Islamic Mosque in Ghana blankbluesky.com/ travel/ghana/ After 700 AD, the religion of Islam began to spread over northern Africa. Followers of this religion are called Muslims. Muslim warriors came into Ghana and fought with the non-Islamic people there. Local warriors then decided to break away from the power of Ghana and form their own local kingdoms. This ended many of the trade networks and eventually weakened the civilization of Ancient Ghana.

Mali

By 1235 the kingdom of Mali had emerged. Its founders were Mande-speaking people, who lived south of Ghana. Mali’s wealth was also built on gold.

Mali had 7 rulers in the 50 years between Sundiata and Mansa Musa. A powerful king named Sundiata ruled Mali from around 1230-1255 AD. He became known as a mansa, or emperor. He led the people in conquering and expanding his kingdom to be as great as Ghana had been. Mali had 7 rulers in the 50 years between Sundiata and Mansa Musa. Perhaps the greatest king of Mali was Mansa Musa (1312-1337). He developed the gold and salt trade of Mali and his kingdom became very powerful and rich. Mansu Musa: Lord of the Negroes of Guinea. (Photo courtesy of History of Africa)

Mansa Musa was a Muslim; he built many beautiful mosques, or Islamic temples in western Africa as well as attending public prayers, and supporting holy men. http://travel.u.nu/pic/ml/djenne.jpg

In 1324 Mansa Musa made a hajj, or pilgrimage ( a journey to a holy place) to Mecca, which is a holy city in Arabia. He traveled with 60,000 servants and followers and 80 camels carrying more than 4,000 pounds of gold to be distributed among the poor. Of the 12,000 servants 500 carried a staff of pure gold. This showed his power and wealth to the other people he visited. After returning he ordered mosques to be built in the major cities of Timbuktu and Gao.

The great kingdom of Mali weakened. When Mansa Musa died there were no kings as powerful as he was to follow. The great kingdom of Mali weakened. Eventually a group of people known as Berbers came into the area and other people came up from the south to claim territory that was once part of the kingdom. Although Mali fell, another advanced African kingdom took its place, the kingdom of Songhai. The Berbers still live in North Africa. This picture, taken in 1893, shows a Berber group.

Eastern and Southern Africa

Kush

Ancient Kingdom of Kush History By 2000 BCE, the area south of Egypt, called Nubia, had developed extensive trade. Nubians traded ivory, ebony, frankincense, and leopard skin Nubia was controlled by Egypt until around 1000 BCE In 750 BCE, the Kush conquered Egypt, but were overwhelmed by the Assyrians less than a hundred years later, in 663 BCE The Kush were still using bronze and stone, while the Assyrians used iron spears and swords After the Assyrians conquered Egypt, the Kushites returned to their land in Nubia

Ancient Kingdom of Kush Kush Economics & Society Kush economics were based on farming and trade. They built a capital city in Meroe, which became a trading center. Meroe had a large supply of iron ore; the Kush were able to make the iron weapons they had seen on the Assyrians The Kush was a major trading empire, taking advantage of the Nile and land routes

Ancient Kingdom of Kush Kush trade went as far as Rome, India, and Arabia Traded: iron, ivory, ebony, Received: jewelry, silver, luxury goods Not much is known about Kush society. They left behind tombs full of luxury items, demonstrating that they were prosperous and had traded with distant countries. This suggests there was probably a large trader or merchant class in Kush society. The Kush flourished from about 250 BCE to approximately 150 CE, but declined because of the rise of a new power in the region.

Axum

Ancient Kingdom of Axum South of the Kush was Ethiopia, where the Axum were located. Originally started as an Arab colony, Axum emerged as an independent state that combined African and Arabic cultures. Axum was prosperous because of it’s prime location on the Red Sea, which allowed them to trade between India, the Mediterranean, and southern Africa. Like the Kush, they exported ivory, spices, and slaves. They imported textiles, metal goods, wine and olive oil.

Ancient Kingdom of Axum Axum competed with the Kush for control of the ivory trade. In the fourth century CE, King Ezana, the Axumite ruler, invaded Kush and conquered it. The most distinctive feature of the Axumites was their religion. Around 330 CE, the king converted to Christianity, which was brought to Axum by Syrians. The king made Christianity the official religion of Axum.

Ancient Kingdom of Axum After King Ezana died, the Axum kingdom flourished until the rise of Islam, which brought Arab forces into northern and eastern Africa. In 641, Arab forces took control of Egypt. By the700s, the entire coast of North Africa was under Arab rule. The Muslim trading states lived peacefully with Axum until the 12th century, when the Muslims started moving inland into Africa. By the 15th century Axum was in constant conflict with the Muslim states.