Medieval Africa and the Trading States

(1000 B.C. – 1591 A.D.)

• What?• Medieval Africa is a period of growth and expansion for

the regions of Africa outside of Egypt, as well as the beginnings of major outside influence on Africa and its culture.

• Who?• We will focus on the early empires of southern, eastern,

and western Africa. Specifically, we will focus on the massively wealthy trade empires of West Africa.

• When?• From the earliest empires in East Africa around 1000 BC

until the fall of the Empire of Songhai in 1591 AD.

• Where?• All of Africa, however our main focus will be the people

and kingdoms south of the Sahara Desert.

WORD WALL

Swahili missionarydevout

Sub-Saharan

Section 1:

The Geography of Africa

Learning Goal

Students will be able to identify three common themes in African history and demonstrate examples of those themes in primary sources.

The Geography of Africa

Most prominent feature of the African continent is the Sahara Desert.

Because of size and climate it formed a barrier across Africa. Northern Africa developed steadily while Sub-Saharan Africa developed much more slowly.

Being cut off from Northern Africa and the other early civilizations caused Sub-Saharan Africa to lag behind other civilizations.

Sub-Saharan Africa does have massive amounts of natural resources that are hard to find elsewhere in the world. Makes the land extremely valuable and provides huge opportunities for trade.

The Geography of Africa

Africa is a prominent examples of how geography can affect history dramatically:

3 themes to remember about African history (ancient – present):

Sub-Saharan Africa develops more slowly than the rest of the early civilizations and falls behind in technology and modern knowledge.

In order to get access to modern technology and tools, most African civilizations sell or trade their natural resources to outsiders.

Because of the massive trade opportunities, outside civilizations are drawn to Africa. This causes massive outside influence on the African people and culture, and encourages outsiders to dominate Africa and impose their will on the African people.

Summary: Essential Question

What are three common themes in African history?

Three common themes in African history are ___________________________.

Learning Scale

4 – I understand how geography has affected African history and can explain and give examples of the various ways that it has influenced the people and culture of Africa.

3 – I understand how geography has affected African history and can explain recall some effects it has had on the people and culture of Africa.

2 – I know the geography has affected African history, but I can’t explain how at this point.

1 – I don’t understand how geography can influence history at all.

Section 2:Eastern and

Southern Africa

Learning Goal

Students will be able to recall the major civilizations of East and South Africa and identify the reasons for their success and power.

The Kingdom of Kush

Formed in southern Egypt and northern Ethiopia around 1000 BC.

Mainly a trading kingdom and became strong through the sale of ivory, gold, and slaves to Egypt and tribes of Arabs in the Middle East.

Kush’s power led them to conquer Egypt until they were expelled by the Roman Empire around 100 BC. During this time, Kush adopted many parts of Egyptian culture, including hieroglyphics and Egyptian religion and pharaoh worship.

After war with the Romans Kush began to slowly decline. War with Rome drained them financially and their trading partners were conquered by Rome.

A weakened Kush was conquered by another East African kingdom, the Kingdom of Axum, around 350 AD.

The Kingdom of Aksum

Another trading kingdom formed in modern day Ethiopia, around 100 BC.

Controlled the trade in ivory, gold, and slaves between Arabs in the Middle East, Rome in Egypt, and kingdoms in India.

Their wealth allowed them to conquer Kush around 350 AD and parts of southern Arabia around 520 AD.

330 AD - Christian missionaries from the Middle East convert King Ezana to Christianity. Introduces Sub-Saharan Africa to Christianity for the first time.

Around 700 AD, Aksum begins to decline as the Islamic caliphate rises. Since Aksum is a Christian nation, Muslims begin to bypass Aksum and trade directly with other Muslims in North and West Africa. The kingdom of Aksum eventually dissolves, and its major cities form independent city-states.

The City-States

After Aksum declines eastern and southern Africa becomes a region of city-states; where each city rules itself and the surrounding lands.

Includes:

Kilwa

Sofala

Mombasa

Mogadishu

Each city develops its own government, raises its own army, builds its own fleets of war and trade ships, and operates as its own state.

The City-States

Take over the gold, ivory, and slave trade routes of Aksum and provide goods to India and the Middle East.

This constant trade leads to a blending of African Bantu culture with Arabic culture from the Middle East. People of this mixed culture and race become known as Swahili and they mainly adopted Islam.

