Africa Ancient Egypt, The Sudanese Empires, and West African Society

Geographical Characteristics Northern Africa is primarily desert (Sahara) with fertile areas on the Mediterranean Coast and along the Nile River. West Africa is primarily savannah with small rain forests. Southern Africa contains the Kalahari desert and large savannahs. How did Africa’s geography impact settlement and communication? The Sahara limited contact with sub- Saharan Africa and the remainder of the Mediterranean countries. Rainforests and deserts limited settlement in large scale.

The Birthplace of Humanity & Ancient Civilizations The origins of humanity has been traced back to the savannahs of Africa. Hunting & Gathering societies are dated back 2.4 million years. Homo Habilis: early from of humans, used stone tools. Homo Erectus: utilized fire, 1.6 million years ago. The Ancient Egyptian and Mesopotamian civilizations were the 2 earliest civilizations in the world. What transitions led to civilizations appearing in these areas? The change in lifestyle from hunter-gatherer to agriculture caused a shift from a nomadic to a sedentary living pattern. This, in turn, led to a hierarchical society and specialization.

The Controversy About Egypt The race of Ancient Egyptians and their impact on western civilization has been a controversial topic in history. It can be considered a struggle of racial politics, since western civilization is white dominant. Egyptians exhibited a mix of racial features and spoke a mixture of languages of both those in the fertile northern regions of Africa and southeast Asia. One thing that all agree on is that religion, commerce and art of Greece and other western civilizations were all heavily influenced by Egyptian culture.

Take A Side… AfrocentricistsTraditionalists Egypt is essentially a black civilization. Egypt influenced African, Greek, and Roman civilizations. Blacks are therefore the founders for many of the ideals of western civilization. Modern racial categories do not apply to Ancient Egypt. Greeks developed modern philosophy and politics, the foundations of western civilization, not Egypt.

Martin Burnell’s, “Black Athena”

Egyptian Civilization What was the importance of the Nile River in the formation of the Egyptian civilization? 1)Annual flooding led to fertile soil for both crops and grazing livestock. 2)The river allowed for the flow of communication and trade. Egypt became a unified kingdom in 3150 BCE and had 31 dynasties before being incorporated into the Roman Empire in 1000BCE. Egypt lost its power between 1100 and 331 BCE particularly due to the invasion by Alexander the Great of Macedonia, which led to the dominance of Greek ideals and institutions.

Egyptian Society Ancient Egypt was a hierarchical society that was both patrilineal and patriarchal (male ruled/dominant). Kings (pharoahs)  Warriors  Priests  Merchants  Artisans  Peasants What role did women play in the Egyptian society? Women enjoyed much more freedom then subsequent societies, and some (such as Hatshepsut) even ruled. Egyptians were polytheistic and their two primary gods were Ra and Osiris. Immortality was an ideal which led to the building of the Great Pyramids at Giza, which housed the bodies of three of their prominent Pharoahs.

Kush, Meroë, and Axum Ancient Egypt (3150 BCE -750 BCE ) Kushites Rule Over Egypt (750 BCE BCE ) Meroë founded as Kushite Capital (540 BCE ) Kush falls to the Noba (400 CE ) Axum absorbs Kush (400 CE ) As Egypt declined in power, new empires took the place of power in Northern Africa. Nubia was once a colony of Egypt, but eventually established their own kingdom called Kush and even took over Egypt for several centuries. What led to Kush’s success with founding of Meroë? Trade advantages with east Africa, western regions across the Sudan, and the Mediterranian. Smelting of iron ore made it Africa’s 1 st industrial center.

West Africa Most African Americans trace their roots back to West African civilizations of 1000 BCE. West Africa is composed of forests and savannahs, which led to a diverse settlement pattern. They relied on trade amongst themselves, and with parts of Northern Africa across the Sahara. Three great Sudanese empires reigned from the 4 th century to the 16 th century. 1)Ancient Ghana 2)The Empire of Mali 3)The Empire of Songhai

Ancient Ghana Ghana was the 1 st known kingdom in western Sudan, and was founded by the Soninke people. The Soninke were known for their superior iron weapons and commerce. Trade with the Roman merchants and Berbers allowed Ghana to flourish. Arabs came to power with the decline of the Roman Empire and brought with them the Islamic culture. By the 12 th century, Ghana had fallen from power due to religious and commercial rivals.

The Empire of Mali ( ) The Empire of Mali was formed after the fall of Ghana. It had many similarities to Ghana, but flourished more due to better weather, gold mines, and leadership. Sundiata, the first leader of Mali, made it into a Islamic nation. Timbuktu became the major city in which trade and Islamic learning were paramount. Mansa Musa was one of the wealthiest rulers in the world, whose pilgrimage to Mecca was awe inspiring since he had an entourage of 60,000 and 100 elephants. He also gave out gold generously to any passer-bys.

The Empire of Songhai ( ) The Songhai had seceded from Mali in 1375, and under Sunni Ali they built the last and largest Sudanese empires. Upon Ali’s death, Askia Muhammad Toure led a revolt against Ali’s son and took the thrown. He used his power to spread the influence of Islam and extended the empire to maximize trade. Songhai fell when the Moroccan king sent in Spanish mercenaries to reclaim access to West African gold. Armed with only bows and lances, the Songhai fell to the Moroccan militia armed with muskets and cannons. Soon after, Europeans began moving in for the slave trade.

West African Forest Region The densely wooded regions of West Africa were not as populous as the savannahs. In fact, it was not until the 15 th and 16 th centuries that agriculture replaced hunting and gathering in these areas. The peoples of the West African forest region played a critical role in the slave trade either as slave traders or as slaves. Senegambia, the Akan states, Yoruba, the Kingdoms of Benin, Oyo and Dahomey, and Igboland were all completely different from one another in their structure and societies. Partner up and compare and contrast these various kingdoms. What made some successful? What made some vulnerable? Why do you think they developed so differently?

Kongo & Angola Central Africa was dominated in the 14 th and 15 th centuries by the Kongo Kingdom. A large minority of African Americans can trace their heritage to Angola and Kongo. Trade, salt, iron and fertile valleys led to the growth of this kingdom. This kingdom fell when the king (Mani Kongo), Nzinga Mbemba tried to convert his kingdom to more European ways in an effort to appease Portugal.

West African Society & Culture Family size and village set up ranged throughout West Africa. Savannah villages were much larger than forest villages. Some villages had polygamy and some families would be extended Women were considered the property of men, but the women had a higher degree of freedom than even those in Europe. Slavery was a part of African tradition, but it was not a permanent institution. Many times captives of war would be slaves, yet these slaves had far more rights and protection then the later forms of slavery. Religion was of two types: Islamic or indigenous, the latter being polytheistic and animistic.

Art: Wooden Masks and “Fetishes”

Music: Drums of Senegal

Oral Tradition: The Griots

Conclusion Africa is a diverse continent, rich in culture and history. The culture of West Africa did not disappear when slaves began coming to America, many of the traditional ways were preserved and have impacted the current culture in the US. HW: Read pgs in AA