African Empires

SAHARA DESERT Timbuktu Niger River Congo River Zambezi River Limpopo River

He who controls trade, controls the world Rule #3

Rulers of the Nile Egypt Kush (Nubia) Aksum Mesopotamians (Assyria, Persia, Rome) Aksum Aksum was a rich and successful trading empire Traded with Europe, the Arabian Peninsula, Egypt, Persia, and India

Aksum Where is it? Converted to Christianity Ethiopian highlands Became the Ethiopians Stayed Christian until modern times

Great Zimbabwe Powerful trade city in Southern Africa Near gold Access to the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers

Great Zimbabwe Mysterious Giant circular walls that don’t look defensive City was suddenly abandoned

West Africa What is the most important geographic feature of West Africa?

West Africa

Trade SALT Camels GOLD! West Africa has something everybody wants West Africa needs something they can get from the desert What’s the best way to get stuff across a desert? GOLD! SALT Camels

Gold-Salt Trade

Gold-Salt Trade Gold went from West Africa to other parts of the world Salt was traded from the Sahara to West Africa Ideas and goods from the Mediterranean entered into Sub-Saharan Africa Islam expands through trade, not war

West African Empires All three West African Empires became powerful in the same way Control the trade! People who lived where the best gold mines were, built armies and conquered everyone else

Ghana First empire in West Africa Led by a king Controlled the supply of gold Collected taxes Protected traders Safety

Mali Gold mines moved east so new people take over Sundiata (sun-JAT-ah) creates an empire Title “mansa,” or war chief Mansa Musa Converted to Islam and made the Hajj City of Timbuktu – center of trade

Songhai Gold mines moved east so new people take over Just like Mali Conquered by Moroccans with guns

Islam in Africa African religion was based on the belief in nature and ancestor spirits, called animism Trade spreads Islam throughout West Africa and East African coast Mali and Songhai