African Civilizati

onsGhana, Mali, Songhai and East Africa

African Civilizations

Eoearth.org

African CivilizationsThe three Sahelian Kingdoms are Ghana, Mali and Songhay

Geography West Africa

Atlas Mountains—northwest Africa

Sahara Desert—Sahara in Arabic means desert

Sahel—a dry hot region with fertile areas and grasslands

African Civilizations

Desmogblog.com

African Civilizations

Desmogblog.comEn.qantara.de

African Civilizations

Metmuseum.org

African CivilizationsHow did Ghana arise?

Ghana arose in the 4th century

Much of north Africa was dominated by the Berbers

they were a nomadic, indigenous people responsible for the spread of Islam across North Africa

African CivilizationsGovernment

Kumbi Saleh

The capital of the Ghana empire was located at the edge of the Sahel. It was the southern terminus of trade

routes from northern Africa.

The kingship of Ghana was matrilineal meaning

The king’s sister provided the heir to the throne

African Civilizations

Trade

Some traded items were gold, salt, copper and slaves.

What was important about salt?

Preserving food

In hot climates people lose salt from their bodies

African CivilizationsTaghaza was the salt-mining

center of the western Sahara

“This is a village with nothing good about it. It is the most fly-ridden of places.”

—Ibn Battuta

Lasalle.edu

African CivilizationsGhana’s Decline

Almoravids, a type of Berber group initiated a Jihad (Holy War) against the empire of Ghana

in 1075

African CivilizationsThe Golden Age of

Ghana and Malihttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpZMApcqVTk

African CivilizationsNiger River Valley

Blessedhopeacademy.com

African CivilizationsSundjata founder of Mali

(1230-1255)

--Began as a royal slave and

magician of the Soso,

inherited the Ghanian empire

--According to traditions he

seized territories through

which gold was traded

--Introduced the cultivation and

weaving of cotton

African CivilizationsMansa Musa (1312—1337)

--Devout Muslim

--Pilgrimage to Mecca 1324

--24, 000 lbs. of gold

--500 servants each carrying a

six pound staff made of gold

Digitalhistory.uh.edu

African CivilizationsMuslimheritage.com

African Civilizations

Eoearth.orgDesmogblog.com Time.com

African CivilizationsIbn Battuta Travels

Faculty.mnu.edu

African Civilizations

Timbuktu of the Mali Empire

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jR2NeK9f9o

African Civilizations1000 Years of West

African Superpowershttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEqqmmY6bLo

African CivilizationsGhana, Mali and Songhai Empires

Museumafrica.org

African CivilizationsAskia Muhammad Toure

(r. 1493-1528)

—He establishes the Askia Dynasty

—A fervent Muslim, he replaces native Songhai administrators with Arab Muslims to Islamize society.

—He standardize weights, measures and currency.

—He creates an elaborate bureaucracy to oversee his empire.

Theafricanmessenger.org

African CivilizationsSunni Ali

(r. 1464-1492)

—Turns Gao from a kingdom into an empire

—He conquers Timbuktu and Jenne

—Pushes the Berbers further north

African CivilizationsDecline and Collapse

Revolt was the main cause of Songhai’s demise

The Moroccans defeated Songhai in 1591

African CivilizationsEast African Coast

Periplus of the Erythraean Sea

A sailor’s guide written by an Egyptian Greek merchant sometime

between 40-50 CE.

GeographyMonsoon Winds

November-March, east/west winds

Arabs, Hindus and other Asians visited East Africa

May-September, west/east winds

East Africans traded ivory, shells, copper, animal skins, gold, slaves, rhinoceros horn and coconut oil.

Openlibrary.org

African CivilizationsMonsoon Winds

Monsoon, by definition, is a wind system that changes wind direction seasonally. • During the winter, the large continent of Asia gets extremely cold and the Siberian high pressure develops. Air flow is offshore and dry.

During the summer, the continent develops low pressure in response to heating and the airflow reverses. Moisture-laden air from the ocean is brought inland where it rises over the terrain and produces extremely large amounts of rainfall.

http://web.gccaz.edu/~lnewman/gph111/topic_units/Pressure_winds/pressure/pressure2.html

African CivilizationsMonsoon Winds

Chinese-unicorn.com

African CivilizationsEast African Coast

Human Geography

Many on the east African coast were

Bantu + Swahili

Between 500-600 A.D. People of Arab descent

the Bantu moved from

the interior to the coast

of Africa

African CivilizationsEast African Coast

Human Geography

Europeans arrived on the East African coast in the late 15th century. Prince Henry the Navigator (1394-1460) and the Europeans had a defined set of

goals:

1) Tap Asian trade and avoid paying the high prices

demanded by Venetians.

