1. The Empires of Africa
Ghana to
Zimbabwe

3. The West African Kingdoms

4. Kingdom of Ghana

5. Kingdom of Ghana First powerful west African kingdom
Located between the Senegal and Niger rivers
Founded by Soninke people around 300AD
Height reached between 800 and 1200AD
Capital = Kumbi Saleh

6. Kingdom of Ghana Reasons for development Gold Trade Iron Weapons
Provides ruler with wealth and power
Iron Weapons
Give Soninke a military advantage over their neighbors
Use of Horse and Camel
Increase transportation and connect parts of kingdom

7. Decline of Ghana Almoravid rulers from the north attack Ghana
Call for jihad against the non-Muslim rulers of Ghana
In 1054, they capture the capital
Soon after, Almoravid rule weakens
Parts of the kingdom break away, and Ghana becomes fractured into smaller states

8. Kingdom of Mali

9. Kingdom of Mali Develops after the fall of Ghana
Height around 1200 to 1400AD
Located in territory of Ghana, plus additional territory
Begun by the Mandingos
Same pattern as Soninke; conquer neighboring cities and establish control over certain areas
Several great centers of learning were established during the Mali kingdom
Timbuktu, Djenne, Gao

10. Mansa Musa Mansa was the name given to the ruler of Mali
Musa was a very wealthy and famous ruler
Ruled from 1312 to 1337
Captured city of Taghaza, and its salt mines; brought him even more power

11. Musa’s Impact Musa converts to Islam Musa’s Pilgrimage to Mecca
Many officials do the same; local people retain traditions
Musa bases justice on the Koran
Musa’s Pilgrimage to Mecca
Won him worldwide fame; traveled with 60,000 people, 80 camels and 300 lbs. of gold
His “charity” disrupted the economy of Egypt

12. Musa, Islam and Timbuktu

13. The Decline of Mali Mali begins to break apart in the early 1400’s
Rulers after Musa were not as able
Regions and cities begin to break away from Mali control
Mali exists for centuries after, but only as a small kingdom

14. The Rise of Songhai Develops after the decline of Mali
Centered in the city of Gao
Encompasses part of former kingdom of Mali, plus land to the east and north
Established between 1350 and 1600AD

15. Rulers of Songhai **2 powerful rulers during the height of Songhai
Sunni Ali –
In 1464 he seizes the cities of Timbuktu and Djenne, which had been parts of Mali
Attempts to restore peace and security to trade routes
Askia Muhammed – assumes power in 1493
Songhai reaches its height under Askia; sets up strong central government
Makes a pilgrimage to Mecca
Encourages Muslim scholars to move to Timbuktu; becomes great center of learning

16. The Decline of Songhai Moroccans invade Songhai in 1591
Had heard of the wealth of Mali
Cross Sahara with more powerful weapons (guns, cannon)
Arrows and spears of defenders are no match for Moroccans
**This marks the end of the great kingdoms of West Africa

17. Great Zimbabwe Located in region of Zambezi and Limpopo rivers
Bantu-speaking people from central Africa begin to migrate south and east
Brought iron and agriculture with them
First centralized state was known as “Great Zimbabwe”, or “stone enclosure”
Was a fortification surrounded by huge, elliptical stone walls made without mortar

18. Great Zimbabwe

19. The Last Word: “Letter to the Editor” due Wednesday
FrontPage: NNIGN
The Last Word: “Letter to the Editor” due Wednesday

20. Sample letter to the editor
Dear Editor,
I recently read an article in the Post-Gazette regarding the lack of civilizations in Africa. There were some facts in that article which I think are incorrect, and I would like to set the record straight.
First, ancient civilizations did exist in Africa. One of the characteristics of a civilization is the establishment of permanent structures and settlements. There were great stone houses built at Zimbabwe, and these structures show that there was civilization present there. Also, to be a civilization, a group needs to trade with other societies. The Ghanan empire of West Africa did just that, trading gold for salt and other important goods….
In conclusion, the quote by John Burgess is just not true. The African continent has provided us with a great deal of evidence of civilizations which contributed much to world progress.