1. Chapter Eight: African Civilizations and the Spread of Islam

2. African Regions

4. Pre-Islamic Africa Extremely diverse societies developed
Political unity was difficult because of terrain
Bantu is primary language spoken
Oral traditions; very few written records
Most communities are preliterate (lacking writing system)
Animistic and polytheistic religions common
Majority of Africa, even after introduction of Islam, will remain in isolation
Many who are exposed to Islam do not convert but remain practitioners of their indigenous religion

5. “Stateless” Societies
Many small communities are politically organized in this way
Authoritarian and centralized empires will exist, however.
Lack concentration of power and authority
Authority and power normally exercised by a ruler and court is held by a council or families or community
Weakness of stateless societies
No organization to collect taxes  no effective militaries
No consensus  Difficult to resist external pressures
No undertaking of large building projects
Hard to create stability for long-distance trade
Internal problems could be resolved by allowing dissidents to leave and establish new villages

6. African Economy Economies vary by region
N. Africa integrated into the world economy via Islamic trade routes and Mediterranean
Most participate in agriculture and ironworking
Africans exchanged abundant raw materials for manufactured goods.

7. Influence of Islam in Africa
7th century: Muslim armies moved west from Egypt across N. Africa
Spreads Islamic influence; rapid conversions
Traders and travelers brought Islam along pre-existing caravan routes.
Berbers (people of the Sahara) begin to convert to Islam
11th-12th centuries: Almoravids and Almohads (reforming Muslim Berbers) from western Sahara grow in power
Launch jihad (war to spread and protect faith)
Almohads defeat Almoravids
Almohad Caliphate:
These groups are essential to penetration of Islam throughout Africa.
Almoravids

8. Grasslands Kingdoms
Sahel Grasslands: transition zone between Sahara Desert and savannahs to the south
Point of exchange between North and Sub-Saharan Africa; important region of trade
Grasslands Kingdoms = Sudanic States = Ghana, Mali, Songhai

9. Sudanic States
Islam reinforced ideas of kingship and power: “royal cult”
Joining Islam gives rulers prestige and associates them with other great Muslim leaders
Majority of population never converted but retain their polytheism/animism
Trade gold for salt from Berbers in North Africa
Mali, Ghana and Songhai
Combine Islamic religion/culture with local practices
Each incorporates the previous kingdom; bigger than last

10. Ghana 4th – 11th c. 1st great West African empire
Rose to power by taxing salt and gold
10th c: rulers convert to Islam while common people remain loyal to polytheism
Reaches 11th c. height
Almoravid armies invaded Ghana in 1076

11. Mali Broke away from Ghana in 13th c.
Economy: agriculture and gold trade
Traders spread beyond W Africa
Very wealthy empire
Islamized state in 13th c. when rulers convert
Founder: Sundiata (dies 1260)
Credited with Malinke expansion and creation of unified state with each tribe having a representative at court
Mansa Musa is successor
Jenne and Timbuktu
Major cities of commercial exchange
Scholars, craft specialists, and foreign merchants
Timbuktu was famous for its library and university

12. Mansa Musa 1324: Hajj to Mecca
Aligns himself with elite Islamic rulers
Brings back scholars, architects
Inadvertently devastates economies he enters
Indicates wealthy, sophisticated empires existed in Africa
Estimated wealth: $400 billion

13. Songhai Independent from Mali in 1370s
Prospered as a trading state and military power.
Founded by Sunni Ali ( )
Great military leader; extended rule over the entire Niger River valley.
Songhai remained dominant until defeated by Moroccans in 1591 for not being “Muslim enough”

14. Influence of Islam in Grasslands Kingdoms
Islam provided universal faith and fixed law.
Rulers reinforced authority through Muslim ideology.
Many Sudanic societies were matrilineal and did not seclude women.
Hesitancy over conversion to Islam since it restricts women more than these societies did
Slavery and slave trade was prevalent from Muslim influence

15. Swahili Coast of East Africa
Coasts enable East Africa to be connected to India Ocean trade
Islamized trading ports along coast by 13th c.
Kilwa, Mogadishu, Mombasa: large city-state centers of Islam
Ibn Battuta: Islamic scholar/writer who visits these cities
Exported raw materials in return for Indian, Islamic and Chinese luxuries
Swahili language (Bantu + Arabic) emerged in urbanized trading ports
Rulers and merchants were often Muslim.
Most of the population retained African beliefs and few converted to Islam
Culture = Swahili as language and fused African and Islamic practices.

17. Central Africa
Across central Africa, agrarian societies thrived and kingdoms developed
Yoruba
Non Bantu-speaking
Highly urbanized agriculturalists
Benin
Forms in 14th century under ruler/oba Ewuare the Great
Ruled from the Niger River to the coast near Lagos
Luba
Divine kingship
Hereditary bureaucracy

18. Central Africa without Islam
Both develop free of Islamic contact
Kongo
Agricultural society, flourishes by 15th
Gender division of labor and family-based villages
Largest site: Mbanza Kongo = 60, ,000 people
Zimbabwe
Great Zimbabwe, largest site
Dominated gold sources and trade with coastal ports

19. Christianity in Africa
Christian states are present in North Africa, Egypt, and Ethiopia before the arrival of Islam.
Egyptian Christians, the Copts, had a rich and independent tradition (Coptic Christianity).
The Nubians resisted Muslim incursions from 9th until 13th century.
Ethiopia continues to retain Christianity.
Christianity will come later to the rest of the continent with the presence of Europeans.

20. Global Connections
Spread of Islam brought large areas of Africa into the global community through increasing contact from CE between Africa and Mediterranean and Asian civilizations.
Sudanic states and East Africa
However, most of Africa evolved in regions free of Islamic contact (Central + Southern Africa).
Organized their lives in stateless societies.
While no universal empires and religions develop in Africa, Christianity and Islam impact the region through political, economic, and cultural development.