Eastern Hemisphere: African Kingdoms

Axum Location relative to the Ethiopian Highlands and the Nile River

Trade Center of caravan (land) trade routes to Egypt Had miles of coastline and ports on Red Sea – influence over sea trade on Mediterranean Sea and Indian Ocean Traders came from Egypt, Arabia, Persia, India, Rome Merchants traded goods AND ideas and Axum adopted Christianity and became a Christian Kingdom

Zimbabwe Zimbabwe means “Great Stone House” because the kingdom was famous for its huge stone palaces and buildings Location relative to the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers and the Indian Ocean coast Founded by the Bantu people Fertile land due to rivers, good for crops and cattle raising

Great Location City of “Great Zimbabwe” as capital of a prosperous empire City on important trade route linking water with gold fields Economic, political, and religious center of the Empire

Great Zimbabwe Ruins

West African Kingdoms Location of Ghana, Mali and Songhai empires relative to Niger River and the Sahara Trade routes crisscrossed Africa as people traded salt from the Sahara for gold from the savanna (the “salt and gold” trade) => strong trading kingdoms throughout the continent = trans-Saharan trade route Belief in animism (nature worship), and Islam

Ghana The Soninke people were farmers and traders living north of the Niger River, in between the salt deposits and gold mines First powerful West African Kingdom because of control of the gold and salt trade and revenues from taxing the trade caravans coming through their land leader called “Ghana” (war chief) in 1076 AD Berbers (North African Muslims) defeated Ghana

Mali Founded by the Mandingo people Mansa Musa ( ) 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 lbs of gold to give away as charity and presents Timbuktu became a renown city because of its Great Mosque, palaces, and university; Musa increased influence of Islam throughout kingdom Captured large salt mines to gain control of gold and salt trade Kingdom was peaceful and safe Kingdom declined due to internal rivalries, bedouin raids, and rebellions by warring states

Control trade through the Sahara

Songhai Songhai gained power in 1400s after Mali’s decline Ruler Sunni Ali built vast empire by military conquest