“Coasts” of Contact (#8)

Atlantic Coast, Contact with Europeans

Savanna region

Indian Coast, Muslim and Indian Merchants

The “Sahel” (#9)

• The sahel was the extensive grassland that ran along the southern border of the Sahara.

• Ideally situated between the forests of central Africa and developed economies of north Africa, it served as an intermediary zone between the two, and therefore, grew quite wealthy.

Major Cities of the Sahel

Timbuktu Jenne

Salt and Gold (#10)

• These two commodities were highly taxed as they passed through the grassland kingdoms of the sahel.

• The two products would remain staples of the economies for years to come.

Conquest States

• Conquest states controlled territories that surrounded them and took taxes, tribute, and military support from them. (#11)

• The three Sudanic states from the chapter are Ghana, Mali, and Songhay (#12)

Religion and Rule

• Remember that rulers readily adopted Islam in Africa because it not only reinforced their political power, but also gave them religious authority as well.

• Rulers built mosques, attended public prayer services and supported preachers. In return, sermons were delivered to the faithful emphasizing obedience to and support of the king. (#13)

Griots (#14)

• Griots were professional oral historians who passed down the history of their people or region.

• They preserved the traditions of the societies and also served as advisors to the king.

Sundiata (Mansa of the Malinke peoples)

• Much of Mali’s rise to power and expansion is attributed to Sundiata. His accomplishments for his people were many, including:– He “divided up the world”, or provided the social

arrangements by classifying people due to their occupations. (#15)

– He created political institutions within his empire that allowed for regional diversity in rule, but also stationed garrisons in the provinces to maintain loyalty and security. (#15) Read Ibn Batuta’s quote on p.179

– Firmly protected trade and commerce routes by severely punishing those who stole from or raided these routes. (#15)

Ibn Batuta, World Traveler

• Considered one of the greatest travelers of all time, Ibn Batuta criss-crossed the Islamic world during the 14th century.

• Along the way, he recorded social and cultural customs of all of the lands into which he traveled.

• His writings are highly revered as accurate, detailed, and unbiased

Farming in west Africa (#17)

• 80% of the population in west Africa were farmers.• The soils were sandy and shallow. They grew rice,

millet, wheat, fruits, and vegetables. • Clearing of the land was done communally, but

families owned the individual plots of land and farmed them.

• It was beneficial to have large families to help with work, therefore polygamy developed to meet this need.

Sunni Ali and the Songhay kingdom

• Sunni Ali founded the kingdom of Songhay. (#18)• Though it had been dominated by Mali for years,

he succeeded, through military campaigns, in breaking away from their Malinke overlords.

• He expanded the empire’s borders, seized the important port cities of Jenne and Timbuktu, and developed a system of administration to gather recruits for the military from provinces within the kingdom. (#18)

Songhay decline

• In 1591, a Muslim army from Morocco equipped with firearms (new and more advanced weapons compared to west African standards) defeated the forces of Songhay, which led to internal rebellions throughout the empire. (#19)

• Notice that it was another African kingdom, not Europeans, that ultimately brought down this west African state. Europeans had had contact with this area for almost 200 years, but were viewed as little threat.

Islam’s impact on Slavery (#21)

• Though slavery had been a very real part of African history before the introduction of Islam, it increased significantly upon the religion’s arrival.

• Slaves were used for domestic service, laboring, soldiers, administrators, eunuchs, and concubines.

• Read p. 182, last three paragraphs