Africa

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Africa

• Early Civilizations

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Geography of Africa

• Three major geographic features
• Rivers (Nile, Congo, Niger)
• Sahara Desert
• Congo Rain Forest
• Remaining country plains, small mountain ranges,
  and lakes.
• Heterogeneous population made up of nomadic
  tribes and settled kingdoms.

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Civilizations and kingdoms of ancient Africa.
Why do large swaths of land appear unorganized or
unclaimed?
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More than Egypt

• Ancient Africa contained numerous civilizations
  that were literate, lived in elaborate walled
  cities, and had mastered iron tools.
• Nilotic Civilizations
• Nubia/Kush
• Axum and Ethiopia
• Sahelian Civilizations along Niger River
• Ghana, Mali, Songhai

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Nubia/Kush

• Possibly predates Egyptian civilization.
• Developed agriculture around 11,000 B.C.E.
• Separated from Egyptian empire around 2000 B.C.E.
• Borrowed much of Egypts political and class
  structure.

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Pyramids at Meroë, Kingdom of Kush, modeled after
those in Egypt.
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Axum and Ethiopia

• Conquered Kush around 1000 B.C.E.
• Originated from Saba (Sheba) in southern Arabia.
• Claimed descent from King Solomon of Israel.
• Converted to Coptic Christianity in 4th c. C.E.
  from Egyptians.

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Ethiopian Christian icon of the Mother of God
enthroned with Jesus.
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Islam in Sub-Saharan Africa

• Islam entered into Sub-Saharan Africa in the 8th
  c. C.E.
• Unlike in other areas, the spread of Islam was
  peaceful, gradual, and partial.
• Islam fused with indigenous beliefs and failed to
  penetrate into the upper classes for several
  centuries.
• Islam still brought massive change to Africa.

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Islamic Change

• Islam brought to the region by traders, thus
  opening up new trade networks between Africa and
  the Middle East
• Creation of a literate culture and political
  system based on the ability read and write.
• Architecture and technology changed and developed
  with Islamic influence.

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Great Mosque in Timbuktu
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Ghana Empire

• Emerged around 1000 C.E. as a regional power in
  West Africa
• Capital city of Kumbi was part of Saharan trade
  networkgold and slaves
• Ghanian rulers were matrilineally descended and
  acted as supreme judge.
• Tribute system with lesser kingdoms and
  chieftains
• King and court did not convert to Islam.

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Ghana Class Structure

• King, court, and nobility were at the top
• Muslim legists sometimes advised the king and the
  court sometimes included prominent Muslim traders
  and administrators
• Merchants, mostly Muslim converts
• Farmers, some Muslim converts
• Slaves, some Muslims, mostly captives from rival
  kingdoms and tribes

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Mali Empire

• Ghana Empire collapsed around 1200 C.E., replaced
  by Mali Empire in 1300
• Former tribute kingdom of the Ghana
• Mali kings were Muslim (since 1100)
• Economic system based on former Ghanaian
  systemcontrol of gold and slave trade
• Agriculture was the basis of the economy
• Captive slave trade

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Mansa Musa

• Male emperors known as mansas
• Most important was Mansa Musa (r. 1312-1337)
• Pilgrimage to Mecca through Egypt destabilized
  entire North African economy
• Timbuktu became a center of Islamic
  learningscholars, madrasas, libraries
• Mali Empire slowly withered after his reign

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Songhai Empire

• Songhai Empire created around 11th c. C.E., but
  came under control of Mali under Mansa Musa in
  1325.
• Two powerful rulers Sonni Ali (r. 1464-1492) and
  Askia Muhammad al-Turi (r. 1493-1528)
• Both expanded the territory of the Songhai and
  dominated the caravan routes of North Africa

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Askia Muhammad al-Turi

• Sonni Ali maintained indigenous religious
  practices, but al-Turi was an enthusiastic Muslim
• Brought Muslim reform to Songhai, modeled after
  the Islamic Empire of Mali
• Attracted more scholars to Timbuktu and Jenne
• Muslim judges placed in courts across empire
• Arab Muslims made governors over provinces
• Still failed to Islamicize majority of the
  population
• Songhai eventually collapsed in 1590s, West
  Africa dominated by Morocco

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West Africa after 1440

• Portuguese explorers arrive around 1440
• Initiate trade with various kingdoms along
  Atlantic coast of Africa
• Portuguese exchange guns and alcohol for gold and
  slaves
• European insertion into Africa begins with
  factories along coast that transform into
  colonies.

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