early african civilizations -...
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• Deserts (Sahara, Namib, &
Kalahari) are above and below
the equator
– Provide protection from
invaders
– Desertification
(transformation of
arable/livable land to
desert)
• Grassy plains or Savannas in
the center of Africa
• Great Rift Valley was the
home to the first homo sapiens
• Rain forests are near the
equatorial region
– Hinder travel across
• Large rivers provide
transportation routes
– Nile, Zambezi, Congo,
Niger, Senegal
Early African
Civilizations
• Bantu
– Originally lived in the
Congo
– Migrated throughout most
of southern Africa in
search of better farmland
– Spread language and
culture throughout Africa
as they moved south
What may have caused the Bantu to look for new farmland? Desertification
Ghana (300 - 1100 AD)
• Background:– Rulers would
convert to Islam
• Achievements:
– Traded gold and
salt with other
empires
– Protected trade
routes and
ensured fair
trade practices
• Downfall:
– Fell to
Muslim
invaders
from the
north
Why were gold and salt so
valuable?
Gold was used for trade payments
and salt was needed to preserve
food and to survive
Mali
(1200 – 1400 AD)
• Background:
– Theocracy (Muslim)
– Centered around the city of Timbuktu
– Became very wealthy trading gold & salt
• Achievements:
– Center of learning & knowledge
– Had a very able government workers
Who was the greatest leader of Mali?
Mansa Musa
Mali
(1200 – 1400 AD)
• Mansa Musa:
– Led Mali to its’ golden age
– Centered Converted to Islam
– Made a pilgrimage to Mecca
– Documented the pilgrimage and all the stops along the way
– Gives us a glimpse into the life of the people along the way
Songhai (1400 – 1600 AD)
• Background:
– Centered around the
city of Timbuktu
– Traded gold, cattle, &
salt
– Founded by Sunni Ali
• Achievements:
– Traded with Europe
What obstacle had to overcome
while trading with Songhai?
The Sahara Desert had to be
crossed
Axum (300-700 AD)• adopted Christianity
• Traded agricultural items for luxury goods
• traded with others using Red Sea ports
• Lost farmland to desertification
Why was Aksum’s location on the Red Sea important?
It could trade with India, Persia, Arabia, or Europe easily
Mediterranean
Sea
Atlas
Mountains
Niger River
Senegal River
Congo River
Sahara Desert
Kalahari
Desert
Nile River
Red Sea
Arabian
Peninsula
Zambezi
River
Indian
Ocean
Horn of
Africa
Great Rift
Valley
Madagascar
African
Geography
Review
The Beginning of IslamOne evening, Muhammad claimed the angel Gabriel
came and revealed god’s wishes to him
Muhammad became god’s (Allah’s) prophet and
was to spread the word of god (Allah)
The revelations Gabriel gave Muhammad became
the Koran (Qu’ran)
Muhammad urged people to submit to Allah and to
give up worship of false gods
What is the Islamic holy book
called?
Koran (Qu’ran)
The Hijrah (Hijra) - 622 CE
Many in Medina converted
or submitted (Islam =
Submission in Arabic)
The hijrah was Muhammad’s
flight from Mecca to Medina
Muhammad claimed the
angel Gabriel came and
revealed god’s wishes to him
thus becoming god’s
(Allah’s) prophet
The revelations Gabriel
gave Muhammad became the
Koran (Qu’ran)
Why did Muhammad flee Mecca?
He feared for his life
Islamic Beliefs:
The Five Pillars of Islam1. There is only one
god (Allah) and his
messenger is
Muhammad
2. Wash and
pray toward
Mecca 5 times
each day
3. Give to the
poor (alms)
4. Keep the
fast during the
daylight hours
of the month
of Ramadan
5. Make a pilgrimage to Mecca
to visit the Kaaba at least once
in one's lifetime (hajj)
Why are these called the “Pillars
of Islam”?
The Islamic faith is built upon
them
•Muslims were a conquering people
•Their empire spanned from Spain to China (Morocco to Indus River) and was larger than the Roman Empire.