Swahilis become the dominant people of East Africa and the Swahili language is still the second largest language in East Africa today. These Swahili city-states remain dominant in southern Africa until the arrival of the Portuguese in the 1400’s.

Summary: Essential Question

What were the major civilizations of East and South Africa?

The major civilizations of East and South Africa were ___________________________.

Summary: Essential Question

What were the reasons for their success and power?

The reasons for their success and power were ___________________________.

Learning Scale

4 – I can identify all of the major kingdoms of southern and eastern Africa, tell you why they were successful, and give examples of outside influences on them.

3 - I can identify all of the major kingdoms of southern and eastern Africa, tell you why they were successful, but I don’t recognize any outside influences on them.

2 – I can identify all of the major kingdoms of southern and eastern Africa, but I’m not sure why they were successful and I don’t recognize any outside influences on them.

1 – I do not remember any of the major kingdoms of southern and eastern Africa.

Section 3:Kingdoms of West Africa

Learning Goal

Students will be able to recall the major civilizations of West Africa and identify the reasons for their success and power.

The Kingdom of Ghana

Around the same time that Aksum converted to Christianity, tribes in West Africa were organizing into large kingdoms. The first was Ghana, along the Senegal River.

Grew very rich from trade in salt and gold. Sent huge caravans of camels across the Sahara desert to trade with Arabs in North Africa and the Middle East. Allowed Ghana to expand and absorb more tribes into their kingdom.

Trade with Muslims in North Africa brought Islam into West Africa. Ghana converted to Islam because it allows them unify their people behind one god and one religion.

The capital of Ghana was destroyed during a revolt around 1076 AD and it was peacefully absorbed into the Empire of Mali around 1300 AD.

The Empire of Mali

Established along the Niger River in West Africa around 1210 AD. Because of its location it became the wealthiest of the West African kingdoms. Used their wealth to absorb smaller tribes and kingdoms, such as Ghana.

Mali’s wealth was produced by its massive salt and gold mines.

By the year 1400, it estimated that Mali was producing:

½ of the world’s gold

1/3 of the world’s salt

½ of the world’s copper

The Empire of Mali

This made the ruler of the Empire of Mali, the Mansa, the richest man in the world. Mansa Musa, who ruled from 1280-1337, in still considered the wealthiest man in human history; with an estimated personal fortune between 450-500 billion dollars.

Musa was a devout Muslim and helped to make Islam the majority religion in West Africa and he built colleges, mosques, and shrines to Islam. His famous pilgrimage to Mecca in 1324 attracted travelers and Muslims from all over the world to West Africa, especially the capital of Mali, Timbuktu.

The Empire of Mali

On Musa’s hajj he traveled with over 50,000 soldiers, slaves, and attendants. He gave away so much gold on the journey, that he single-handedly dropped the price of gold in Egypt to almost nothing for 3 years.

However, by demonstrating the immense wealth of his kingdom to outsiders, Mansu Musa soon attracted slave traders from Europe and invasions from other African kingdoms.

Mali is invaded several times over the next centuries; by Songhai from the east and Morocco from the north. Most of the wealthy mines of their empire fall into the hands of the Songhai and Mali begins to decline in wealth and power. What remains of Mali disintegrates around 1650 AD.

The Empire of Songhai

Songhai also formed along the Niger River around the 1400’s AD. Begin as a smaller kingdom within Mali but win their independence in 1430 AD. Within 100 years, Songhai begins to overtake Mali.

Songhai reaches its greatest power under Askia the Great. Like Mansa Musa, was a devout Muslim and made hajj to Mecca. He returned with over 8,000 Muslim scholars he hired from the Middle East to teach in his capital of Gao and the old Mali capital of Timbuktu.

However, Songhai also attracts attention of outsiders and is conquered by the kingdom of Morocco in 1591 because of their more advanced weapons, which included gunpowder cannons and muskets.

Summary: Essential Question

What were the major civilizations of West Africa?

The major civilizations of West Africa were ___________________________.

Summary: Essential Question

What were the reasons for their success and power?

The reasons for their success and power were ___________________________.

Learning Scale

4 – I can identify all of the major kingdoms of West Africa, tell you why they were successful, and give examples of outside influences on them.

3 - I can identify all of the major kingdoms of West Africa, tell you why they were successful, but I don’t recognize any outside influences on them.

2 – I can identify all of the major kingdoms of West Africa, but I’m not sure why they were successful and I don’t recognize any outside influences on them.

1 – I do not remember any of the major kingdoms of West Africa.