1. Kingdoms of Africa

2. Sub- Saharan Africa This is the area we will be studying this chapter
Sub- Saharan Africa This is the area we will be studying this chapter. It does not include North Africa.

3. VVWA for Sub-Saharan Africa
Word
Visual Representation
Definition
Personal Association or Characteristic

4. West African Kingdoms
Ghana
Mali
Songhai
Hausa
Benin

5. A map of Ghana with Muslim trade routes
The Kingdom of Ghana
Began around the 9th Century
Capital was Kumbi-Saleh
People were the Soninke
King was a semi-divine figure
Center of trade
Arab traders referred to it as the “Land of Gold”
A map of Ghana with Muslim trade routes

6. Women in The Kingdom of Ghana
Played an active role in economics
Held positions in the government
Line of succession for the King went through the King’s mother
A photograph of a woman from Ghana dressed in traditional clothing

7. Influence of Islam in the Kingdom of Ghana
Muslim merchants formed their own communities
Muslims were used as advisors to the king absorbing technology and ideas of government
Almoravids converted most people to Islam
The crescent moon is the symbol of Islam like the Star of David and the cross are symbols of Judaism and Christianity. The star is a symbol of Ghana.

8. Muslim Contributions to Ghana’s Society
Written language
Coinage
Business methods
Styles of architecture
An African mosque exemplifying the influence of Islam in African architecture

9. The Kingdom of Mali Began around the 13th Century Capital was Timbuktu
People were the Mandinke
Center of trade
Mali means “Where the king dwells”
A Map Depicting the Kingdom of Mali

10. Two Emperors of Mali Sundiata – founded Mali in 1250 ce
Mansa Musa – considered the greatest emperor of Mali. He came to power around
1312 ce

11. Sundiata His entire family was killed shortly after he was born
Brilliant military leader
Won control of gold trade routes
Famous epic poem written about him
Seen as a folk hero of Mali
A Copy of the Epic of Sundiata

12. A European Map Showing Mansa Musa
Expanded the borders of Mali westward and to the north
Worked to ensure peace and order in the empire
Converted to Islam
Based his system of justice on the Qur’an
Women were not veiled or secluded
A European Map Showing Mansa Musa

13. Mansa Musa Takes the Hajj
Accompanied by 500 slaves each holding a golden staff
He was accompanied by 100 camels laden with gold
Visited the ka’aba
Journey took over a year
A Map of Mansa Musa’s Trip Across the Sahara Desert

14. Effects of Mansa Musa’s Hajj
He forged new trading ties with Muslims states like Egypt and Morocco
Brought Arab scholars and artists to Mali
News of his gold wealth reached Europe which sparked interest in the riches of Africa
Gold Jewelry

15. The Kingdom of Songhai Began about 1450 ce and lasted until 1586 ce
Capital was Gao
Largest West African kingdom
Located in present day Niger and Burkina Faso
A Map of the Kingdom of Songhai

16. Sonni Ali – Songhai King
Sonni Ali ruled from 1464 to 1492
Brought key trade routes under his control
He did not practice Islam
A Depiction of Sonni Ali

17. Askia Muhammad – Songhai King
Set up a Muslim Dynasty
Expanded the territory
Set up a bureaucracy w/ departments for farming, treasury, and military
Made the hajj
Built mosques and set up schools to study the Qur’an
A depiction of Askia Muhammad

18. The City-States of the Hausa
Came to power in the 14th Century
Group of independent walled city-states
Each was a thriving commercial center producing cotton and leather goods
Kano – most prosperous
Many Hausa leaders were women
A Hausa House

19. The Kingdom of Benin Began in the early 14th Century
The king who was called the Oba was both political and religious leader
Power to rule was shared with the queen-mother and a council of hereditary chiefs
Artists created brass sculptures depicting warriors, queen-mothers, obas, and even Portuguese merchants
A Warrior In Bronze from Benin

20. The Lasting Impact of the Kingdoms of West Africa
The eyes of Europeans were turned toward Africa’s supplies of gold and other natural resources.
Europeans would soon travel to Africa in order to explore and then to divide up and colonize almost the entire continent.
This created chaos for Africa and its people because political boundaries were not drawn based on ethnic group, language or culture. They were drawn by Europeans based on the amount of land under European control.

21. European Colonization of Africa

22. Kingdoms of East Africa
Axum
East African City-States
Great Zimbabwe

23. One of the Christian churches carved out of stone by King Lalibela
The Kingdom of Axum
Located in present day Ethiopia
Founded by King Ezana
Language = Geez
Axum & Adulis were important trading cities
Practiced Judaism & Christianity
Christianity isolated Axum when most of the region converted to Islam.
One of the Christian churches carved out of stone by King Lalibela

24. East African City States
The names of the city states were Mogadishu, Kilwa, Malindi, Sofala, & Mombasa
They were very successful trading cities trading with India, China, & the Middle East
Most people converted to Islam
A diverse culture created much cultural diffusion for example Swahili is a mix of Arabic and the local bantu language
Ancient remains from the trading city of Kilwa

25. The Empire of Great Zimbabwe
Settled around 900 ce
Traded gold and other goods
Archeologists have found remains of beads from India and porcelain from China
Ruled by a god-king, queen mother and 9 queens using a bureaucracy
Remains of the main city of the empire of Great Zimbabwe

26. East African City States
A map depicting East African trade
How many East African Kingdoms can you identify?
List them in your notebooks and make sure to remember they may be spelled differently

27. Africa Today