1. Societies & Empires of Africa

2. I. Geographic features Deserts
Sahara – northern Africa, roughly the size of U.S.A.
Kalahari – southern Africa
Rain forest – dense, humid forest found around the equator
Savannas – grassy plains
Cover 40% of Africa
Dry seasons alternate with rainy seasons
Sahara Desert
Rain Forest
Savanna
Kalahari Desert

3. II. Early Societies
Most African societies based on small social units, the family
Stateless societies – no formal political organization
Diverse local religious traditions
Most family groups had own belief systems
Organized info about the world
Animism – nature & spirits play an important role in daily life
Spirits present in animals, plants, natural forces (wind, fire, etc.)
Record keeping
Few societies had written language, depended on oral tradition – griots (storytellers)

4. III. The Kingdom of Aksum
Aksum - located south of Egypt, along Red Sea
Was once most powerful kingdom in East Africa, C.E.
People decedents from
African farmers and
migrants from Middle East
Geographic advantages
Well suited for agriculture
Ideal location for trading
Seaport at city of Adulis attracted merchants
from African interior,
Mediterranean region,
Egypt, Arabia, Persia,
India

5. III. Continued… International trading King Ezana
Traded salt, rhinoceros horns, ivory, gold
Received cloth, glass, olive oil, wine
First African kingdom south of Sahara to mint own coins
Merchants found it practical for trading
King Ezana
Aksum became not only wealthy trading kingdom, but also strong military power
Reached height under King Ezana, whose reign began about 320 C.E.
Expanded into Arabian peninsula, modern-day Yemen
Defeated northern rival trading kingdom of Kush, 350 C.E.
Gave Aksum complete control of trade in region

6. III. continued… Aksum culture Diverse cultural heritage Language
Mix of Arab and African descent
Language
Greek was international trading language at the time
Ge’ez - Aksum language, brought by early Arab inhabitants
One of first written languages developed in Africa
Basis of written language in Ethiopia today
Religion
Traditionally believed in one god - Mahrem
King was directly descended from him
Also found aspects of animism
Offered sacrifices, usually of oxen

7. III. continued… Trading brought more than just goods, money
Brought new ideas, including Christianity
King Ezana converted, made Christianity official religion
Modern-day Ethiopia still has large population of Christians
Technology & innovations
Created a new method of farming - terrace farming
Step-like ridges (terraces) are dug into the side of mountain slopes
Prevents water from washing down
Dug canals, built holding tanks (cisterns) for water

8. III. concluded… Decline of Aksum Kingdom lasted more than 800 years
Muslim Invaders
600s, 700s invaders conquered parts of East, North Africa
City of Aksum itself was never conquered
Nearby areas became Muslim, Christian Aksum isolated
Muslims destroyed Aksum’s port city, Adulis, took over Red Sea trade
Cut off from trade, Aksum lost main source of wealth and power
Aksum people retreated inland, settled in what is now northern Ethiopia

9. IV. Empire of Ghana (800-1200 C.E.)
Arose from trade across savannah region of Africa
Name comes from Soninke people’s word for their ruler
Means “war chief”
By 700s, Ghana’s rulers were rich from taxing merchants and traders
Gold and salt most important
Rulers eventually convert to Islam
Much of population did not convert
Those that did retained many traditional beliefs
Fusion of Islam and animism
Islam helped spread literacy (ability to read and write) through learning to read the Qur’an

10. IV. Continued… 1100 – Decline of kingdom
Group from northern African – the Almoravids – seized control of Ghana
Disrupted gold/salt trade
Groups migrated away, merged with other societies

11. V. Empire of Mali (1235 – 1500 C.E.)
Founded around 1235 by Mande-speaking people
South of Ghana, also a trading kingdom
Mostly based on gold
Sundiata
Mali’s greatest leader
Established strong, bureaucratic government
Promoted agriculture to increase population
Reestablished gold/salt trade after fall of Ghana
After death of Sundiata (1255), many of Mali’s next rulers converted to Islam
Mansa Musa expanded Mali to almost twice the size empire of Ghana had been

12. V. Continued… Mansa Musa (continued…)
Helped establish city of Timbuktu as one of the most important trading cities in Africa
Attracted Muslim scholars, doctors, religious leaders from all over
Mosques and universities were well known throughout region

13. VI. Empire of Songhai (1400 – 1500 C.E.)
Mali declined in 1400s
People once under their control began to break away, form independent kingdoms
Songhai people in east built up army, extended territory to the Niger River
Sunni Ali (ruled )
Muslim leader, built massive professional army
Dominated using skilled horseman, war canoes
Captured two great trading cities during his reign
Timbuktu, Djenne

14. VI. Continued… Askia Muhammad
Replaced Sunni Ali’s son after a revolt
Set up tax system, bureaucratic government
Lacked modern weapons
Invaded by north African groups with guns and cannons in 1500s
Collapse of Songhai empire ended a 1,000 year period in which powerful, united kingdoms ruled West Africa

15. VII. Trading Cities of the East
Like the kingdom of Aksum, cities of eastern coastal Africa were diverse, due to trade
Bantu-speaking people migrated from west
Merchants and traders came from Arabia, Persia, India
Swahili – new language arose from mix of Arabic and Bantu language
By 1300, more than 35 trading cities along coast
Example: Kilwa
Most powerful, wealthiest coastal city-state
Controlled trade, including gold, from southern Africa to Asia
Cities fell to European control in late 1400s

16. VII. Continued… Slave trade Began around 9th century
Arab traders exported slaves from eastern Africa
Sent to Arabia, Persia, India, China
Employed as soldiers, dock/ship workers, domestic workers
Number of slaves was small – 1,000/year
Did not increase much until 1700s, when Europe began trading in slaves

17. VIII. Great Zimbabwe (1100-1450)
Established sometime around 1000, by the Shona people
Located between Zambezi and Limpopo rivers in modern-day Zimbabwe
Near important trading routes for gold trade
Controlled and taxed traders who travelled routes
1200s-1400s, became economic, political, and religious center
Abandoned by 1450, reasons unknown
Theory:
Cattle grazing wore out land, salt and timber used up, could not support large population

18. IX. The Mutapa Empire (1400s-1700s)
Established by a man named Mutota after he left Great Zimbabwe in 1420
Used military force to dominate surrounding peoples
Initiated a system of tribute to support his army
Was called “mwene mutapa” by those he conquered
Means “conqueror” or “master pillager”
Grew wealthy from gold trade
Eventually, Portuguese would try to conquer the empire
Failed to outright conquer it, but were able to influence politics
Signaled beginning of increasing interference by Europeans in Africa

19. Great Zimbabwe
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20. Songhai Empire
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