•It started with an army of 313 old men and boys
Reason for Muslim Success• Byzantine and Persian Empires were weak from
fighting each other
• Some people preferred Muslim rule to Byzantine and Persian rule
• Jews and Christians were treated better under Muslim rule than under other rule
• Muslims disliked pagans, but not Christians and Jews (served same god – “Children of the Book”)
• Had better fighting methods and used horse and camel cavalry to defeat armies
• A unified people who firmly believed in their religion and that fighting for Allah
Why did Muslims call Jews and
Christians “Children of the Book?
They believe in the same god but
they were just misguided
Muslim Views on Religions• Christians and Jews
–Muslims were tolerant of these two religions
–Monotheistic and believed in the same god (Yahweh-
Jews, God-Christians, Allah-Muslims)
–many converted voluntarily because of the equality of
men and women and idea of no priests
• Pagans
– believe in several gods: polytheistic
– were forced to convert to Islam or were killed
Why did the Muslims treat
pagans so severely?
They didn’t believe in their
god
Split in the Faith: Different
Interpretations of the Koran• Sunni Muslims
– 16% of world population
– more liberal
– Do not believe Muhammads’ family are the head of the religion
• Shiite Muslims– 3% of world
population
– more conservative
– Believe Muhammads’ family are the true head of the religion
What Muslim group is the largest
today?
Sunni
Society and the Economy• Diverse groups of people accepted the
Islamic faith and united– Early: Arabs, Persians, Egyptians, and other
Africans, Europeans
– Later: Mongols, Turks, Indians, and the people of Southeast Asia
• Islamic law regarding slaves– encouraged freeing slaves
– Muslims could not be enslaved
– the children of non-Muslims who converted to Islam were freed from slavery
– female slaves who married their owners were freed from slavery
How did Muslim treat most
slaves?
Like family, with fairness and
kindness instead of brutality
Society and the Economy• Muslims traveling
across Africa, Europe,and Asia spread:– Islamic faith
– Goods
– Technologies
– Arabic language
– Arabic numbers (1,2,3,etc…)
• Muslims create check writing fortransferring money– sakk is Arabic for check
Why did the Muslims introduce
and spread these things to the
areas they took over?
To improve trade
Muslim Culture• Religious art doesn’t
portray Allah or human figures
– They did not worship idols
• Calligraphy
• Architecture
– Domed mosques and high minarets (tall slender tower attached to a mosque)
– Rich mosaics and bright wall coverings
– Generous use of arches and columns What other culture we studied
used columns and arches?
The Romans & Byzantines
Islamic
Contributions
• Koran (first book written in
Arabic) is considered to be the
greatest work of literature
• Math and science contributions:– Algebra
– Developed astronomical
tables based on Greek and
Indian discoveries
– pioneered the study on
measles and smallpox
– treatment for cataracts: draw
fluid out of lens with a
needle
– made bitter medicines into
sweet-tasting syrups
• Islamic learning served as a bridge to Europe:– Many great (long lost) works
(Aristotle, etc) were translated
into Arabic
– Europeans studied Arabic due
to advancements Muslims were
making in all fields
Why did the Muslims serve as a
bridge for learning for the
Europeans?
Many Greek and Roman
works were lost or destroyed
in Europe but copies survived
in Muslim held lands
Muslims invade India• Muslims were successful because:
– many welcomed the faith, especially those from low castes (were seen as equals)
– Muslims were more mobile on horses and camels
– Hindu princes were weak from attacking each other
• Muslim impact on India
– cultural diffusion
– government system
– goods to trade
– Persian and Greek learning
– art and architecture
Why did Indians embrace
the Muslim invaders?
They treated all of the
social classes the same
Hinduism Islam
Date Religion
Founded
Before 800 BC About 600 AD
Sacred Texts Upanishads
Vedas
Koran (Qu’ran)
Deity(s) Polytheistic Monotheistic
Social Class
System
Caste system All muslims are equal
Religious
Observation
Music & dance
Idols worshipped
PrayerNo music or danceNo idol worship
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