1. Islam in Africa

2. Sub-Saharan Africa: A Challenging Geography
Large area with many different environmental zones and many geographical obstacles to movement
Sahara Desert—North Africa
World's largest desert
Maghreb—northwest Africa
Coastlands and Atlas Mountains of Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia
Sahel—belt of grasslands south of Sahara
Sudan—just below the Sahel
Guinea—rainforests
Along Atlantic coast from Guinea to Nigeria
Congo—rainforest region of Congo River Basin
Great Lakes—series of five lakes
Southern Africa

3. Movement in Africa Romans and Greek Three movements converge
Both knew of region: Greeks called it Periplus, Romans called area Azania
Greek, Roman, and Persian coins of 3rd century CE found in area
Three movements converge
Bantu Migration down East African Coast
Polynesians of Indian Ocean
Arabic merchants along East African Coast

4. Advent of Iron and Bantu Migrations
Sub-Saharan agriculture
Origins north of equator
Spread southward
Iron-working also began north of equator and spread southward
Reached southern Africa by 800 c.e.

5. Advent of Iron and Bantu Migrations
Linguistic evidence
Spread of iron and other technology in sub-Saharan Africa
Original homeland of Bantu was area on the border of modern Nigeria and Cameroon
Spread out toward east and south through series of migrations in first millennium CE
Introduce cattle, iron, slash-burn agriculture
By 8th century, Bantu-speaking people reached East Africa

6. Movement in Africa Polynesian immigrants settle parts
Introduce bananas
Muslim Arab merchants
Arab Muslims trade for slaves, gold, ivory
Link East Africa to wider Indian Ocean
Arab merchants take Bantu wives
Mixed families link interior Bantu, coastal Arabs

7. Early Islamic Movement in Africa
"Islam reached Africa through two gateways, from the east and from the north. From both directions the carriers of Islam navigated across vast empty spaces, the waters of the Indian Ocean and the sands of the Sahara desert. Both ocean and desert, which so often are considered to be barriers, could be crossed with appropriate means of transportation and navigational skills, and they were, in fact, excellent transmitters of religious and cultural influences. Densely populated lands, on the other hand, functioned as filters, their numerous layers slowing down the infiltration of religious and cultural influences." --From Introduction to The History of Islam in Africa (2001)

8. Influence of Geography
Sahara Desert, Red Sea, and Indian Ocean were not great barriers to the spread of Islam
Arabs lived, traveled and traded in desert conditions for centuries before founding of Islam
Since Arabian Peninsula is bordered on three sides by water, Arabs were experienced sea traders

9. Spread of Islam—Egypt
First African country under the influence of Islam
Was predominantly Christian for hundreds of years prior
Under new Arabic speaking rulers, became Moslems
Small minority of Egyptians remained Christian
Coptic Christians

10. Spread of Islam—North Africa
Arab traders took Islam west into area called Maghrib
Present day countries of Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco
Islam not automatically accepted by local Berbers
Did not become main religion in North Africa until 12th century
Arab rule followed Arab trade
Nowhere else in Africa did Arab political control follow Islam
Today, Arabic is official language of Egypt, the Sudan, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco

11. Spread of Islam—South
Down Nile River valley into present day Sudan and Ethiopia
Christian populations in Nubia (northeast Sudan) resisted expansion of Islam for hundreds of years
By 15th century most of northern Sudan and Eritrea had converted to Islam

12. Spread of Islam—East coast
Conversion to Islam was slow process on east coast
Arab traders traded along east coast of Africa for centuries before Islam
After Islam began, took religion along with goods
By 780 CE Arab-Swahili Moslem communities formed on coast
By 1400 majority of coastal population (today Somalia, Kenya, and Tanzania were Moslem

13. El Zanj: The Swahili
30-40 separate city-states along East African coast
"Swahili" used by early Arabs, means "coast“
By 1st century BCE Arab and Indian traders
Brought bananas, cloves, cinnamon and pepper
Left with gold, ivory and slaves
Spoke African language enriched with Arabic and Persian vocabulary
8th Century CE
Settlement Arabs from Persian Gulf
Small settlements of Indians

14. Swahili Coastal Trade Trade Winds Monsoon winds dictate all movement
November to February: Indians can arrive
April to September: Swahili go to India

