Societies

1
Societies Empires in East South Africa
South African Region

• East Africa Region

2
Kush Empire

• Kush (Nubians) gt S of Egypt, beyond 1st cataract
  
• Long controlled by Egypt
• Source of many products, slaves
• 1000 BC Egypt in decline from People of the
  Sea Libyan invasion
• Kush gains independence and attack Egypt to
  liberate it
• 751 BC King Piankhi led army down Nile
• Captured Egyptian throne
• Became 25th Dynasty
• 671 BC Assyrians invade, conquer Egypt Kush
  retreat up Nile

3
Kush Empire Meroe

• Golden Age of Meroe (Mehr-oh-ee)(650 BC-350 AD)
• Despite loss of Egypt experienced Golden Age
• Lots of rain great agriculture
• Vast amounts of iron ore Meroes ironworkers
  became most talented in Africa
• Trade Center for Nile, Red Sea
• Strong leaders kept nation safe (Queen Candace
  vs. Alexander the Great)
• Decline of Meroe
• Poor leadership led to decline
• Rise of Askum (Ax-oom) defeat Meroe in 350 AD

Pyramids around Meroe
4
Kingdom of Askum

• Background SE of Kush
• First kings traced back to Solomon Queen of
  Sheba
• Began conquering neighbors, establishing their
  kingdom
• Control of Trade
• Traded from Nile to Red Sea to Med to Indian
  Ocean
• Hub of trade for luxuries
• Maintained strong navy Askum considered world
  power
• King Ezana (325-360 AD)
• Converted to Christianity
• Expanded empire by invading Kush
• Askum considered a world power

Askum gold coins, 3d C. AD
Askum, at greatest extent
5
Aksum

• Culture of Aksumites
• Variety of languages spoken
• Spread of Christianity after Ezana converted,
  made it state religion
• Architecture used stone to create great
  palaces, obelisks
• Farming - terraced fields
• Developed written language and coinage

Obelisk of Aksum
Typical Aksum Architecture (church pictured)
6
Fall of Aksum

• Islam on rise, creating caliphate
• 710 Islamic invaders capture all Red Sea ports,
  blocking Aksum from trade routes
• Christian Aksum was surrounded by the Islamic
  Empire
• Isolated geographically, culturally, Aksum was no
  longer a world power

Glass goblets of Aksum, c. 30 AD
Aksum trade routes (red lines)
7
Great Zimbabwe (1100-1450)

• Rainfall was great for farming, grazing
• Trade routes linked inland to coastal cities
• Leaders taxed all trade going through region
• Demanded tribute from surrounding areas
• Became center of economics, politics in South
• Mysterious decline by 1450s

8
Stateless Societies

• Hunter gatherers
• Much of Southern Africa
• Small lineage (family) groups of 50 or fewer
• Generally nomadic, moving to a new area when
  resources ran out
• Men hunt, women gather food
• Traded with settled people for needed tools
• Led by elder male, BUT each group free to make
  own decisions

Hunter gatherer camp, c. 1800 (S. African Museum
display)
9
Stateless Societies of Central Africa

• System of Govt based on LINEAGE GROUPS
• LG were descendants from a common ancestor
• Power shared among all families so no one had too
  much power over others
• No centralized system of power
• Ibo, Tiv, Nuer were related lineage groups from
  C Africa
• Nuer 250,000 people without a formal ruler
• Lived in area of South Sudan / West Ethiopia
• All resolve disputed by elders from different
  lineage groups
• Able to defend selves against Europeans during
  17th, 18th C

Nuer riding upon his Dinka slave (circa 1930)