1. African Kingdoms

2. DEVELOPMENT OF AFRICAN CULTURE

3. Agriculture was subsistence farming with simple digging using sticks and hoes

4. Music (especially drumming), and dance played a big part in their rituals and customs

5. Fixed social categories based on age, kinship, gender, and occupation

6. Trans-Saharan trade routes led to the development of strong trading kingdoms throughout the continent and was very important in the spread of Islam from the Middle East throughout north and central Africa

7. Axum Located near the Ethiopian Highlands and the Nile River

9. Center of Trade Center of caravan trade routes to Egypt Had miles of coastline and ports on Red Sea => influence over maritime trade on Mediterranean Sea and Indian Ocean Traded goods and ideas with Egypt, Arabia, Persia, India, Rome Axum adopted Christianity => Ethiopia has always been a predominently Christian kingdom

11. Ghana ♦The Soninke people were farmers and traders living north of the Niger River, in between the salt deposits of the Sahara and gold mines of the Savanna ♦First powerful West African kingdom because of control of the gold and salt trade and revenues from taxing the trade caravans coming through

13. Ghana (cont’d) ♦Leader called “Ghana” (“war chief”) ♦Tribe first practiced animism (worship of nature spirits) but converted to Islam after contact with the Arabs through trade ♦In 1076 AD Berbers (North African Muslims) defeated Ghana

15. All other West African nations modeled on Ghana ♦Economies based on gold and trade ♦Conquered neighboring tribes and demanded tribute ♦Kings had absolute power ♦Kingdoms held together by strong personal rule, not loyalty to nation

16. Mali ♦Founded by the Mandingo people

18. Mansa Musa (1312-1337) ♦Mali’s most famous king; peak of Mali’s power ♦A devout Muslim, he made the hajj with 12,000 slaves dressed in silk, hundreds of camels, and over 3,000 pounds of gold to give away as charity and presents

21. Timbuktu became a renown city because of its Great Mosque, palaces, and university; Musa increased influence of Islam throughout kingdom

22. Mansa Musa (cont’d) ♦Captured large salt mines to gain control of salt trade ♦Kingdom was peaceful and safe ♦Declined due to internal rivalries, Bedouin raids, and rebellions by vassal states

23. Songhai ♦Like its predecessor, the Mali Kingdom, the Songhai Empire was a Muslim kingdom based in Timbuktu that grew wealthy from the salt and gold trade

25. Sunni Ali (r. 1464-1493) ♦Appointed governors to oversee the provinces ♦Built up the army and created an imperial navy to patrol the Niger River ♦Empire defeated by the Moroccans in 1591

26. Zimbabwe ♦Located near the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers and the Indian Ocean coast ♦Was at peak of empire at the same time as the Mali kingdom ♦Means “Great Stone House” because the kingdom was famous for its huge stone palaces and buildings

29. Zimbabwe (cont’d) ♦Founded by the Bantu, Shona, or Lemba people circa 11 th century ♦Center of southern Africa’s gold industry

30. East Africa ♦Made up of independent city-states (self- governing city that also controls surrounding countryside) ♦Traders brought out ivory, gold, and animal skins through the Indian Ocean

32. 1497 Vasco de Gama landed in East Africa; within 10 years the Portuguese had captured all of the city-states