AfricaEarly Civilizations and

Medieval Societies

Early Civilizations of Africa

• Geography- savannas (grassy plains), cataracts (waterfalls)

• Trade- salt, gold, iron and copper were major commodities. Camels became important. Why would camels be essential to trading in Africa?

• Nubia- kingdom along the upper Nile (present day Sudan)

• North Africa- Phoenicians build Carthage, Rome rules North Africa, Islam Spreads

Kingdoms of West Africa

• Ghana: The Land of Gold. Actually in present day Mali. Capital at Kumbi Saleh. Strong Muslim influence.

• Kingdom of Mali “where the king dwells”- swallowed up Ghana. – Mansa Musa- greatest ruler, converted to Islam, but

ensured religious tolerance– Mansa Musa’s hajj in 1324- established new ties to

the Middle East• Built Islamic university at Timbuktu

Empire of Songhai

• Located in present day Mali and Niger

• Took over kingdom of Mali

• Capital was Gao

• Empire also tied to Middle East through Hajj

• Eventually overtaken my the Moroccans

Smaller Societies of West Africa

• Kingdom of Benin– Located in the rain

forest– Kings called oba– Capital at Benin City– Famous for their

bronze works of art

• City-States of the Hausa– Walled cities for

protection– Hausa goods were

sold in North Africa and southern Europe

– Islam was very influential

– Many women rulers

Kingdoms and Trading States of East Africa

Axum

• Located in present day Ethiopia and Eritrea

• Language called Geez

• Great location for trading

• Christianity becomes the official religion in the 300s

• Kingdom declined as Islam gained a foothold in the region…. Why?

Ethiopia

• Ethiopia is a Greek term

• Isolated geographically and religiously

• King Lalibela and his churches

• Christian services still conducted in the ancient Geez language

• Sizeable amount of Jews also in Ethiopia

Great Zimbabwe

• Zimbabwe means “stone houses”

• Reached its height around 1300

• Not much is known about its government

• Trading heavily with the Middle East, India, and China

Societies in Medieval AfricaCommon Elements: Family,

Government, Religion, and Art• Family Patterns

– Nuclear family– Extended family– Patrilineal– Matrilineal– Lineage- groups of households who claimed a

common ancestor– Age grade

Political Patterns

• Power usually shared in smaller medieval African communities

• Women took leadership roles in some places (West Africa)

• Decisions made by consensus• Old equals wise and respected• Kingdom of the Kongo 1500

– Many villages were grouped into districts and governed by an appointed official

– Money paid to king in goods or cowrie shells– No standing army– King chosen by a group of electors

Religious Beliefs

• Polytheistic with a belief in a supreme being that was above lesser gods and goddesses

• Ancestor worship- turned to ancestors for advice and guidance

• Christianity and Islam were widespread by 1000– Absorbed local practices– Associated Muslim or Christian god with “supreme

being”

Art and Literature

• Art usually served a social and religious purpose– Pyramids in Egypt and Nubia, rock churches in Ethiopia, rock

paintings

• Ancient Egypt, Nubia, and Axum left written records• Artists worked with gold, ivory, wood, bronze, cloth

– Masks used to feel the spiritual force that the mask represented– Patterns usually had special meaning i.e. royalty or family clan

• Arabic was a common written language• Oral traditions

– Griots- professional storytellers