1. African Civilizations

2. Introduction
The spread of Islam through much of the northern third of Africa resulting in more trade & commerce
State-building all over Africa
Mali
Songhay
Military power and dynastic alliances based on cultural unity
City-states & Merchant communities similar to Italy

3. African Societies: Diversity & Similarities
Stateless Socieites - Lacked political unity due to diverse geography, religion, language, politics, etc…
Organized around kinship
Lacking concentrated political power & authority
Power exercised by rulers or a council of families
No taxes
Some secret societies
Many thrived

4. African Societies: Diversity & Similarities
II. Common Elements in African Societies
Bantu Migration – some mutual languages
A. Religion
Animistic religion
Belief in evil – produced witchcraft
Cosmology
Spirits & gods

5. African Societies: Diversity & Similarities
B. Economics
Varied from region to region
Agriculture
Trade
Specialization
Kinship groups sometimes controlled trade

6. African Societies: Diversity & Similarities
III. The Arrival of Islam to N. Africa
As part of the Roman & Greek Empires Christianity was main religion
Muhammad’s followers swept across N. Africa spreading Islam
Arab & Berber armies
Spread stopped by Martel & the Franks

7. African Societies: Diversity & Similarities
Almoravids & Almohadis– puritanical reformist
Launched jihad (holy war)
Islam promoted equality of believers
Social stratification continued
Uniting of powers of the state & religion appealed to African kings

8. African Societies: Diversity & Similarities
IV. Christian Kingdoms: Nubia & Ethiopia
Christianity first universal religion in Africa
Copts – Egyptian Christians
Allowed to keep faith by Muslims
Spread to Nubia
Axum Christians in Ethiopia
King Lalibela
Built Christian state

9. Kingdoms of the Grassland
Sahel
Islam spread via travelers & merchants
Three important coasts: Atlantic, Indian, & the savanna on the southern edge of the Sahara
Ghana was powerful
Taxed salt & gold

10. Kingdoms of the Grassland
I. Sudanic States
Patrirach or council of elders as leaders
Rulers considered sacred
Islam was adopted by rulers, but not most of the population
Islam became a “royal cult”
Islam reinforced indigenous ideas of kindhsip
Mali & Songhay – important cultures!!!

11. Kingdoms of the Grassland
II. Empire of Mali and Sundiata & the “Lion Prince”
Malinke people from Ghana
Rulers supported Islam
Agricultural economy
Juula – Malinke merchants
Gold

12. Kingdoms of the Grassland
A. Sundiata – mansa (ruler)
Griots – oral historians
Expanded territory
Divisions of social arrangements
Ibn Batuta – Arab Travler

13. Kingdoms of the Grassland
B. Mansa Kankan Musa ( )
Adopted Islam
Pilgrammage to Mecca
Ishal al-Sahili
Architect from Muslim spain
Used beaten clay to build

14. Mosque of Jenne by Ishak al-Sahili

15. Kingdoms of the Grassland
III. City Dwllers & Villiages
Jenne & Timbuktu
Thrived with expansion on Mali, Songhay
Life centered on agriculture & the villiages
Polygamy
The hoe & bow symbol of the common people of Savanna states

16. Kingdoms of the Grasslands
IV. The Songhay Kingdom
Middle Niger Valley
“masters of the soil”
Independent 7th century
Muslim by 11th century

17. Kingdoms of the Grasslands
Sunni Ali ( )
Expanded territory
Succeeded by askia
Muhammad the Great
Muslims uneasy with pagan populations, the local interpretation of Islamic law, & the free mixing of men and women

18. Kingdoms of the Grasslands
Songhay defeated by Muslims from Morrocco
Hausa states
Kano becomes Muslim center

19. Kingdoms of the Grasslands
V. Political and Social Life in the Sudanic States
Common religion and law (Sharia) provided solidarity
Islam fused with indigenous traditions
Many converts kept old beliefs

20. Kingdoms of the Grasslands
Slavery and slave trade between black Africa and the rest of the Islamic world impacted women and children
In theory, Muslims viewed slavery as a process of conversion for pagans
Slaves had many roles in the Islamic world

21. The Swahili Coast of East Africa
Trading ports along coast (Zenj)
Strong Muslim influence
Islamatization was slow to reach the general population and when it did it was a compromise between Islam & indigenous ways

22. The Swahili Coast of East Africa
I. The Coastal Trading Ports
Mogadishu
Mombasa
Malindi
Kilwa
Pate
Zanzibar

23. The Swahili Coast of East Africa
A. Madagascar
Asian immigrants from Indonesia (Malaya)
Bananas & coconuts introduced

24. The Swahili Coast of East Africa
B. Urbanized Trading ports
Trading towns shared the Bantu-based & Arabic influenced Swahili language
Ibn Batuta impressed with towns
Towns tied to each other via coastal commerce
Trade with China
Ivory, gold, slaves, & exotic animals exported from the Coast

25. The Swahili Coast of East Africa
II. Mixture of Cultures on the Swahili CoaSt
Islam facilitated long-distance commerce
Provided religious bond and law
Class-based – generally elite converted
African culture remained strong
Swahili language mixed Arabic words & was written in Arabic

26. Peoples of the Forest & Plains
Many sub-Saharan African societies were preliterate & transmitted knowledge, skills, & traditions orally
These civilizations made great strides in arts, buildings, & statecraft – urbanized settings without a writing system

27. Peoples of the Forest & Plains
I Artists & Kings: Yoruba & Benin
A. Nok culture
Nigerian forests
Agriculture
Iron tools

28. Peoples of the Forests & Plains
B. Yoruba (1200 CE)
Kings & kinship
City-states
Urbanized agricultural
Yoruba speaking (non-Bantu language)
Ogboni – secret societies
Religious & political leaders

29. Peoples of the Forests & Plains
C. Ile-Ife
Holy city of Yoruba
Specialized in portrait heads
Yoruba speaking

30. Peoples of the Forests & Plains
D. Benin (14th century)
Edo peoples
City-state
Eware the Great (oba aka ruler)
Iguegha – artisean bronze casting
Contact with Europeans

31. Peoples of the Forests & Plains
II. Central African Kingdoms
Bantu close to Cape Horn by 1200
Beyond influence of Islam
Form states
Kingship rather than kinship
Kantanga
Luba peoples
Divine kingship
Hereditary bureaucracy

32. Peoples of the Forests & Plains
III. Kingdoms of Kongo & Mwene Mutapa
A. Kongo
Along lower Congo
Agricultural
Gender division of labor
Mbanza Kongo – capital
Hereditary kingship
Federation of 8 States

33. Peoples of the Forests & Plains
B. Mwene Mutapa (king)
Shona-speaking people
Zimbabwe (stone houses) that housed local rulers
Great Zimbabwe – center of kingdom
Control sources of gold – advantage in commerce
By 16th century torn apart via rebellion and internal divisons