West Africa Notes EQ: What was the most significant factor in the development of early societies in west Africa?

West Africa’s 4 Climate Zones Sahara Desert: salt was key trade good Sahel: Shore of the Desert; area in between desert and savanna Savanna: tall grasses and small trees; good for growing grains Rain forest: wood and edible roots like yams

The Gold and Salt Trade The three great West African empires (Ghana, Mali, Songhai) were built on trade; especially the gold and salt trade.

The Niger and Senegal Rivers All three empires were located near the Niger and Senegal Rivers. The rivers acted as highways for trade.

Ghana To what extent did trans-Saharan trade lead to Ghana’s wealth and success? Arab scholars described Ghana as a fabled “land of gold.” Ghana’s succession was matrilineal. Ghana had a powerful army. Ghana acted as “middleman” for the salt traders from the north (Taghaza) and the gold traders from the south (Wangara). Aaa                            

Trade Ghana becomes wealthy by taxing traders. Gold and salt were equal in value. Wangarans practiced silent bartering. Trade increased between North and West Africa due to the introduction of the camel and the spread of Islam.

Camels: Ships of the Desert Adaptations: Eyelashes protect eyes from wind-blown sand. Nostrils close to keep sand out. Lips are thickened to withstand the coarsest of desert plants. Coloration matches the environment. Callouses are present on knees and other parts of the body that touch the hot sand when the animal sits down. Hump is a flesh mound not supported by bones. A reserve of fat (not water) is stored in the hump. Hump size varies with food supply and working conditions. Drink brackish or salt water. Camels exhibit unusual tolerance for dehydration. Feet are broadened to walk on sand.

Primary Source Ibn Battuta, the famous Muslim adventurer, described crossing the Sahara in a journal.

Ghana’s Collapse Ghana collapsed due to a loss of natural resources and an invasion by the Almoravids.

Ghana, the middleman in trans-Saharan trade. H A N Silent bartering…… “Ghana’s Wealth” Acrostic Poem Use Notes, Hist Alive 145-153, Holt 130-135 Ghana, the middleman in trans-Saharan trade. H A N Silent bartering……   Wangara: the secret source of gold. E L Taghaza: A village built on salt.

Spread of Islam Trade brought Islam to West Africa Tolerance shown by Muslims toward traditional religious practices helped Islam spread.

Islam Brings Change Islam brought changes in: religious practices succession (patrilineal) government (more centralized) system of law (shari’ah) education with Timbuktu becoming a center of learning language with Arabic becoming the language of religion, learning, trade and government architecture (al-Saheli, built great mosques and introduced a new design for houses) arts (including calligraphy)

Mali: The Second Great West African Empire Mali is lead by the Mande tribe. The Golden Age of West Africa occurs under Mansa Musa’s leadership.

Mansa Musa’s Pilgrimage Mansa Musa puts Mali on the world map with his hajj. Mansa Musa brings scholars back to Mali and make it a center of learning.

Timbuktu: A Center of Trade and Learning

Use Pages 136-140 to answer questions on Page 140 (1-4 all) Due Today Mali Assignment Use Pages 136-140 to answer questions on Page 140 (1-4 all) Due Today

Timbuktu Travel Advertisement or Brochure Due Friday Create a poster or brochure advertisement that promotes travel to Timbuktu. Be sure to feature interesting things to see or do there. Focus on Education, Religion, and Trade. Look on Page 139 at school; Home Pg 160. Some background info. Tuareg nomads from the Sahara first established Timbuktu in the 11th Century. After it was conquered by Mali, it became an important trade stop. Timbuktu’s location on the southern edge of the Sahara and the Northern most point of the Niger River made it a perfect link between North and West Africa. Had several universities and mosques. http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/world-heritage/timbuktu/

Influence of Islam on West Africa Suppose you are a tour guide in Timbuktu about 1400. Your job is to show foreign visitors around the city. You will stop at three sites: a mosque, a market, and a school. At each site you will describe how each place shows two to three influences and changes brought about by the spread of Islam into West Africa. Your comments need to include what a visitor can see, what they can hear, what people are doing at each site, and/or other information related to each site. Each site will have its own section on the brochure. Be sure to include pictures and have your brochure neatly organized.

Mosques in Timbuktu Markets in Timbuktu Schools in Timbuktu When you visit mosques in Timbuktu you will discover: ________________ Markets in Timbuktu are vibrant places where people come together to exchange a variety of goods like: ___________________ The focus on learning of the schools in Timbuktu is:

Songhai: The Third Great West African Empire About 100 years after Mansa Musa’ death, the Songhai rise up under Sunni Ali and conquer Mali. Under Askia Mohammed Toure, Songhai expands and becomes a strict Muslim empire.                                                                                      The shaded portion indicates

The Songhai built a new Islamic empire in West Africa Once a part of Mali, Songhai rose up against it and regained its freedom; conquering many of the lands that were once part of Mali. Songhai grew in many ways, mostly due to the work of Sunni Ali. He worked constantly to unify, strengthen, and enlarge the empire. He participated in both Islam and local religions and brought peace and stability as a result.

Askia the Great Muhammad Ture overthrew Sunni Baru because he did not support Islam. People thought they would lose trade with Muslim lands. Ture took the title of askia, a title of the highest military rank, and eventually became known as Askia the Great.

Education and Government Askia the Great worked to support education and especially supported learning about medicine. Thousands of people came to Timbuktu to use the universities, libraries, and mosques. Djenné also became a city of great learning. Songhai’s traders were Muslims and spread Islam. To help maintain order, Askia set up five provinces within Songhai. He removed local leaders and appointed new governors who were loyal to him. He created special departments to oversee certain tasks. He created a standing professional army.

Songhai fell to Morocco. Because Morocco wanted to control the Saharan salt mines, it invaded Songhai. The Moroccans brought with them a terrible new weapon, the arquebus, an early form of gun. The Moroccans’ guns and cannons brought disaster to Songhai. Changes in trade patterns completed Songhai’s fall. Overland trade declined as Atlantic ports became more important.

Gists Statements If you have not already written Gist statements for Ghana and Mali go back to those sections and write a Gist Statement. Also, write a Gist statement for the Empire of Songhai. Remember a Gist statement is a 10 word sentence summarizing the main ideas of the section.

West African Empires Essay Essay Paragraph Order Option 1 Essay Paragraph Order Option 2 Introduction (Paragraph 1) Rise in Power (Paragraph 2) Ghana Mali Songhai Achievements (Paragraph 3) Decline in Power (Paragraph 4) Conclusion (Paragraph 5) Introduction (Paragraph 1) Ghana (Paragraph 2) Rise Achievements Decline Mali (Paragraph 3) Songhai (Paragraph 4) Conclusion (Paragraph 5)

The Cultural Legacy of West Africa West Africa has left a rich cultural legacy in oral and written traditions, music and visual arts. Oral traditions use the art of storytelling to record a culture’s history Griots are poet-musicians and historians.

Sundjata Keita The most cherished tale in griot history is the story of Sundjata Keita, the founder of Mali.

Oral Traditions Folktales were used to pass down history and to teach young people morals and values. Proverbs are popular sayings meant to express something wise or true. African music has influenced jazz, blues, rock and rap music.