African Civilizations and the spread of Islam

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African Civilizations and the spread of Islam
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Mali

• This kingdom is an excellent example of the
  spread of Islam (old kingdom of Ghana) 1200
• Mansa Musa made the hajj in 1324
• Rich from controlling caravan trade routes
• Below the Sahara, Africa was never fully
  isolated. There were periods of intermittent
  contacts
• 800-1500 contacts increased due to a growing
  international trade network
• Islam spread into Mali and was adopted by the
  royals. The civilization retained its
  individuality though
• Africa never united, many different types of
  states

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African Societies

• Africa so vast and diverse neither universal
  states or religions characterize it history
• Stateless Societies these are societies that
  organize authority around kinship or other
  obligations. Sometimes these stateless societies
  were quite large while others were small. No need
  to tax people if you dont have a large
  government. Authority only affected small parts
  of peoples lives.
• Secret societies west Africa, group controlled
  customs and beliefs and were able to limit the
  authority of rulers. Maintained stability within
  the community.
• Problems outside pressure, mobilizing troops,
  organizing building projects, and long term
  stability to support trade

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Common Elements in African Societies

• Language, thought, and religion
• Bantu-speaking people-commonalities between the
  various languages
• Animistic beliefs (dance drumming)
• Believed in evil-priests led religious ceremonies
• Belief in cosmology-view of how the universe
  worked (ethics)
• Believed in a creator deity and power of
  ancestors
• Importance of family or clan ties
• Economics N. Africa (active in Mediterranean
  trade), Sub-Saharan Africa (varied)
• 30-60 million people lived in Africa by 1500

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Islam

• Cities and territories in N. Africa had been an
  important part of the classical world Carthage
  and Egypt
• 640-700 followers of Muhammad swept across N.
  Africa
• 670 Muslims ruled (Tunisia) Ifriqiya
• 711 Berbers into Spain. Stopped in 732 by Charles
  Martel in Poitiers (battle of Tours)
• Many N.Africans converted to Islam b/c of message
  of equality umma
• Abbasid unified territory for a while
• Almoravids (11th century) reform movement in
  Islam grew among Berbers. They launched a jihad
  or holy war to purify and spread Islam. They
  moved south to the African kingdoms and also
  north into Spain
• Almohadis (1130) reformist group

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Christian Kingdoms Nubia and Ethiopia

• Developed in Africa along the Nile prior to the
  Romans making it their official religion
• Egypt (Coptic-language of ancient Egypt) connect
  to Byzantine empire
• Copts able to maintain religion in Egypt after
  Arabs conquered b/c they were dhimmi
• Muslim tried to penetrate Nubia/ Kush and were
  met with resistance. Remained an independent
  Christian state until the 13th century
• They were cut off from Byzantium due to Arab
  conquerors
• 13-14th centuries dynasty in Ethiopia traced it
  roots back to Solomon and Sheba. Continued being
  isolated.

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Grasslands

• 3 important coasts of contact Atlantic, Indian
  Ocean, and savanna
• Sahel-area between the western forests and the
  northern desert. Here is where the merchants came
  to trade. Camels brought from Asia couldnt
  survive the humid regions of the forests. So the
  grasslands is where merchants came to trade.
• Therefore, cities were established. In the 3rd
  century Ghana developed. By the 10th century it
  was in its hayday! Rules had also converted to
  Islam
• However, they declined due to attacks by the
  Almoravid armies 1076
• Mali would replace it

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Sudanic States

• There were many kingdoms active in Africa
• Sudanic states often had a patriarch or council
  of elders of a family that ruled
• Terriortial core of similar peoples with
  conquered extension that paid taxes or tribute
• Ghana, Mali, and Songhay powerful examples
• Rules considered scared
• Islam accepted and people mixed Islam with their
  culture

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Mali and Sundiata

• Malinke people broke away from Ghana in the 13th
  century to create Mali
• Islamic
• Agricultural and merchant state
• Juula-Malinke merchants
• Malinke expansion under Sundiata (Sunjata). He
  became the Mansa or emperor
• Divided the kingdom into social order, created
  political institutions, and stationed garrisons.
  Made trade safe.
• Sundiata died in 1260
• Mansa Kankan Musa later successor (hajj 1324)

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Cities and Villages in Sudan

• Mix of Islamic and Sudanese
• Examples Jenne and Timbuktu
• Town were commercial with specialists and foreign
  residents. Scholars and theologians attracted.
• Strong military to protect merchants
• Libraries and universities developed. Books trade
  very lucrative here!
• For most people life was centered around village
  life and agriculture. 80 of villagers lived by
  farming. Farms were small due to lack of tools. A
  large farm was only about 10 acres. Polygamy
  practiced herewhy?
• Rice, millet,sorghums, wheat, fruits, and veggies

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• Sorghum-grain or
  livestock food
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  Millet
• Wheat

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Songhay Kingdom

• Formed as Mali was declining within part of Mali.
  People of Songhay were from the middle area in
  the Niger Valley. Made up of farmers, herders,
  and fisherman
• By the 7th century started to form a independent
  territory
• By 1010 capital established at Gao along the
  Niger River. Rulers were Muslims.
• By 1370s Songhay reestablished itself as an
  independent kingdom again from Mali
• Under Sunni Ali (1464-1492) Songhay became an
  empire!

