1. Indian Ocean Trade:
Islamic merchants reopened trade, after fall of the Han, Gupta, and Roman civilizations (8th century C.E.).
In contrast to the “Silk Roads” and “Sand Roads”, the Sea Roads of the Indian Ocean carried more products for a mass market.
Trade has a long history on the east coast of Africa. Before Islam, merchants from India, Southeast Asia, and Persia all made contact with coastal cities of Africa via the Indian Ocean. Greek and Roman Mariners also traveled down the Red Sea to trade with the region.
By the eighth century CE, Islamic merchants had rejuvenated maritime trade, which had declined in the centuries after the fall of the Han, Google, and Roman civilizations.

2. Traded, ivory, gold, and slaves to Arab merchants, in exchange for Chinese porcelain, Indian cotton, and manufactured iron work.
The Indian Ocean trade created thriving city states, sometimes known as the Swahili city states. Swahili, which means coasters referred to the inhabitants of these commercial centers, kilwa, Mombasa, and Mogadishu.
They sewed ivory, gold, and slaves to their Arab trading partners. In exchange they acquired Chinese porcelain, Indian cotton, and manufactured iron work. Trade was so vigorous with East Asia the Chinese porcelain remained a common find in East Africa.

3. Political:
Ghana;
(Founded fifth century C.E.) Ghana’s rulers controlled gold mines to finance government.
Capital city “Kumbai Saleh.”
Between the Sahara and the tropical rain forest of the West Africa coast, the kingdom of Ghana sat. Founded in the fifth century CE, Ghana reached its peak of influence from the eighth to the 11th centuries CE.
Ghana’s rulers sold gold and ivory to Muslim traders in exchange for salt, copper, cloth, and tools.
From its capital city, Kumbai Saleh, the king rolled a centralized government aided by nobles and an army equipped with iron weapons.

4. Political: Mali; Ghana fell to Mali kingdom (12th century C.E.).
Founder; Sundiata “the Lion Prince,” a Muslim.
Taxed all trade entering West Africa, more prosperous than Ghana.
By the 12th century, wars with neighboring societies and permanently weaken the Ghanaian state. In its place a rose the Mali kingdom.
Its founder’s Sundiata “the lion prints,” was Muslim and used his connections to establish trade relationships with North African and Arab merchants.
It’s government text all trade entering West Africa; and, therefore, became even more prosperous than Ghana had been.

5. Ruler “Mansa Musa”, devout Muslim, began pilgrimage to Mecca (1324).
Had caravan of 100 camels, thousands of slaves and soldiers, and gold to distribute to all who hosted him along his journey.
Pilgrimage displayed Mali’s wealth to the outside world.
In the 14th century, his grandnephew, Mansa Musa, brought more fame to the region. A devout Muslim, he began a pilgrimage in 1324 to Mecca. Mali’s prosperity allowed him to take an extravagant caravan to Arabia, consisting of 100 camels, thousands of slaves and soldiers, and go to distribute to all of the people who hosted him along his journey. His pilgrimage displayed Mali’s wealth to the outside world.

6. Established Islamic University in Timbuktu.
City was center of Islamic learning.
Upon his return, he established religious schools in Timbuktu, and sponsored students who wanted to continue their religious studies elsewhere.
The greatest cities were Timbuktu and Gao, both accumulated the most wealth and developed into centers of Islamic life in the region. Timbuktu became world renowned as a center of Islamic learning.

7. Songhay kingdom took its place as power in West Africa (1493).
In less than 100 years after his death, the Mali kingdom was in decline. By the late 1400s, the Songhay kingdom had taken its place as the power house in west Africa.

8. Political:
Zimbabwe;
Most powerful state in East African (12th - 15th centuries C.E.).
Traded with the Swahili city-states, who acted as middle men in Indian Ocean Trade network.
Zimbabwe was the most powerful of all the East African kingdoms between the 12th and 15th centuries. Situated between the Zambezi and Limpopo River’s and modern-day Zimbabwe and Mozambique.
Its prosperity was built on a mixture of agriculture, grazing, trade, and gold. Zimbabwe had Rich Goldfields, and it traded with the Swahili city states as well as with the Persians, India, and China. Just as in Mali, the king taxed all trade that traveled through the land.

