1. Tropical Africa and Asia, 1200-1500
John Ermer
AP World History
Miami Beach Senior High

2. The Tropics
Muslim world stretched from Spain to India and to southeast Asia, and southern Eurasia to Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa and Southern Asia share religious and geographic similarities
Arabic, Islam, tropical weather, monsoons
Ibn-Battuta travels through Muslim world
Tropical climates present difficulties, and many different cultures emerge throughout the tropics
Hunting and gathering
Biological changes among population (Pygmys)
Animal domestication
Water control & irrigation
Delhi Sultinate ( ) canal system/dry season
Mineral wealth

3. Monsoons

5. Tropical Islam Mali (Bilad al-sudan) Sultanate of Delhi (India)
Founded by Africans who earlier converted to Islam
Mostly learned of Islam through trade, not force
Islam appealed to poor (alms) and leaders (military, admin)
Grew rich through Sub-Saharan trade/gold
Sundiata leads Malinke people to victory, founds Mali
Mansa Musa’s pilgrimage to Mecca, gold & edu.
Mansa Suleiman & Ibn-Battuta’s travels
Sultanate of Delhi (India)
Turkish Muslims easily defeat small Indian states
Eventually recognized as official by caliph, pacified
Some sultans tolerant, most used terror to control land
Muslim infighting and Hindu challenges end Delhi Sultanate
Bahmani Empire (Muslim)
Vijayanager Empire (Hindu)

6. Ibn Battuta

7. Timbuktu

8. African Christianity
Early Christian communities established in N. Africa
c. 350: Kingdom of Axum converts to Christianity
Ethiopian kingdom, Bible translated
Solomonic dynasty claims ties to David and Solomon
Ethiopia remains Christian island, surrounded by Islam
Ethiopian Christianity takes on unique qualities

9. Indian Ocean 1200: Indian Ocean=world’s richest trade zone
Western trade made on dhows (Indian ships)
Eastern trade made on junks (Chinese ships)
Swahili Africa & Zimbabwe (Sawahil al-sudan)
Arab and Iranian merchants establish trade on Swahili Coast looking for gold
Trading towns and economies emerge on east coast
Gold came from Great Zimbabwe
Inland kingdom on plateau south of Zambezi River
Declined due to ecological disaster
Aden
Rich and tolerant trading post in South Arabia
The Malabar Coast and Gujarat
Grows rich from exporting cotton and indigo West
Large textile manufacturing center
Malacca
Main port city between Indian Ocean & South China Sea
Cosmopolitan city

11. Cultural Changes Growth of noble and slave populations
Swahili mosques combine local materials with Middle Eastern architectural styles
Hindu architecture influences mosque designs
Islam spreads literacy in Africa & Asia
Urdu Persian influenced Hindi literature
Arabic speaking Quarnic schools in Timbuktu
Status of Hindu women rise, but harems abound
Tropical women produce most of the farm work
Converting to Islam gave women more rights
Not all Arab social norms followed Islam, some non-Arab Muslim women had more rights than Arab women