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Songhay

• Sunni Ali was a great military commander who
  extended the empire and took over Jenne and
  Timbuktu.
• Set up provincial administrations to deliver his
  rule
• Muslim scholars not his biggest fans. They
  questioned his authority! Ruler who succeeded him
  took on the military title askia.
• Muhammad the Great extended the Songhay
  boundaries so that by the mid-16th century
  Songhay dominated the Sudan!
• Overall problem between Muslim scholars and
  African converts b/c they mixed Islam with their
  local pagan beliefs. Men and women mixed freely
  and women went unveiled.
• Remained the dominate power until 1591 when a
  Muslim army from Morocco attacked. They had
  muskets!
• Rise of the Hausa states in N. Nigeria

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Sudanic States politics and social life

• State structure allowed for many diverse people
  to coexist
• Universal faith-Islam which also provided common
  laws
• Rulers-emir or caliph (to reinforce authority)
  Mixed pagan and Muslim beliefs
• Women enjoyed more freedom, no veils, free in
  markets, some groups traced linage through mother
  (matrilineal).
• Slavery existed before Muslims came, but they
  developed it on a larger scale. Muslims viewed
  slavery as a stage in conversion. Slaves
  domestic servants, soldiers, administrators,
  eunuchs, concubines. Focus on child and female
  slaves. Trade caravans transported many slaves
  across the Sahara to ports in the Indian Ocean.
  Trade extended for over 700 years. Think back to
  Nubia!

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Swahili Coast-East Africa

• Islam spread along Eastern coast and merchant
  activity spread and Muslim ports where
  established along the Indian Ocean
• Bantu-speaking people migrated here along with
  refugees from Oman
• By 13th century African trading ports developed
  along the coast. These towns shared common
  Bantu-based and Arabic-influenced Swahili
  (meaning coastal) language and other traits.
• Ruled by separate Muslim ruling families
• Trade in ivory, gold, slaves, iron, and exotic
  animals for silks and porcelain
• Kilwa most powerful of these port cities
• Some Chinese sent good directly to these ports.
  As late as 1417 and 1431 large state sponsored
  expeditions sailing from China to Africa occurred.

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Swahili, Land of Zenj

• Port cities developed into city-states with their
  own local governments. Rulers interested in
  controlling slave trade and not making
  territorial conquests.
• Palace in Kilwa
• Cultural hybrid
• -Between Arabic
• and African
• Swahili bantu and
• Arabic words
• -Many in-land
• Africans not Muslim
• -1500 Portuguese

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Forest and Plains of Africa

• 1000 societies in central Africa agriculturally
  based with herding occasionally
• Organized into villages, however, states were
  starting to form
• Preliterate society (no written language)
  transmitted knowledge via oral traditions
• Gap between the Nok (500-200 BCE and) cultures
  that begin a renewed interest in arts 1000 CE
• Yoruba-speaking peoples of Nigeria. The city of
  Ile-Ife amazing artwork of rulers by 1200 CE
• Yoruba state were agriculturally based wit
  Ile-Ife thought to be the cultural center
• Yoruba origins unknown, but they spoke a
  non-Bantu language of the west African Kwa family
  similar their neighbors the Hausa people

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• Yoruba had regional kings that were divine, but
  not absolute. Ruled with princes, councils, and
  even Ogboni (secret society of religious and
  political leaders)
• Ile-Ife, Oyo, and Benin

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Yoruba
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Central African Kingdoms

• Bantu-speaking peoples reach the southern part of
  Africa by the 13th century. Beyond the reach of
  Islam African kingdoms form by 1000 with kings.
• In Katanga-modified older system where now the
  ruler and his relatives were thought to have a
  special power and they ensured the fertility of
  the people and crops. They were the only ones fit
  to rule. A bureaucracy grew out of heredity.

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Kongo and Mwene Mutapa

• 13th century Kongo developed. agriculturally
  based, specialization like blacksmithing, women
  did all farm work while men cleared forests,
  built houses, and traded.
• Mbanza Kongo capital by 16th had 100,000
  inhabitants.
• Manikongoking (mani blacksmith)
• Kongo king was hereditary yet local chieftains
  were not and the king could control them.
• Great Zimbabwe- Shona-speaking people around the
  9th century built royal courts of stone
  (zimbabwe) largest structure the Great Zimbabwe.
• By 15th century centralized rule from Great
  Zimbabwe occurred under the king, Mwene Mutapa.
  (Interior of southeast Africa) Control over gold
  allowed Great Zimbabwe to flourish and become
  active in trade. 16th century internal rebellions
  split the kingdom, but as late as the 19th
  century the much smaller kingdom of Mwene Mutapa
  survived.

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Mwene Mutapa
Kongo
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Developments

• Islam brought large areas of Africa into more
  intensive contact with the global community
• Although Islam was to bring equality to the
  people it brought more stark divisions
• Many locals retained their beliefs or mix Islam
  with local traditions like in India
• Royals were Muslim
• Muslims controlled trade and were very wealthy
  and becoming a Muslim opened up doors for
  individuals involved in merchant activities.
• Kongo and Great Zimbabwe were examples of
  state-building that development independently!
• In the 15th century, the Portuguese found well
  development and powerful kingdoms
• European advances to seek alternative routes to
  Asia due to Ottoman Turk advanced shutting down
  Constantinople/ Istanbul

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• This seemed like an interesting website on
  Africacheck it out.
• http//exploringafrica.matrix.msu.edu/students/cur
  riculum/