1. Kingdoms of Africa

2. Left Side On your map of Africa:
Nile River
On your map of Africa:
Draw in the Nile River and Niger River
Color the Sahara desert
Niger River

3. The Big Questions
What were the major civilizations of Africa during the post-classical era?
What political, economic, and social effects did Islam have in African kingdoms?

4. Introduction
Anthropologists believe humanity first arose in East Africa
In ancient times, the rise of Egyptian civilization affected African cultures along the upper Nile
Kush – an early iron-producing center, grew rich from selling iron products, ivory, ebony, wood, and slaves. (It had once been a part of Egypt called Nubia)
Axum – Located in Ethiopia. Its rise caused the decline of Kush. King Ezana made Christianity the official religion (330 A.D.). Axum dominated trade in slaves and ivory.

5. Left Side Locate the kingdoms of Kush and Axum on your map.
Create a key in the lower left section of your map
Kush
Axum

6. Gold-Salt Trade Sahara was never completely cut off from Eurasia
Muslim merchants crossed the Sahara because of gold and other riches in West Africa
West Africa lacked salt – vital to human survival
Merchants picked up large blocks of salt on their journey and exchanged them for gold
A thriving trade developed, based on gold-salt trade
Ideas were exchanged, such as Islamic beliefs

7. Left Side
Draw in trade routes

8. Partner work: Ghana was founded about 750 A.D.
With your partner, read pages Take notes about Ghana. Make sure you include info about the kings, the economy, and trade.

9. Kingdom of Ghana –
Draw an outline of Ghana on your map and add it to your key.
Kingdom of Ghana

10. Check your work: Ghana
Made iron swords, spears, and lances to subdue neighboring peoples and to gain control over West Africa’s major trade routes
Caravans brought salt south to Ghana and returned north with gold
Power of kings of Ghana rested on their ability to tax all trade passing through the region, especially the gold-salt trade
Rulers and nobles were further enriched by using captives of war as slaves
1076 they were invaded by Muslims from North Africa
Muslims brought Islam to West Africa

11. Partner Work:
In 1240, the people of Mali, under their leader, Sundiata Keita, conquered the old capital of Ghana and established a new empire.
Read pages Take notes about Mali. Include info about its economy and its most famous ruler, Mansa Musa.

12. Kingdom of Mali –
Draw an outline of the Kingdom of Mali on your map (different than Ghana) and add it to your key.
label Timbuktu
Timbuktu
Kingdom of Mali

13. Check your work:
Rulers brought both gold and salt mines under their direct control
Rulers converted to Islam, although most people did not
Mansa Musa – expanded kingdom greatly
Made a religious pilgrimage to Mecca
Brought Muslim scholars and architects back to Mali with him
Muslim scholarship flourished
Timbuktu became an important center of several important universities and attracted student from Europe, Asia, and Africa

14. Ibn Battuta –
Arab traveler that wrote about Mansa Musa and his respect for law and the power of its ruler
Because of his extensive travels and his records historians know a lot about this time period in Africa and the Middle East
He was like the Marco Polo of the Muslims

15. Timbuktu Famous trading city
Became an important center of several important universities
Attracted students from Europe, Asia, and Africa
Flourished as a center of Muslim scholarship
Also famous for the Sankore mosque

16. Partner work:
In 1464, Sultan Sunni Ali, captured Timbuktu, brought the upper Niger under his control, and created the larges of West Africa’s three trading kingdoms.
Read page 231. Take notes about Songhai and include info about trade, politics, and policies of expansion.

17. Kingdom of Songhai –
Draw an outline of the Kingdom of Songhai (new color) and include it on your key.
Kingdom of Songhai

18. Check your work:
Grew rich from trade across Sahara Desert (salt and gold)
Divided into provinces
Created a navy and soldiers on horseback (cavalry)
expanded its trading networks as far as Europe and Asia
Continued to flourish as a
center of Muslim scholarship
and many subjects were
Muslim

19. Kingdom of Benin
Became famous for their copper and bronze sculptures, which were among the finest of all African artwork
Became involved with the slave trade

20. Kingdom of Benin Draw Benin on your map and add it to your key

21. The Great Zimbabwe
One of the best known trading kingdoms of South Africa
Great deposits of gold
Traded gold, copper, and ivory from Africa’s interior with Muslim traders along Africa’s east coast
Towers of the Great Zimbabwe

22. Other Important Info Bantu Migrations East African Trading Centers
Communities of peoples who lived on subsistence farming and spoke a common language (Bantu)
Lived throughout West, Central, and southeast Africa
East African Trading Centers
Muslims from the Arabian Peninsula and Persian Gulf settled at ports along the east coast
Merchants grew wealthy from trade here
Eventually, gave rise to mixed African-Arabian culture known as Swahili

23. Zimbabwe, Trading Cities, and Migrations.
Add Zimbabwe to your map.
Also, add the East African Trading cities of Mogadishu, Mombasa, and Kilwa.
Finally, add arrows representing the movement of the Bantu migrations.
Make sure everything is on your key.
Mogadishu
Mombasa
Kilwa
Zimbabwe

24. African Society
In many African societies, lineage was traced through the mother (matrilineal).
Boys and girls were often separated from the community and underwent special ceremonies at puberty.
Marriages were arranged by families and grooms paid a dowry to the bride’s family.
Under Islam, women were limited to running the household while husbands represented the family outside it.
Slavery
Berber groups in N Africa regularly raided villages south of the Sahara for captives, but slavery was also common further south and along the east coast
Included prisoners of war, debtors, and some criminals
Slaves worked on farmlands, were soldiers, or were domestic servants

25. LEFT SIDE
Using page 232 in your textbook, complete the chart of African Trading Empires. Using your notes or textbook, add the information for important rulers and economic base (you won’t find rulers for Kush or Ghana)