax to get through

Ghana New gold mines cut into taxes collected

Couldn’t feed people; constant fighting

Mali1230-1332

Warrior-king Sundiata Keita

took over Ghana

Controlled land from Atlantic

Coast to Timbuktu

Controlled gold-mining areas; rebuild the salt and gold trade

Last strong ruler Mansa Musa;

weak rulers fall to the Berbers

Songhai1468-1591

Leader Sunni Ali drove Berbers out of

Timbuktu

Control lands from the Nile River to deep

in to the Sahara Desert; Largest

empire in Western Africa

Destroyed by Moroccan soldiers

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

Zimbabwe700 AD-

1400s AD

Founded by Shona People

Supplied gold, ivory, and copper to E. African coast

Ruled by 2 kings: Mutota and

Matope made Zimbabwe into a

large empire

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

I CAN…

1.) Describe the causes and effects of European exploration after 1400 including:

B.) Impact on the peoples of sub-Saharan Africa

SECTION 3: AFRICAN SOCIETY AND CULTURE

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