Chapter 15

Pgs. 406-429

Pre-Historic Africa

In early Africa:Hunter-Gather societies

Small groups: 10-100 ppl

Earliest Africans: “Efe”– Forest Dwellers

Social Structure:Elder male in charge, Women = gatherers, No formal written laws!

…they were Stateless Societiesrun by “Lineages”

“Lineages” (NC)

• Who: Early-Africans

• What: descendants of a common ancestor- family line.

• Where: Africa

• When: 800-1500

• Why: in African societies, families are organized in these family groups

How do you trace ‘Lineage’?

Patrilineal (NC)

• Family line traced through FATHER

• Inheritance passes from father to son

• When a boy marries, his wife & kids live with HIS parents

Matrilineal (NC)

• Family line traced through MOTHER

• Inheritance passes from mother to SON

• MEN still hold the power & authority

“Stateless Societies” (NC)Who: Africans

What: African groups that developed systems of governing based on lineages, not rulers; NO central power!!

Where: CENTRAL Africa

When: 800-1500

Why: instead of having one political ruler, authority was balanced among powerful lineages/families = different from the rest of the world

Section 1

Muslim States

• Muslims from Middle East travel into Northern Africa & bring ISLAM, so…

• North Africa = Muslim!

• Rulers = Muslim!

• Islamic Law!

• Many are still Muslim today!!

2 groups of Islamic North Africans:

• Almoravids (1000s)

• Almohads (1100s)

“Almoravids” (NC)• Who: Nomadic “Berbers” that became Islamic

Africans• What: group of Berber Islamic Africans, a strict

religious brotherhood that lived in a monastery; “people of the ribat/(monastery)”

• Where: NORTH Africa• When: 1000s-1100s• Why: they took over North Africa, Ghana, and

Spain (where they were called the Moors) and made them Muslim

“Almohads” (NC)

• Who: Nomadic “Berbers” who became Islamic Africans

• What: group of Berber Islamic Africans that took over the Almoravids

• Where: North Africa• When: 1100s• Why: they took over the Almoravids,

conquered Spain– those areas have a lot of Muslims today..

Islamic

Invasions

Section 2

1. Empire of Ghana

• Berbers found out that camels could cover larger distances than other pack animals (oxen, donkeys, horses), so….

They travel on new routes across the desert & trade INCREASED!! (worksheet)

The trade routes go through Ghana (wksht)

• …what did they trade??....

Berbers

GOLDGOLD

SALTSALT

Gold-Salt Trade

Gold “Money”, Ghana/Ivory Coast

At least 2/3 of world’s Gold supply came from here til 1350!!

Gold

Salt

• Ghana rulers controlled trade = becomes super rich

• Trade = Ghana Islam

• In 1076-- Almoravids conquer Ghana

• = Gold & Salt trade is disrupted….

• = Ghana never regains power!! (wksheet)

“Ghana” (NC)• Who: Soninke farmers

• What: powerful empire founded by the Soninke farmers named after their war chief: Ghana; controlled Gold & Salt trade

• Where: West Africa

• When:

• Why: Ghana rulers controlled trade in W. Africa & commanded a large army= powerful, rich empire; when trade fell apart so did their power

2. Mali Empire [13c-15c]

GOLDGOLD

SALTSALT

2. Mali Empire

• So, Ghana declines in power… (wksht)

• = people in Ghana act on their own, control themselves…(wksht)

• = miners find Gold! to the east of Ghana (near the ocean) (wksht)

• = trade routes to the East (wksht)

• = new group- Mali- become rich & seize power!! (already written in the effect box)

There are 3 Important guys in Mali…

#1. Sundiata [1210-1255]

“Lion Prince”

“Sundiata” (NC)

• Who: Mali’s first great leader• What: became Mali’s “Mansa” (Emperor),

took over Ghana, & ruled successfully• Where: Mali, West Africa• When: 1210?-1255• Why: put able administrators in charge of

Mali’s $$, defense, & foreign affairs; promoted agriculture; re-est. Gold-Salt trade = important center of trade

#2. Mansa Musa [r. 1312-1332]

“Mansa Musa” (NC)• Who: important Islamic ruler of Mali after

Sundiata• What: effectively ruled & expanded Mali• Where: Mali, West Africa• When: 1312-1332• Why: he expanded Mali to 2x the size of

Ghana; divided large empire into provinces w/ governors; built mosques; Timbuktu became one of the most imp. Cities under him

Timbuktu-”Heavenly Clay”

Timbuktu Rooftop, Mosque

Great Mosque at Djenne, Mali

#3. Ibn Battuta (NC)• Who: an Islamic traveler & historian

• What: traveled to all Islamic countries & told people in Mali about it

• Where: from North Africa, traveled to Mali

• When: 1352

• Why: he traveled to Islamic countries & learned about them – he then informed those in Mali about it

Last part on Mali…

• After Mansa Musa: (wksht)his successors lacked his ability to

govern well… (wksht) goldfields developed somewhere else

• = Gold trade shifted and went away… (wksht)

• = The empire of Mali weakened!! (already written on the wksht as the effect)

“Mali” (NC)

• Who:

• What:

• Where:

• When:

• Why:

3. Songhai Empire [15c-16c]

GOLDGOLD

SALTSALT

Sunni Ali [r.1464-1492]

• Aggressive Muslim ruler of Songhai

• Built a vast empire through Military conquest

• Captured Timbuktu from Mali

• Created centralized gov’t

Askia Mohammed [r.1493-1529]

• Muslim rebel that took over Sunni Ali’s son

• Excellent administrator:

• Set up tax system• Put officials in charge

of treasury, military, agriculture

Askia Mohammed’s Tomb [1443-1538]

Gao, Mali

The end of the Songhai…

• Songhai didn’t have modern weapons!! (only swords & spears) (wksht)

• = Morrocans invaded w. gunpowder & cannons!! AHH! (wksht)

• = Morrocan troops quickly defeat Songhai… (already written on wksht)

• = ENDS 1000yrs. of powerful kingdoms in West Africa!!!

“Songhai” (NC)

• Who:

• What:

• Where:

• When:

• Why:

Benin Empire [15c-19c]

Bronze Heads from Benin (16c)

Benin Bronze Leopard

You still need to do NC:

• Hausa (pg. 417)

• Yoruba (pg. 418)

• Benin (pg. 419)

Section 3

African Trade Routes

“Swahili” (NC)

• Who: Bantu-speaking people

• What: Arabic blended with Bantu Language = Swahili

• Where: East Africa

• When: 1100-1300

• Why: this was created because of increasing trade between Bantus in East Africa & Persia, India, and Arabia.

Swahili-Speaking Areas of E. Africa

SWAHILI [“the coast’] = Bantu + some Arabic

Great Zimbabwe [1200-1450]

“Zimbabwe” = “stone enclosure”

“Great Zimbabwe” (NC) • Who: Shona people• What: a city which grew into an empire built on

gold trade• Where: South-Eastern Africa• When: 1200-1450• Why: controlled trade routes = became rich &

powerful = leaders taxed the traders who travelled through = became economic, political, religious center of it’s empire; eventually was abandoned

Manamotopa Empire [1450-1630]Who: Founded by Mutota from Great Zimbabwe

What: new empire that replaced Great Zim. in power; military dominated

Why: conquered all of Zimbabwe; control of Eastern Africa; forced conquered areas

to mine gold for them; Portuguesetook over = European POWER!!

Overland & Sea Trade Routes by 16c

African Trade [15c-17c]