Africa and the Spread of Islam

1
Africa and the Spread of Islam
2

• Stateless Societies while some African
  societies were organized in the traditional
  hierarchy of officials but others were loosely
  linked through connections of families or
  religion.
• Common Elements in African Societies
• Bantu language based
• Animism
• Ancestor worship

3
North Africa

• Classical Antiquity
• Cultural Diffusion through invasion
• IFRIQIYA Roman term for Africa controlled by
  the Muslims
• MAGHRIB Arabic term for western Africa sunset
• Many of the native North Africans disliked Arab
  domination BERBERS organized their own cities
  in the west

4

• 1000s - ALMORAVIDS a Berber dynasty that led a
  holy war or JIHAD to spread Islam into north
  Africa and into Spain
• 1130 C.E. the ALMOHADIS followed the same
  pattern into north Africa and Spain

5
Kush

• In the upper Nile was the kingdom of Nubia which
  provided ancient Egypt gold, ostrich feathers,
  and other riches. Nubia was at times under
  Egyptian control and sometimes independent.
• In the 800s B.C.E., the Nubians organized their
  land into the kingdom of KUSH. Influenced by
  Egyptian culture, the kingdom of Kush prospered
  for centuries.

6
(No Transcript)
7
Axsum

• About 330 C.E./A.D., Kush was conquered by its
  southeastern neighbor the kingdom of AXSUM.
• The people of Axsum were some of the earliest
  Christians. They were a trading people
  providing the world with African luxuries.
• The trading importance of the Axsum was taken
  over by the Arabs in the 700s A.D./C.E. but the
  kingdom and culture remain today known as
  ETHIOPIA.

8
(No Transcript)
9
Ethiopia

• Christianity was the first universalist religion
  to take root in north east Africa Egypt and
  Ethiopia
• Ethiopian king Lalibela - Ethiopian Christianity
  grew in isolation from Orthodox or Roman
  Christianity influenced by Judaism and pagan
  neighbors
• Geez language of Axum for religious speech
• Amharis secular speech
• Isolation and Independence of Ethiopia

10
(No Transcript)
11
Grasslands

• Sahel grass lands that spread across the
  southern edges of the Sahara
• Merchants and caravans carried Islam and Arabic
  culture

12
Sudanic States

• Ghana
• About 300 A.D./C.E., the kingdom of GHANA was one
  of the most important regions of west Africa.
  Ghana was known for its gold and its high levels
  of political organization.
• 1235 A.D./C.E.- the kingdom of Ghana was
  transformed into the MALI EMPIRE

13

• Islam and indigenous ideas of kingship
• Many of the African rulers adopted Islam and used
  the religion as a royal cult. Initially, the
  populace did not convert in large numbers.
• The kingdoms of Mali and Songhay rose as fusions
  of Islamic and indigenous African cultures.

14
Mali

• Mali
• Malinke name of the people
• Juula Malinke merchants
• Sundiata Malinke ruler who led Mali to great
  victories the Lion Prince
• Griots oral historians who spread the story of
  Sundiata
• Mansa Mali term for emperor

15
Mansa Musa

• In the early 1300s, the Mali emperor MANSA MUSA
  converted to Islam. In 1324, Mansa Musa traveled
  on pilgrimage to Mecca. To impress the world
  with the riches of Mali, he traveled with 80,000
  attendants carrying gold bars and bags of gold
  dust. Unfortunately for the Middle East, that
  huge influx of gold dropped gold prices and
  ruined the economy.

16
(No Transcript)
17
Jenne
18
Timbuktu
19
Songhay

• After years of internal power struggles the
  Mali Empire was taken over by the kingdom of
  SONGHAY.
• The Songhay Empire was the central of trade in
  Africa. Traders from Europe, India, and China
  traded in its capital of TIMBUKTU. Timbuktu was
  also a center of learning with an important
  university.
• masters of the soil
• masters of the waters
• Sunni Ali leader who forged the Songhay empire
  seized Timbuktu and the Niger valley

20

• Muhammad the Great extended Songhay to dominate
  central Sudan
• In Songhay Islam blended with African culture
  men and women mingling in the streets often
  shocked Muslim clerics from outside the empire
• 1591 Moroccan Muslim army defeated Songhay
  forces and led to the breakup of the empire
• Hausa people of northern Nigeria also combined
  Muslim and pagan traditions

21
Swahili Coast of East Africa

• Zenj Arab term for east African coast
• Ibn Batuta Moroccan Berber scholar and explorer
  1304-1368
• Indian-Chinese-African trade

22

• Bantu
• Swahili Arabic influence coastal

23
Nok
24
Yoruba - Oyo
25
Benin City now part of Nigeria
26
Great Zimbabwe 11th-14th centuries