1. States and Societies in Sub-Saharan Africa
CH. 18

2. I. Effects of Early African Migrations: Agriculture & Population Growth
Bananas
- entered sea lanes by the Indian Ocean
- Cultivation in Madagascar moved E. African mainland
-Enabled Bantu to increase food supply, enrich diets, and expand
Population Growth
- Population reflects significance of iron metallurgy and bananas
- 400bce before iron3.5 million
- Turn of the millennium11 million
- 800ce w/banana cultivation17 million
- Bantu introduction of iron & agriculture >22million

3. I. Effects of Early African Migrations: Agriculture & Population Growth
Bantu & Forest Peoples
- often in C. Africa referred to as “pygmies”
- regarded as useful guides to Bantus in unfamiliar territory

4. I. Effects of Early African Migrations: African Political Organization
Kin Based Societies
- did not rely on elaborate bureaucracy or hierarchy
- Bantus governed themselves through family & kinship groups (usu. About 100 p/village)
- Most prominent family head was the chiefruling council (male heads of family)disciplined their own family and kinship
- groups of villagesdistrict (no chief or gov’t for the district)

5. I. Effects of Early African Migrations: African Political Organization
Jenne-jeno
- urban society in the middle stretches of the Niger river
- trade network that extended from N. Africa and the Meditteranean to the savannas and forests of C. Africa
- principal crossroads of W. Africa

6. I. Effects of Early African Migrations: African Political Organization
Chiefdoms
- as conflicts between villages and districts arose miltaries arose for protection and defense
- many districts fell under the rule of powerful chiefs that overran the rule of kinship groups
- consolidated small conquered lands into kingdoms

7. I. Effects of Early African Migrations: African Political Organization
Kingdom of Kongo
- most active area of political development
- population pressures and military challenges encourage kin-based societies to form small states
-participated in trade networks
- gov’t included: kingofficials (military, judicial, financial affairs)governors (provinces)subordinate officials (districts)chiefs (local gov’t)
- royal currency

8. II. Islamic Kingdoms and Empires
Camels
-quickened he pace of transportation & communication
came from Arabia about 7th c.
- replaced horses and donkeys
The Kingdom of Ghana
- W. Africa , 4/5th c., regional state
- most important commercial site in W. Africa
-Koumbi-Saleh capital of Ghana (buildings, mosques, large army)
- center for trade in gold
- controlled and taxed trade of gold, helped strengthen their realm
- other exports: ivory, slaves
- imports: horses, cloth, manufactured goods, salt

9. 1.

10. II. Islamic Kingdoms and Empires
Islam in West Africa
- Kings of Ghana converted to Islam
- improved relations w/Muslim merchants from N. Africa as well as nomads
- conversion brought: recognition, support
- conversion of traders esp.
- raids weakened the kingdom and soon collapsed
- political leadership fell to the Mali empire

11. II. Islamic Kingdoms and Empires
Sundiata
- built Mali empire first half of 13th c.
- had alliances, reputation of courage, large army (cavalry)
The Mali Empire & Trade
- benefited from Trans-Saharan trade
- controlled and taxed trade in W. Africa
- honored Islam and provided protection, lodging and comforts to Muslim merchants from the north

12. 2. How critical was the role of trade in the emergence of cities and states in sub-Saharan Africa?

13. II. Islamic Kingdoms and Empires
Mansa Musa and Islam
Islam in East Africa,
- conversion to Islam in East Africa brought cooperation w/Muslim merchants along the Indian Ocean Basin
- conversion brought: legitimacy, recognition, political alliances

14. 3. What does this illustration reveal about the image of west Africa in the Mediterranean world?

15. 4.

16. III. African Society & Cultural Development: Social Classes
Kinship Groups
- families and clans were the main foundation of social and economic organization in small agricultural societies
- did not recognize private ownership of land
- consisted of several extended family groups
- communal lands to cultivate

17. III. African Society & Cultural Development: Social Classes
Sex and Gender Relations
- determined work roles
- special skills mostly men and passed down
- blacksmith usu. Community leaders
- men & women harvested
Women’s Roles
- high honor as sources of life
- at times positions of power, aristocratic
women influenced public affairs
- sometimes engaged in combat and organized all female armies

18. III. African Society & Cultural Development: Social Classes
Age Grades
- individuals in community within a given age group
- arose in Sudan
- performed tasks appropriate to their age and development(labor for projects, helped elderly, helped each other in adversities and challenges)
- created a bond among the group

19. 5. What does this illustration suggest about gender roles in African societies?

20. III. African Society & Cultural Development: Social Classes
Slavery
- captives of war, debtors, suspected witches, criminals
- worked as agricultural laborers and construction laborers, miners or porters
- a form of wealth in Sub-Saharan Africa
- built wealth using trade
- Northern lands traded with Sub-Saharan Africa
- slave raiding became prominent leading to wars among states and kin-based societies

21. III. African Society & Cultural Development: Social Classes
Zanj Revolt
- refers to black slaves
- worked in terrible conditions in southern Mesopotamia
- attempted many revolts that were suppressed
- Ali bin Muhammad initiated a revolt that created a rebel state that last ten years until it was finally put down by the Abbasid rulers
-Ali bin Muhammad was executed for his involvement

22. III. African Society & Cultural Development: African Religion
Creator God
- Many Africans recognized a single creator god
- responsible for setting the world in motion and providing order, sustained the world, intervening indirectly, through spirits
- omnipotent and omniscient
Lesser Deities and Spirits
- recognized smaller deities often connected with nature, participated w/ the working of the world
- believed souls of the departed had the power to intervene in the lives of their descendants

23. III. African Society & Cultural Development: African Religion
Diviners
- religious specialists
- intelligent people understood the poli-socio-economics of their community
- learn cause of misfortuneconsult oracleprescribe necessary remedy
- more focused on controlling the experiences of the world, emphasized morality and proper behavior
- kinship groups took responsibility for those who misbehave

24. 6. In what ways do the features of this mask associate the diviner with powers not accessible to normal humans?

25. III. African Society & Cultural Development: The Arrival of Christianity and Islam
Early Christianity in N. Africa
- reached Egypt and N. Africa throughout the Mediterranean Basin
- Alexandria prominent area of Christianity
The Christian Kingdom of Axum
- location if modern Ethiopia
- first converts were probably local merchants, in hopes of improving relations w/neighbors to the north
- reflects the larger political experience of the region
- 7th c. Axum fell to Islam but during 12th c. -16th c. it arose again
- Ethiopia’s Solomonic dynasty claimed ancestry from David and Solomon, Kebra Negast (fictional work) traces this lineage

26. III. African Society & Cultural Development: The Arrival of Christianity and Islam
Ethiopian Christianity
- Retained basic Christian theology & rituals
- belief of evil spirits, carried amulets and charms for protection
African Islam
- reflected interest of local converts
- Islam kept a place for Sub-Saharan African traditions and beliefs
- Islam in African accommodated to proper relations between sexes
- Islam supplemented rather than replaced traditional religions of Sub-Saharan Africa

27. 7.