Africa’s Society and Culture

Objectives and Standards  I can examine the impact of Islam on African religions. (7.18)  I can analyze African society and culture. (7.16)

Focus Question  What type of music do you enjoy?

Origins of Music in Africa  Many popular styles of music have developed from African music. These include ragtime, jazz, rock and roll, and rap. Today, we are going to focus on Africa’s culture.

©2004 Wadsworth, a division of Thomson Learning, Inc. Thomson Learning ™ is a trademark used herein under license. The Continent of Africa

The Emergence of Civilization  The Land  5,000 miles long  Sahara is the great divide  Kush  Agriculture may have first appeared in Nubia rather than the lower Nile valley  Perhaps the site of the first true African kingdom  Nubia became an Egyptian tributary  Disintegration of the Egyptian New Kingdom (end of second millennium B.C.E.) resulted in the independent state of Kush Kush became a major trading state Little known about the society of Kush Seems to have been widespread material prosperity

©2004 Wadsworth, a division of Thomson Learning, Inc. Thomson Learning ™ is a trademark used herein under license. Ancient Ethiopia and Nubia

Axum, Son of Saba  Conquered Kush in first millennium C.E.  Axum founded as a colony of the kingdom of Saba (Sheba) in first millennium B.C.E.  Saba a trading state, goods from South Asia to the Mediterranean  Axum continued the trade after Saba declined  Location on trade routes responsible for prosperity  Competed for control of ivory trade  Followed Egyptian Christianity (Coptic)  Would be renamed Ethiopia  Called the “hermit kingdom” by Europeans

East and Southern Africa  Bantu introduces new ways of farming and ironworking  Bantu language group  Introduced cultivation of crops and ironworking  The Bantu settled into rural communities  Commercial trade  Egyptians may have arrived looking for trade goods  Rhapta a commercial metropolis  Trade across the Indian Ocean  Khoisan language group

East Africa: The Land of Zanj  Legend says a Persian and his six sons founded the trading centers on the coast of East Africa  Self-governing city-states  Trade with the interior  Trade with the Indian Ocean, China, and along the coast  Mixed African-Arab culture  Mixed culture and language called Swahili  Conversion to Islam grows

©2004 Wadsworth, a division of Thomson Learning, Inc. Thomson Learning ™ is a trademark used herein under license. The Emergence of States in Africa

The States of West Africa  Expansion of Islam has impact on political system  Introduction of Arabic for a writing system  Ghana  Majority of people were farmers  Primary reason for Ghana’s growth was gold  Trans-Saharan trade with Ghana becomes very important  Divine right monarchy assisted by hereditary aristocracy  Kings did not convert to Islam, but many of their subjects did  Mali  Ruinous wars by the twelfth century in Ghana New states of Mali, Songhai, Kanem-Bornu, and Hausa states  Greatest state was Mali Gold trade Farming in the savanna region Mansa Musa ( ), king, encouraged Islam Timbuktu becomes center of trade, religion and learning

©2004 Wadsworth, a division of Thomson Learning, Inc. Thomson Learning ™ is a trademark used herein under license. Trans-Saharan Trade Routes: Remember Trade Spread the Religion of Islam

Islam v. Traditional Religions  African Religious Beliefs before Islam  Most shared Common beliefs Single creator god Sometimes accompanied by a pantheon of lesser gods. (The Ashanti people of Ghana believed in a supreme god whose sons were lesser gods). Most believed in an afterlife in which ancestral souls floated in the atmosphere through eternity Closely connected to importance of ancestors and lineage Rituals very important  Challenge by Islam but not always replaced; synthesized (adapted to include traditional beliefs too)

Islam v. Traditional Religions (Continued)  Closely connected to importance of ancestors and lineage  Rituals very important  Challenge by Islam but not always replaced; synthesized due to trade by Berber and Arab merchants.  Converting to Islam was allowed by many African rulers did not convert until 300 years after first contact in 700 A.D.  Islam’s impact was just a much religious as it was material (jobs and goods)

African Society  African Society  Urban life: center of government and trade (Traders and artisans were the main jobs)  Village Life: small, round dwellings made of mud. (Farming is the main job)  Role of women: mainly wives and mothers. However, some were soldiers and rulers.  Slavery: has taken place since ancient times throughout the world. It was main part of the Islamic trade system.

African Culture  Painting and Sculpture  Rock paintings, wood carving, pottery, metalwork  Music and Dance  Often served religious purposes  Wide variety of instruments  Integration of voice and instrument  Music produced for social rituals and educational purposes  Architecture  Pyramid  Stone pillars  Stone buildings  Sometimes reflected Moorish styles  Literature  Written works did not exist in the early traditional period  Professional storytellers griots, bards  Importance of women in passing down oral traditions

Rock Paintings

Wood Carving

Pottery

Metalwork

African Architecture

Architecture

African Dance

Drums, Oud, thumb piano

Family Ties  Family is the basis of African society. Extended families are commonplace (parents, children, grandparents and other relatives).  Care and support one another. Elders hold more power than younger members.  In Bantu villages, ancestry is traced through their mothers not fathers.  Upon marriage, the husband’s family received presents.

Education  It is the duty of both the family and other villagers.  They learn the history of their people and the basic skills they need as adults.  In West Africa, griots helped teach the children.  Has anyone ever heard the saying, “It takes a village to raise a child?”