9. “Zimbabwe”; Bantu for dwelling.
Built wall of stone, 30 feet tall by 15 feet thick, surrounding capital city known as “Great Zimbabwe.”
20,000 resided.
Abandoned due to overgrazing (late 1400s).
By the ninth century chiefs have begun to construct their Zimbabwe’s, the Bantu word for dwellings, with stone.
By the end of the 13th century, a massive wall of stone, 30 feet tall by 15 feet thick, surrounded the capital city which became known as the great Zimbabwe. Nearly 20,000 people resided within great Zimbabwe. However overgrazing so damaged the surrounding environment that residents abandoned it by the end of the 1400s.

10. Political:
Swahili;
The political structure of Swahili civilization was similar to the competitive and independent city-states of ancient Greece.
Swahili cities operated as intermediaries for people from the interior to sell their goods to Arab merchants.
Zimbabwe was the most powerful of all the East African kingdoms between the 12th and 15th centuries. Situated between the Zambezi and Limpopo River’s and modern-day Zimbabwe and Mozambique.
Its prosperity was built on a mixture of agriculture, grazing, trade, and gold. Zimbabwe had Rich Goldfields, and it traded with the Swahili city states as well as with the Persians, India, and China. Just as in Mali, the king taxed all trade that traveled through the land.

11. Social: Social structures: Age; younger people took advice of elders.
Kinship; people identified as members of clan.
Age; younger people took advice of elders.
Gender; men dominated specialized skill work (leather Tanner/blacksmith). Women engage in agriculture, domestic work, and raising children.
Society was organized around several structures: kinship, age, and gender.
Kinship connections allow people to identify first as members of the clan or family.
Age was another significant social marker. An 18-year-old could do more hard labor than a 60-year-old, but younger people often relied on the advice of their elders. Communities divided work according to age, creating an age grade or age sets.
Gender had an influential role in social organization. Men dominated most activities that required a specialized skill; leather Tanner and blacksmith. Women generally engage in agriculture or gathering food. They also took the primary responsibility for carrying out domestic chores and raising their family’s children.

12. Matrilineal societies; but not matriarchal; women holding power over men. men pass inheritance to sister to pass to her sons.
Some societies were matrilineal. This does not mean that they were matriarchal, with women holding power over men. Most sub-Saharan communities were patriarchal. But female empowerment did exist. A man did not pass on his inheritance to his sons. Instead, he willed it to his sister to pass on to her sons.

13. Did not adopt Islamic gender norms.
Women and men who were not married mixed freely and openly.
Women did not vail themselves.
Though many Africans had converted to Islam, they did not adopt all of its norms concerning gender. Women and men who were not married mixed freely and openly, and women often did not fail themselves. Wearing the hijab was a practice in Southwest Asia before the time of Mohammed, so it may have been considered a cultural tradition, not a religious requirement.

14. Social: Slavery; Slavery long tradition in Africa.
Prisoners of war, debtors, and criminals.
Private property did not exist, so slaves were sign of wealth.
Slavery had been a long-standing tradition in Africa. Slaves were prisoners of war, debtors, and criminals. Private property did not exist in many kin-based societies, so some people accumulated slaves in order to increase their wealth and social status.
The arrival of Islam and global trade increase the volume of slaves in Africa. Arab and Southwest Asian merchants imported millions of Africans from the Swahili trading cities.
The Indian Ocean slave trade between Africa and Southwest Asia continued well into the 19th century, somewhat longer than the Atlantic Ocean slave trade between Africa and the Americas.