15. Primary Sources
The Periplus of the Erithraean Sea, a Greek Sailors’ Guide from Alexandria, Egypt, c. 100 CE
"Two days' sail beyond the island lies the last mainland market town of Azania, which is called Rhapta, a name derived from the small sewn boats the people use. Here there is much ivory and tortoiseshell. Men of the greatest stature, who are pirates, inhabit the whole coast and at each place have set up chiefs.“
From Compendium of Knowledge by the Chinese Confucian scholar, Tuan Ch'eng-shih, 8th century CE
“This country has not been subject to any foreign power. In fighting they use elephant's tusks, ribs and wild cattle's horns as spears, and they have corselets and bows and arrows. They have twenty myriads of foot-soldiers. The Arabs are continually making raids on them.“   

16. Swahili History Swahili city-states Trade and economics
Muslim and cosmopolitan
Bantu, Islamic, and Indian influences
Politically independent of one another
Never a Swahili empire or hegemony
Trade and economics
Cities like competitive companies, corporations vying for African trade
Chief exports: ivory, sandalwood, ebony, and gold; later slaves
Trade linked to both Arabia and India; even Chinese goods, influence reached area

17. Swahili History Social construct 16th century Late 17th century
Arabs, Persians were significant players
Cities were run by nobility that was African in origin
Below nobility: commoners, resident foreigners
Large group of artisans, weavers, craftsmen
Slavery was actively practiced
16th century
Advent of Portuguese trade disrupted trade routes, made commercial centers obsolete
Portuguese allowed natives no share in African trade
Began conquering Islamic city-states along eastern coast
Late 17th century
Oman conquered Portuguese cities along coast
Area controlled by Omani sultanate for another 200 years
Cotton, cloves, plantation agriculture thrived and used slaves for labor

18. Swahili Cities Swahili garden cities
Built around palaces, mosques
Walled cities
Many markets, harbors
Wealthy
Built homes within walls
Endowed mosques, schools
Muslims transplanted many different plants, crops to area
Gaspar Correa, sailor/mercenary describing da Gama's arrival in Kilwa, 16th century
"The city comes down to the shore, and is entirely surrounded by a wall and towers, within which there are maybe 12,000 inhabitants. The country all round is very luxurious with many trees and gardens of all sorts of vegetables, citrons, lemons, and the best sweet oranges that were ever seen… The streets of the city are very narrow, as the houses are very high, of three and four stories, and one can run along the tops of them upon the terraces… and in the port there were many ships. A moor ruled over this city, who did not possess more country than the city itself.“

19. Spread of Islam—Sahel
Gradually spread southwards into Sahel region of West Africa and somewhat latter from East coast westwards into interior of East Africa

20. Spread of Islam—West Africa
Berbers traded across Sahara with West Africans in Sahel (south of Sahara)
Traded salt and other goods for gold and ivory
Nearly 1000 years before Islam, West Africa had supplied gold to the Roman Empire

21. Spread of Islam—West Africa
Islam first introduced to West Africa south of the Sahara across the salt and gold trade routes
By 12th century C.E., many Berber traders converted to Islam
Moslem traders practiced religion but did not actively try to convert West Africans
Eventually traveled with Moslem clerics and scholars who interacted mainly with local rulers.
Provided advice on trade, security, and governing
Gradually, Moslem advisors became important to West African rulers

22. Spread of Islam—West Africa
Conversion of majority of population could take generations
Often took years for West African leaders to convert
After leaders converted, effort was made to convert citizens
Gradual process
People adopted some Islamic practices and beliefs while maintaining some indigenous beliefs and practices
Islamic practice eventually became more predominant
Shows openness and flexibility of both African indigenous religious systems and Islam
When Mali replaced by Songhai, Islam had become primary religion of Sahel

23. Spread of Islam

25. Movement and Trade in Africa

26. Major African Kingdoms

27. Mansa Musa (the Magnificent)
Grandson of Muslim founder of Mali Empire
Mali was source of over half of world's gold
Made Islam state religion
Made hajj in 1324
Gave away so much gold in Cairo that price of gold there was depressed for 20 years
Gave so much he had to borrow money to pay for return trip
Added Timbuktu and Gao to his kingdom
Made Timbuktu center of learning with a royal palace, libraries, university, and mosques
Encouraged trade between Mali and world
Resources of kola nuts, ivory, salt, and gold

28. Great Zimbabwe Swahili cities
Wealth led to centralization of Zimbabwean government around 1300 CE
Gold and copper
Easily mined and obtained
Capital was Great Zimbabwe
Huge fortification surrounded by stone walls
Economy rested on agriculture, cattle herding, and trade
Declined due to an ecological crisis brought on by deforestation and overgrazing

29. Great Zimbabwe 200 Square Miles
Built consistently from 11th century to 15th century
Estimates are that Great Zimbabwe had as many as 18,000 inhabitants at its peak
Ruins at Great Zimbabwe are some of oldest and largest structures located in Sub-Saharan Africa

30. Islam in Africa