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. 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

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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

14. 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

15. 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

16. 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

17. 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

18. 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

19. 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

20. 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