15. Islamic merchants increase volume of slavery.
Imported millions from the Swahili trading cities.
The Indian Ocean slave trade continues into the 19th century, much longer than Atlantic Ocean slave trade.
Slavery had been a long-standing tradition in Africa. Slaves were prisoners of war, debtors, and criminals. Private property did not exist in many kin-based societies, so some people accumulated slaves in order to increase their wealth and social status.
The arrival of Islam and global trade increase the volume of slaves in Africa. Arab and Southwest Asian merchants imported millions of Africans from the Swahili trading cities.
The Indian Ocean slave trade between Africa and Southwest Asia continued well into the 19th century, somewhat longer than the Atlantic Ocean slave trade between Africa and the Americas.

16. Arab traders preferred women. Domestic servants, and concubines.
Males used in military or eunuchs in royal courts.
Arab traders preferred women over men and put them to work as servants. Female slaves often became concubines. Male slaves were used in the military or, sometimes, became high ranking eunuchs in royal courts.

17. Africa slaves called “Zanj.”
Sugar plantation slaves, in Mesopotamia, revolted.
Led by Ali bin Mohammed.
“Zanj rebellion”; 15,000 slaves captured the city of Basra, and established splinter government.
Lasted 10 years making it one of the most successful slave revolts in history ( C.E.).
Slaves from the east coast of Africa were known in Arabic as Zanj. Between 869 CE and 883 CE, slaves working on sugar plantations in Mesopotamia mounted a series of revolts. Led by Ali bin Mohammed, became known as the Zanj rebellion. 15,000 slaves captured the city of Basra, and modern-day Iraq, and established a splinter government. 10 years after the revolt Mesopotamia enforces crush the rebellion and killed Ali bin Mohammed. The size and length of time before it was defeated makes the Zanj rebellion one of the most successful slave revolts in history.

18. Culture: Art; Songs were means of communicating with spirit world.
Benin artist; famous for intricate sculptures in iron and bronze.
Because traditional African religions included ancestor worship, song lyrics provided a means of communicating with the spirit world.
Artist in Benin, West Africa, were famous for their intricate sculptures in iron and bronze glorifying past rulers.

19. Culture: Literature; Oral literature.
History preserved through the “Griot”; storyteller using music, and singing.
Women were also trained as Griottes.
Literature was oral. The Griot, or storyteller, was the conduit of history or community. They use music, and singing to tell stories and were usually accompanied by the Kora, a 12 string heart. By telling and retelling their stories and histories, they preserve the People’s history and past that history from one generation to the next. Women were also trained as Griottes.

20. Culture:
Language;
Swahili civilization was most heavily influenced by Bantu culture.
But Arab merchants influence the developed of the language “Swahili,” a Bantu language mixed with Arabic vocabulary.
The president of Islamic merchants on the Indian Ocean coast influence the developing language of Swahili, a Bantu language mixed with Arabic vocabulary.

21. Culture:
Religion;
Christianity enters Egypt and Ethiopia (first century C.E.).’
Spread of Islam weakens its influence.
Ethiopia becomes island of Christianity in Africa.
Christianity had first entered Egypt and Ethiopia during the first century CE, but the spread of Islam had weakened its influence in the region of Ethiopia known as Axum.
From the 12th through the 16th centuries, Ethiopia was a virtual island of Christianity in the continent of Africa. Because of its isolation from both the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church, Ethiopian Christians developed religious syncretism. People combined their traditional faith traditions, such as ancestor worship and believes in spirits, with Christianity to create a distinct form of faith.

22. Isolated from Roman Catholic Church and Eastern Orthodox Church.
Develops religious syncretism; combining traditional faith (ancestor worship and belief in spirits) with Christianity to create distinct religion.
It was most closely identified with the Coptic Church in Egypt.
Christianity had first entered Egypt and Ethiopia during the first century CE, but the spread of Islam had weakened its influence in the region of Ethiopia known as Axum.
From the 12th through the 16th centuries, Ethiopia was a virtual island of Christianity in the continent of Africa. Because of its isolation from both the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church, Ethiopian Christians developed religious syncretism. People combined their traditional faith traditions, such as ancestor worship and believes in spirits, with Christianity to create a distinct form of faith.

23. That concludes Sub-Saharan Africa.
Any questions before the quiz on the next slide?