Society and Culture

Society in West African Empires  Most positions of leadership were reserved for men  Women farmed and took care of the family  Society was organized by castes

 Social structure  Emperor- most power  Nobility- helped govern distant lands, paid tribute  Traders/free people  Skilled workers- iron workers, musicians  Slavery  Lowest level of society  Born into slavery, war captives, political prisoners, kidnapped victims  Preformed many tasks  Soldiers, farmers, workers  Many slaves had rights  Could buy freedom, marry, not be separated from family

 Importance of kinship  Kinship= connection based on family relationships  Families made up of many people including grandparents and aunt/uncles  Linage= group of people from a common ancestor  Building blocks of West African society  Linage formed clans  Several clans formed villages  Clans shared language, culture, identity  Also called an ethnic group

 City and village life  Arabic was the main language in cities and towns  In villages families spoke languages of their ancestors and worshiped ancient gods  Village economies were based on producing food  City economies were based on trade

African Religions  Great diversity of religion in West Africa  Monotheistic religions  Traditional religions  Honoring ancestors  Upon death traditional religions in West Africa believe their ancestors become a sprit  Seek out sprit’s help when there is a problem

Cultural Legacy  Arabic allowed for more learning and teaching within the African empires  Oral tradition was strong  Oral history, poetry, and folk tales taught and entertained  Society was also rich with music, dance, and art  Helped pass on history and culture

Rich Oral Tradition  Story telling was a part of daily life  Proverbs= wise sayings  Griots= professional story tellers and oral historians  “Every time an old man dies, it is as if a library has burnt down”

Music, Dance, and Art  West African’s lives were filled with dance and music  Songs taught responsibility  Dance and music marked many important stages in a person’s life  Dancers wore makes of gods and spirits  Created and used many instruments  Drum