Chapter 8

Geography of Africa

Kingdom of Axum [ ]

Stele, Ezana’s Royal Tomb, Aksum (4c)

AXUM’S ACHIEVEMENTS Controlled NE African Trade Written Language Spread Christianity in No. & E. Africa Terrace Farming Built Stelae

Berbers GOLD SALT Gold-Salt Trade

Timbuktu-”Heavenly Clay”

Timbuktu  Major trading hub  Gold, slaves, and salt  Center of Islamic learning ~13th century  150 Islamic schools  Cosmopolitan community  Religious and ethnic toleration common

Ancient Ghana  First known kingdom in the western Sudan  Founded between fourth and eight centuries CE  Warfare and iron weapons created an empire  Commerce  Camel caravans  Imported silk, cotton, glass beads, horses, mirrors, dates, and salt  Exported pepper, slaves, and gold mined in another region and taxed passing through

Empire of Mali,  Larger than Ghana  Greater rainfall  More crops Sundiata [ ] “Lion Prince”

Mansa Musa [r ]

European Map

Empire of Songhai,  The last and largest of the Sudanese empires  Sunni Ali  Reigned  Conquered people paid tribute  Generally ran their own affairs

Benin Empire [15c-19c]

Benin  Small powerful kingdoms  Benin  Little influenced by Islam or Christianity  Trading center  Gold, peppers, ivory, and slaves  By 17th century dependent on slave trade

Bantu Migrations: 1000 BCE To 500 CE

Swahili States  Built around trade with India and East Asia  Travels of Ibn Battuta

African Trade Routes

Arab Dow off the coast of Zanzibar