African Civilizations and the Spread of Islam

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Chapter 8

• African Civilizations and the Spread of Islam

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Present Day Africa
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Kingdoms in Pre-Colonial Africa
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Africa Info.

• 2nd largest 2nd most populous continent
• 6 of total surface 20.4 of total land surface
• 53 countries 922 million people (as of 2005)
• Central eastern Africa widely regarded as origin
  of human species
• Area almost 12 million square miles (US is about
  3.3 million square miles)

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I. African Societies Diversity and Similarities

• Political forms vary
• Different religions
• Universal states and universal religions do NOT
  characterize African history
• A. Stateless Societies
• Organized around kinship
• Secret societies
• B. Common Elements in African Societies
• Unity in language, thought, and religion
• Bantu migration
• one language base (specific languages could
  differ)
• Animism
• Power of natural forces
• Cosmology
• lineage important in relation with god

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I. African Societies Diversity and Similarities

• C. The Arrival of Islam in North Africa
• Part of Mediterranean
• Arrival of Islam
• Spain, by 711
• Berber Almoravids
• western Sahara
• Launched on jihad south against African kingdoms
  of savanna
• assist conversion
• Almohads (1130)
• Another reformist group
• succeed Berbers, 12th century
• D. The Christian Kingdoms Nubia and Ethiopia
• Copts
• Egyptian Christians
• welcome Muslims
• spread to Nubia (Kush)
• Ethiopia
• heirs to Axum
• King Lalibela

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II. Kingdoms of the Grasslands

• Caravans across Sahara
• Sahel (grasslands)
• transfer point
• A. Sudanic States
• Rulers sacred
• Islam
• from 900s
• supports state
• B. The Empire of Mali and Sundiata, the Lion
  Prince
• Malinke peoples from Ghana
• Agriculture, gold trade
• Sundiata (d.1260)
• mansa (ruler)
• expanded state
• Mansa Kankan Musa
• pilgrimage to Mecca
• brings back Ishak al-Sahili
• architect from Muslim Spain

Empires of the Western Sudan
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Niger Valley
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Mali Empire
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II. Kingdoms of the Grasslands
Empires of the Western Sudan

• C. City Dwellers and Villagers
• Jenne, Timbuktu
• thrive with expansion of Mali, Songhay
• Mandinka juula (traders)
• Merchants
• Farmers the majority

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II. Kingdoms of the Grasslands

• D. The Songhay Kingdom
• Middle Niger valley
• Independent by 700
• Muslim by 1010
• Capital at Gao
• Sunni Ali (1464-1492)
• expanded territory
• successors askia
• Defeated by Morocco, 1591
• Hausa states, northern Nigeria
• Kano becomes Muslim center
• E. Political and Social Life in the Sudanic
  States
• Fusion of Muslim, indigenous traditions

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Songhay Empire
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III. The Swahili Coast of East Africa

• Trading ports
• Muslim influence strong
• Rest of population remains traditional
• A. The Coastal Trading Ports
• Mogadishu, Mombasa, Malindi, Kilwa, Pate,
  Zanzibar
• Madagascar
• southeast Asian immigrants
• bring bananas, coconuts
• Blended culture
• Bantu, Islamic
• Swahili
• spreads along coast
• trade with Asia
• B. The Mixture of Cultures on the Swahili Coast
• Islam unifies
• along with Swahili

The Swahili Coast
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Swahili Coast Indian Ocean Trade Routes
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IV. Peoples of the Forest and Plains

• A. Artists and Kings Yoruba and Benin
• Nok culture, 500 b.c.e. and 200 c.e.
• Nigerian forests
• agriculture, iron tools
• Hiatus, 200-1000 c.e.
• Yoruba Speaking Peoples
• urbanized agriculturalists
• small city-states
• divine kings
• Ile-Ife
• holy
• notable portrait heads

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IV. Peoples of the Forest and Plains

• B. Central African Kingdoms
• Bantu close to Cape Horn by 1200
• form states
• Katanga
• Luba peoples
• divine kingship
• hereditary bureaucracy

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Zambezi River in southern Africa
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Central Rain Forest Lake Victoria
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Physical Map Africa
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IV. Peoples of the Forest and Plains

• C. The Kingdoms of the Kongo and Mwene Mutapa
• Kongo
• along lower Congo
• by late 15th century
• Agricultural
• pronounced gender division of labor
• women farm, run household
• men clear forest, hunt, trade
• Mbanza Kongo
• Capital
• Shona language group
• Zimbabwe (stone courts)
• by 9th century
• Great Zimbabwe
• Mwene Mutapa
• control of gold sources

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Great Zimbabwe