States and Societies of Sub-Saharan Africa Chapter 18 States and Societies of Sub-Saharan Africa ©2011, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Effects of Early African Migrations Bantu and other migrations from 2000 B.C.E.--1000 C.E. Spread agriculture and herding throughout Africa Displaced and/or absorbed hunting/gathering/fishing people Iron metallurgy after 500 B.C.E. facilitated clearing more land Introduction of bananas after 500 C.E. caused migration and population surge Population growth: from 3.5 million in 400 B.C.E. to 22 million by 1000 C.E. ©2011, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

©2011, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Population Growth ©2011, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

©2011, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Kin-Based Societies Kin-based society the norm (sometimes called "stateless society") Early societies did not depend on elaborate bureaucracy Societies governed through family and kinship groups Village council consisted of male family heads Higher government authorities rare ©2011, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

©2011, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Chiefdoms Population growth strained resources and increased conflict Some African communities began to organize military forces, 1000 C.E. Powerful chiefs overrode kinship networks and imposed authority and conquered Examples: Ife and Benin ©2011, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

©2011, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Kingdoms, Empires, and City-States of Sub-Saharan Africa, 800-1500 C.E. ©2011, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Trans-Saharan Trade and Islamic States in West Africa After 300 C.E. camels replaced horses and donkeys as transport animals Camels' arrival quickened pace of communication across the Sahara 70-90 days to cross Sahara Islamic merchants crossed desert and established relations ©2011, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

©2011, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Kingdom of Ghana The kingdom of Ghana became the most important commercial site in west Africa Provided gold (most important), ivory, and slaves for traders from north Africa Exchanged for horses, cloth, manufactured goods, and salt Ghana kings converted to Islam by the tenth century, didn't force on others Nomadic raids from the Sahara weakened the kingdom in the early thirteenth century ©2011, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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©2011, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Sundiata (r. 1230-1255) Took greater advantage of trans-Saharan trade Nominally Muslim, but did not force conversions ©2011, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

©2011, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Mansa Musa (r. 1312-1337) Made his pilgrimage to Mecca in 1324-1325 with huge caravan Upon return to Mali, built mosques Sent students to study with distinguished Islamic scholars in northern Africa Established Islamic schools in Mali Decline of Mali due to factions and military pressure from neighbors and nomads The Songhay empire replaced Mali by the late fifteenth century ©2011, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

©2011, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Mansa Musa ©2011, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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The Indian Ocean Trade and Islamic States in East Africa Swahili is an Arabic term meaning "coasters" Dominated east African coast from Mogadishu to Sofala Spoke Swahili, a Bantu language, supplemented with some Arabic words Trade with Muslim merchants became important by the tenth century ©2011, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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The Swahili City-States Chiefs gained power through taxing trade on ports Ports developed into city-states governed by kings, eleventh and twelfth centuries Chinese silk, porcelain imported ©2011, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

©2011, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Zimbabwe Zimbabwe was powerful kingdom of east Africa By the ninth century, chiefs began to build stone residences (Zimbabwe) Magnificent stone complex known as Great Zimbabwe in the twelfth century Eighteen thousand people lived in Great Zimbabwe in the late fifteenth century Kings organized flow of gold, ivory, and slaves ©2011, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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©2011, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Islam in East Africa Ruling elite and wealthy merchants converted to Islamic faith Conversion promoted close cooperation with Muslim merchants Conversion also opened door to political alliances with Muslim rulers Often retained pagan religious traditions and practices Islam serves as social glue with other merchants, states ©2011, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

African Society and Cultural Development Social classes Kinship groups: extended families and clans as social and economic organizations Communities claimed rights to land; no private property ©2011, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Sex and Gender Relations Men work with specialized skills Tanning, iron work Heavy labor Women were responsible for child rearing, domestic chores Both sexes work in agriculture Male rule more common, but some expanded roles for women Merchants, some military activity Islamic norms slow to penetrate African society ©2011, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

©2011, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Slavery Practiced since ancient times Most slaves were captives of war Debtors Suspected witches Criminals Used principally in agricultural labor ©2011, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

©2011, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Slave Trading Increased trans-Saharan and Indian Ocean trade stimulates slave trade, 9th century C.E. Africa replaces eastern Europe as principal source of slaves Creates internal African slave trade More powerful states attack smaller kinship-based groups 10,000-20,000 slaves per year ©2011, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Early Christianity in North Africa First century: popular in Egypt, north Africa Initially weak in sub-Saharan Africa The Christian Kingdom of Axum in Ethiopia, fourth century C.E. Merchants, then kings convert Bible translated into Ethiopian Isolated during Islamic period, renaissance during twelfth century C.E. Massive churches carved out of solid rock ©2011, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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©2011, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. African Islam Appealed strongly to ruling elite and merchants of sub-Saharan Africa Converts took their religion seriously; they built mosques and schools, invited experts Accommodated African gender relations; women retained more freedoms Supplemented rather than replaced traditional religions ©2011, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.