African Civilizations and the spread of Islam

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African Civilizations and the spread of Islam
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African Societies Diversity Similarities

• Stateless Societies organized around kinship,
  lacked political power authority
• Did not need rulers or bureaucracies
• Sometimes larger more extensive than actual
  African states
• Families, communities held power no need to tax
  to support government

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Other Alternatives

• Secret societies found in west Africa forests,
  men and women could join societies through
  initiation ceremony
• Settled village disputes, enforced by masked
  members
• Large space of Africa and frontier mentality
  enabled stateless societies to thrive

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Common Elements

• Bantu Language provided linguistic ties among
  Africans
• Animalism Ancestor worship provided need for
  priests, gave guide for ethics and behavior

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Economy

• Economies of Africa far more diverse
• North had always been integrated into world
  markets due to proximity of the great empires
  (Rome, Greece)
• Sub-Sahara varied from region to region, mostly
  local and regional trade integrated more into
  world markets when Islam arrived

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Islam Arrives AD 640-700
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• By 711, Islam had spread from Arabia, into N.
  Africa, up into Spain
• Secret to Success Equality under the law
  uniting state religion attractive to African
  kings
• Arabs Berbers Africans at least under the
  law, but not in practice
• Ex Fine for killing a man 2x more thank killing
  a woman

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Early Reform Movements

• Almoravids Berbers of the western Sahara,
  Islamic puritans
• Almohadis same as above
• The disparity between law practice - between
  equality before God and inequality within the
  world led to these reform movements. (175)

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The Christian Kingdoms

• Egypt Nubia arrived here even before Rome
  Egyptian Christians called Copts allowed to keep
  faith after Islamic conquests
• Ethiopian Kingdom remained a fiercely
  independent Christian kingdom to this day
  resisted all outside influences from Islam, Turks
  and other Christian kingdoms

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Kingdoms of the Grasslands

• 3 Coasts Atlantic, Indian, the sahel
• Sahel belt of grassland between Sahara desert
  and jungles to the south became point of
  exchange for North South Africans
• Kingdom of Ghana 3rd c. to 11th c., rose to
  power by controlling salt gold trade converted
  to Islam in 10th c., invaded by Almoravids in
  1076

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Sudanic States

• Led by patriarch / council of elders
• Subordinated neighboring states through taxes,
  tribute, and/or military support
• Rulers considered sacred, even after they
  converted to Islam took on cultish status

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Mali, Sundiata, Lion Princes, Oh My!

• Mali broke away from Ghana in 13th c. model
  Islamic Sudanic kingdom
• Diverse economy agriculturally based, but also
  depended on trade, especially gold
• Juula Mali traders, spread throughout west
  Africa
• Sundiata legendary Lion Prince organized
  political structure of Mali died in 1260, but
  Mali remained strong

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Mister Mansa Musa

• Mansa Musa made hajj in 1324, brought attention
  to the wealth of Mali caused sensation across N.
  Africa (179)
• Brought back Muslim architect to build mosques in
  the Sudan (example of cross-regional ties)

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City vs. Country

• Wealth of Sudan trade spawned great cities, like
  Jenne and Timbuktu, which had a pop. of 50,000 by
  the 1300s
• 80 of villagers were famers, NOT traders
• Hard to farm in the Sudan, sandy soil, most farms
  less than 10 acres
• Polygamy common more wives more kids more
  farmers

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• Replaced Mali, formed around Niger River Valley
  beginning in 7th c. completely independent by
  1370s
• Rulers were Islam, commoners remained pagan
  (COMMON THEME FOR SUDANIC STATES)
• Sunni Ali fierce leader military commander
  expanded borders, conquering Jenne Timbuktu
  Muslim, but opposed anyone in his way (even
  fellow Muslims) used cavalry to dominate enemies
  WHY CAVALRY?
• Empire broke apart at the end of 16th c.

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• Sorghum-grain or
  livestock food
• 
  Millet
• Wheat

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Political Social Themes Among Sudanic States

• Village clans ethnic groups very important
  development of states provided larger framework,
  but small groups still important
• Movement fusion of populations
• Ruling families used religious titles to enforce
  authority
• Formation of states heightened social differences
• Islam provided religious unity, but was fused
  with other beliefs Sudanic states accommodated
  pagan beliefs
• Ex differences in status of women (181)
• Slave Trade escalated with Islamic contact
  viewed as stage in conversion process C.
  Africans sent to E. African coast

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The Swahili Coast of East Africa

• 1st 10th c., Swahili Coast becomes melting pot
  of Arabs, Africans, and immigrants from Malaysia
• Zanj Arabic term for coast
• By 13th c., string of trading ports had developed
• Governed by different Muslim rulers
• Ivory, gold, iron, slaves, exotic animals brought
  to coast, traded for silks porcelain from the
  East

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Coast Culture

• Rulers merchants were often Muslim, majority of
  population was not (ALERT! COMMON AFRICAN THEME!)
• Swahili Bantu language mixed with Arabic
• Fused Islam with traditional beliefs
• A true melting pot of cultures

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Peoples of the Forest and Plains

• Sub-Saharan Central Africa preliterate, used
  oral traditions
• Nok village in C. Nigeria, created highly
  complex artistic objects
• Yoruba non-Bantu speaking people, ag. society
  ruled by royal family aristocracy organized in
  small city-states, highly urbanized
• Benin large city-state on W. African coast
• Yoruban Benin societies highly artistic, and
  considered rulers divine

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Central African Kingdoms

• Beyond the rule influence of Islam, settled
  around Congo River
• Began state formation around AD 1000
• Kongo flourishing kingdom by 15th c. based on
  ag., also developed weaving, pottery,
  blacksmithing pop. Of 60k 100k by early 1500s
• Sharp division of labor between men women in
  Kongo
• King was hereditary, chiefs were not allowed
  king to better controls subordinates
• Kongo became essentially a confederation of
  smaller states under the rule of the king

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Greater Zimbabwe

• Zimbabwe literally means stone house these
  housed the local rulers
• Bantu-speakers, believed in bird of God, built
  stone houses partially in birds honor
• 19th C. Europeans first suspected Arabs or
  Phoenicians built stone houses, due to their
  complexity
• King Mwene Mutapa dominated interior gold trade,
  allowed Zimbabwe to flourish

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