Africa

1
Africa

• The Mother Continent

2
Where it AllBegan

• Humanitys roots can be traced to this important
  continent.

3
Mighty Kingdoms

• Africa is a continent with a rich and varied
  history.
• While Europe was in the dark ages Africa enjoyed
  prosperity and civilizations flourished.

• Egypt
• Ghana
• Mali
• Songhai
• Ashanti
• Ethiopia

4
Great Civilizations

• Kingdoms
• Kush (1000 BCE-350 CE)
• Axum (1CE-800 CE)
• Ghana (CE 300 1076)
• Arabian City States
• (CE 1000 1505)
• Mali (CE 1200 1500)
• Benin (CE 1170 1900)
• Oyo (CE 1200 1800)
• Kanem-Bornu
• (CE 1250 1836)
• Songhai Empire
• (CE 1464 1591)
• Many more

5
Egypt

• The Land of the Pharaohs

6
Egypt

• The land of many dynasties and advances in
• Calendar Making
• Language
• Mummification
• Science
• Mathematics

7
African Dynasties
8
Ghana

• The Trend of Greatness

9
Ghana

• One of the oldest and ancient African
  civilizations.
• By the year 300 AD it had been successfully ruled
  by 44 kings.
• Ghana was agrarian and a trading nation
• It made much on trade and used gold and salt as
  mediums for exchange.
• It economy was diversified and had iron smithing.
• It had skilled craftsmen like
• Goldsmiths, blacksmiths, potters, weavers of
  cloth, stonesmiths, carpenters and makers of
  furniture.

10
Mali

• An Emergent Power

11
Mali

• This powerful African kingdom picked up where
  Ghana left off.
• Although the rulers embraced Islam the common
  people continued to practice their traditional
  religions.
• Making alliances with surrounding Islamic nations
  she became a leading force.

12
Power Reknown

• Although an agrarian country Mali had a number of
  people skilled in various crafts
• weaver, dyers, tanners, blacksmiths, goldsmiths,
  silversmiths and coppersmiths.
• Under Mansa Musa I Mali became empire reknown
  in Africa, the Middle East and Europe

13
Great Caravan to Mecca

• It began its declined in 1550 because of
  Songhay, attacks from the Mossi and the
  malicious designs of the Portuguse.

• Mana Musas travel to Mecca became widely known
  as he displayed his generosity.
• It was at this time through an Islamic architect,
  es-Saheli, that the University of Sankore located
  in Timbuktu became a center of learning and
  culture.
• Mali became as large as western Europe
• It covered French West Africa, including
  Senegal, Gambia, Mali and parts of Nigeria and
  the Upper Volta.

14
Timbuktu

• Timbuktu
• It was a center of commerce and education.

15
Songhai

• Rises to Power

16
Songhai

• When Ghana was no longer powerful Songhai grew in
  greatness.
• Mansa Musa captured the capital of Songhai Gao
  and imprisoned two of the sons of the ruler.
• When Mansa Musa died one of the sons escaped and
  founded the Sunni dynasty.

17
Sunni Ali leads the way

• Sunni Ali one of the later monarchs came to the
  throne and became a very powerful ruler.
• He conquered most of the cities of the former
  Mali kingdom.
• He captured Timbuktu and Jenne.
• This made Songhai a country to be reckoned with.

18
The Road to Greatness

• Sunni Ali died in 1492 and his son came to the
  throne. However, his son, because he was not a
  devout Muslim was dethroned.
• Askia Mohammed, a Muslim general, became the
  leader.

19
A Great Dynasty

• Askia Mohammed was an exceptional, competent
  ruler and he was responsible for the subsequent
  growth of Songhai.
• He developed an efficient government with a host
  of scholars, teachers, scientists and
  professionals.

20
Songhai importance

• The Spanish aided the Moroccans in defeating
  Songhai and plundered its cities including its
  schools and libraries.

• The kingdom of Songhai established schools,
  colleges and universities and reinstituted black
  intellectual life.
• Schools offered courses in law, literature,
  music, astronomy, medicine, mathematics. Its
  schools attracted scholars from everywhere.
• Askia Mohammed was overthrown by his son.
• Civil wars and incursions by the Moroccans
  severely crippled the kingdom.

21
Once Colonized

• Africa was once a colonized continent with only
  two independent nations Liberia and Ethiopia
  (Abyssinia)

22
IndependentNations

• All of Africa enjoys independence. However, many
  still maintain strong ties with their once
  Colonial rulers.

23
Sources

• Slides 2, 4, 21, 22 -- Great Civilizations
  Atlas of African American History by James Ciment
• Slide 19 -- http//hometown.aol.com/aafri/king.htm
  l
• Slide 20 -- http//www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/sghi/
  hg_d_sghi_d1map.htm
• Slide 14, Market
• http//www.galenfrysinger.com/timbuktu.htm
• Door-- http//atschool.eduweb.co.uk/spritesjun.suf
  folk/1120Doorway20in20Timbuktu.jpg