Early African

Civilizations

Up to 1500 AD

• 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

African Trade Routes

What allowed for these trade

routes to be established?

The use of camels

Early Empires of Western Africa

Ghana, Mali, & Songhai

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

Islam & the

Islamic World

(Submission)

Islam

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

Islam in India

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

Muslim Empire by the end of the 1200

• It was fragmented and had fallen

• Caliphates and states were scattered across North Africa and Spain

• Different rulers coming into power weakened the Empire

What other empires we studied

fell for the same reasons?

Alexander the Greats’ & the

Roman Empires