2) Secure a direct trade route to the gold south of the

Muslim controlled areas

3) Establish political and economic links with African

Christendom, Prester John

African CivilizationsGreat Zimbabwe

Great Zimbabwe National Monument

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/364/video

African CivilizationsGreat Zimbabwe

Geography

Great Zimbabwe covered a huge area between the Limpopo River and the Zambezi River, spilling out into Mozambique and Botswana, as well as the Transvaal area of northern South Africa.

The wealth of Great Zimbabwe lay in cattle production and gold. There are a number of mines to the west of Great Zimbabwe, about 40 kilometers away.

Economics

One theory about their wealth was that the rulers of Great Zimbabwe did not have direct control over the gold mines, but rather managed the trade in it, buying up huge quantities in exchange for cattle.

Decline

One is environmental: that a combination of overgrazing and drought caused the soil on the Zimbabwe Plateau to become exhausted. It is estimated that between 5,000 to 30,000 people lived on and around the site.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/africa/features/storyofafrica/10chapter1.shtml

African CivilizationsGreat Zimbabwe

Decline

the people of Great Zimbabwe had to move in order to maximize their exploitation of the gold trade network.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/africa/features/storyofafrica/10chapter1.shtml

African CivilizationsKilwa

Kilwa Kisiwani, was occupied from the 9th to the 19th century and reached its peak of prosperity in the13th and 14th centuries.

Gold and ivory from the hinterland was traded for silver, carnelians, perfumes, Persian faience and Chinese porcelain.

Kilwa Kisiwani minted its own currency in the 11th to 14th centuries.

The Great Mosque was constructed in the 11th century and considerably enlarged in the 13th century by Sultan Soulaiman ibn Mohammed el Malik el Adil (1412-22). It was roofed entirely with domes and vaults, some decorated with embedded Chinese porcelain. It is the oldest standing mosque on the East African coast and, with its sixteen domed and vaulted bays, has a unique plan. Its true great dome dating from the 13th was the largest dome in East Africa until the 19th century.

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/144

African CivilizationsKilwa

World Monuments Fund

Conservation at Kilwahttp://www.wmf.org/video/conservation-kilwa

African CivilizationsMombassa

In Kiswahili, it is called Kisiwa Cha Mvita, which means "Island of War" due to the many changes in its ownership.

It was originally inhabited by the African Bantu people. The city was then visited by Jordanians in 6th century, Persians in the 9th and 10th century and thereafter Arabs.

The Arabs and Persians developed trading routes and explorer Vasco de Gama landed in the city. The Portuguese built the impressive Fort Jesus and dominated the entrance to the old harbor, between 1593 and 1598.

The Arabs made several attempts to regain the town but, the Portuguese, supported mainly by supplies from their Indian colony, Goa, hung onto it for around 100 years. The occupiers were finally defeated in the siege of Fort Jesus which began in March 1696. Portuguese and Indian soldiers eventually relieved the Fort in September 1697.

http://www.africanexecutive.com/modules/magazine/articles.php?article=859

African Civilizations

Mom

basa

info

.com

BigtreeKenya.com

African CivilizationsPemba Island

Pemba known as Al Jazeera Al Khadra, the green island, in Arabic is an island forming part of the Zanzibar archipelago, lying off the east coast of Africa in the Indian Ocean.

Pemba’s inhabitants partly descended from traders from the Persian Gulf region who settled on the island beginning in the 10th century.

The Portuguese occupied the island in the 16th century but were displaced by Omani Arabs in 1698. Pemba was seized by the Sultan of Muscat (now Oman).

The Sultan of Muscat (now Oman) was so enchanted by the Spice Islands that he installed himself in Zanzibar and ruled Muscat from there.

African CivilizationsPemba Island

known as the Spice Islands, they were once the world's largest producer of cloves. While that's given way to tourism as the main industry on Unguja, on Pemba spices — mainly cloves but also pepper and nutmeg — are still grown in large quantities and are by far the most important source of income.

Pembafoundation.org

African CivilizationsThe Swahili Cities of

East Africahttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rm0gN5TRNyE