1. African Kingdoms
10d

2. Where?
During the Middle Ages, African civilizations developed in Sub-Saharan west and east Africa

3. Axum
Located in modern day Ethiopia and near the Nile River

4. Axum
Religion
Aksumites originally believed in one god called Mahrem and they were also animists
They often used animals for sacrifice
Trade and merchants brought along a new religion

5. Aksum
Religion
Christianity became prevalent throughout the Aksum kingdom
Ezana converted all the people of the kingdom to Christianity
This allowed for Ethiopia (where Aksum was located) to be home to millions of Christians

6. Zimbabwe
Located near the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers and the Indian Ocean
The people of Zimbabwe we called Shona
Land was great for farming and raising cattle

7. “Great Zimbabwe”
City stood near a major trade route that linked the gold fields with Sofala (major trading city)
The people of this city gained control of these trade routes and taxed the traders who traveled these routes
This caused “Great Zimbabwe” to become the economic, political, and religious center of its empire

8. West African kingdoms
West African Kingdoms during the Middle Ages include Ghana, Mali, and Songhai
They are located near the Niger River and the Sahara

9. Ghana
By 700s A.D Ghana becomes a kingdom in West Africa

10. Gold and Salt Two most important trade items
Gold came from the forest region south of the Savanna (Found in 100s of feet in earth or in rivers)
The Sahara contained salt deposits

11. Mali 1235, Mali emerges as a kingdom
Its founders were located south of Ghana, but as Ghana grew weaker and Mali gained power, Ghana is taken over
Mali is now in control of the gold and salt trade routes.

12. Timbuktu An important city of the Mali kingdom
Used for trading and it attracted Muslim judges, doctors, religious leaders, and scholars
They came because of Timbuktu’s outstanding mosques and universities

13. Songhai In the 1400s, the Songhai empire came about
The Songhai people gradually took over the territory of the previous kingdom Mali
Timbuktu and Djenne are in Songhai’s control
As a result, Songhai gains control of the gold and salt trade

14. Religion Islam spread south of the Sahara due to trade
Most rulers converted to Islam (Ghana)
Even though the rulers are Muslim, most people did not convert, but maintained their animistic beliefs.
Islam’s growth encouraged the spread of literacy.