The African Kingdoms and City-States Song

By: Justin FogtCarson Hand

Stephen SkinnerDana SuttonTyler Allen

Sue Watson/Northside HS [swatson@mcsdga.net]

• The rise of Kingdoms in Europe was helped by iron-smelting and Africa adopted Islam

• The Kingdom of Ghana was the 1st one to trade and became one of the richest civilizations

• Salt was used in food and Islam had a big impact in the relationship of Ghanaian Traders

• And finally Ghana’s empire ended and they got attacked by the Almoravids

• African Kingdoms and City States this is a Song about them

• African Kingdoms and City States this is a Song about them

• Mali was a small state broke away from Ghana had a ruler named Sundiata Keita

• He organized an army gave food to all the people moved his capital to strengthen different groups

• He restored Saharan trade routes burned grass in the savannas and agriculture did real good

• He used colorful ceremonies never spoke to the people he went through he servants ‘cuz he could

• Mansa Musa was the greatest king he opened up trade routes and to Mali he introduced Islam

• He supported the hajj, gave gold bars to the poor people, Timbuktu was his palace, only superiors could read

• Ibn Battuta was a trader and author his final journey brought him to Mali and Timbuktu

• In 1330 Mali was attacked by the Berbers and it split into independent states

• African Kingdoms and City States this is a Song a song about them

• African Kingdoms and City States this is a Song a Song about them

• The Kingdom of Songhai had skilled traders, farmers, and fishers

• It became the largest West-African trading Kingdom, Sunni Ali was one of the rulers

• He captured Timbuktu and Djenne adopted legal practices maintained an army with armor, camels, and horses

• He was a Muslim when he died his kingdom fell to a non-Muslim but the population overthrew the courses

• Askia Muhammad was the next ruler under him the Songhai Empire reached its height

• He welcomed teachers, doctors, poets, students, and religious leaders the Songhai Empire he divided

• Each province had a governor, a tax collector, a court of judges, and a trade inspector

• Muhammad introduced laws based the teachings from the Quran that’s what its for

• African Kingdoms and City States this is a song a song about them

• African Kingdoms and City States this is a song a song about them

• Coastal city-states traded with Arabian Peninsula and South Asians

• They used monsoons to sail across the ocean Arab and Persian merchants to the coast they ran

• Started settling in Madagascar port of Kilwa had control of gold trade and they collected heavy taxes

• Kilwa over powered city-states and iron was widely used & traders searched for riches

• By 1300’s there were multiculture city-states Islamic and African cultures blended

• Many Africans switched to Islam and wives of Arab merchants were converted

• African Islamic families spoke Swahili and they developed Arab form of writing

• East African rulers were either Arabic of African and they used coral from the reefs to make buildings

• African Kingdoms and City States this is a Song a song about them

• African Kingdoms and City States this is a Song a song about them

• East Africa’s trading kingdoms and city states began to grow

• Bantu speaking inland kingdoms mined copper and gold

• Great Zimbabwe’s population exploded and made folks leave their homes

• They formed the Kingdom of Karanga and they needed to defend what they owned

• Kings built a fortress for politics and religion and it stood 30 feet tall

• Bantu struggled in war and Karanga territories split to Southern and Monomatapa

• European explorers came to the East African coast and the Changmire Empire fell

• And on the Southern tip of Africa in the Western part lived Khonikhoi and San

• African Kingdoms and City States this is a Song a song about them

• African Kingdoms and City States this is a Song a song about them