1. African Kingdoms

2. Essential Understanding
States and empires flourished in Africa during the medieval period, including:
West Africa: Ghana, Mali, Songhai
East Africa: Axum
South Africa: Zimbabwe

3. East African Kingdoms Axum Nile River Valley Location:
Near the Nile River
Near the Ethiopian Highlands
Christian Kingdom
History: King Azana of Axum conquered Kush (Nubia); grew wealthy from controlling trade between Africa & the Red Sea (spices, carpets, dyes, gold, ivory…)
Traded with Egypt, the Middle East and India.
It was located next to the Red Sea.
By the 4th century A.D., Axum was a world power.

5. Axum and Christianity
First royal converts around the time of Constantine
Wanted to improve trade with Christian Egypt
Missionaries created monasteries, translated the Bible into Ethiopian, and spread the religion throughout Ethiopia

6. East African Kingdoms Zimbabwe Location:
Near Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers
On the coast of the Indian Ocean.
City of “Great Zimbabwe” is capital of this rich empire.
Reached its peak of power in the 1400s; remnants destroyed by the Portuguese in the 1500s
The city of Great Zimbabwe was an important trading center.
Traders from Africa’s interior would pass through when bringing items to the Indian Ocean to trade, and vice versa.
We know little about the people who lived there.
Zambezi River
Limpopo River

7. West African Kingdoms Ghana, Mali, & Songhai Location:
Next to or on the Niger River.
Near and part of the Sahara Desert
Sahara Desert

8. West African Kingdoms Ghana Principal state at time of Muslim arrival
Gold Trade
Most important trading center to its large quantity of gold
Also traded ivory and slaves for horses, cloth, and salt
Collapsed after nomads from the Sahara, took over by Mali
Mansa Musa’s Pilgrimage to Mecca put so much gold into the economy of Cairo that gold lost most of its value for over 12 years.

10. West African Kingdoms Ghana, Mali, & Songhai Mansa Musa Society
A king of Mali
Increased wealth by opening trade routes & exchanging gold for salt
Pilgrimage to Mecca (Hajj)
Society
Usually Islamic, also believed in animal worship (animism)
City of Timbuktu is a center of learning and trade.
Grew rich taxing the salt & gold trade.
Mansa Musa’s Pilgrimage to Mecca put so much gold into the economy of Cairo that gold lost most of its value for over 12 years.

11. Mansa Musa’s Epic Hajj

12. Timbuktu Capital of Mali Home of Mansa Musa A Muslim/Islamic City
Muslims from all of West Africa came to the city to study at the universities.

13. West African Kingdoms Ghana, Mali, & Songhai
Songhai broke away from Mali and replaced it as the most powerful kingdom in West Africa
Askia Mohammad was the greatest ruler of Songhai
Divided land into provinces
Zealous Muslim
Legal system based on the Qur’an
Defeated by Moroccan troops in 1591

14. Gold & Salt Trade Ghana, Mali & Songhai have lots of gold.
They need salt to preserve food, add flavors, etc.
North Africans (above Sahara) have salt, want gold to use as money.
This means people cross the Sahara Desert to trade salt and gold.

15. Sub-Saharan Trade Route
Facilitated trade, spread of Islam, cultural diffusion
Camel caravans provided links to Mediterranean region and trade routes

16. Islam in West Africa
Once Ghana converted to Islam, improved relations with N. Africa and Muslim traders
Many still practiced magic and worshipped other gods but Islam attracted many converts