UNIT 7 – AFRICAN AND ASIAN CIVILIZATIONS

Chapter 16 – Early African Civilizations (Vocabulary & Notes)

Key Terms (Vocabulary):

Section 1:

1. plateau

-large, mostly flat, area that rise above the

surrounding land

2. savanna

-parklike landscape of grasslands with

scattered trees that can survive dry spells, found in tropical areas with dry seasons

3. natural resources

-useful material found in the environment

4. labor specialization-division of jobs and skills in a society

5. trans-Saharan

-across the Sahara

Section 2:

6. caravan

-group of people traveling together

7. scholarship

-formal study and learning

8. griot

-African musician-storyteller who uses music

and stories to track heritage and record history as well as entertain

Section 3:

9. stele

-grant stone pillar

10. Greco-Roman

-something that combines elements of

Greek and Roman culture and traditions

11. monk

-man who dedicates himself to worshipping

God

12. dynasty

-a series of rulers from the same family

13. stonetown

-word used to describe Swahili city-states

and their multistoried stone houses

Section 4:

14. caste

-fixed social class into which a person is born

15. kinship

-connection based on family

16. lineage

-group of people descended from a common

ancestor

17. ethnic group

-group of people who share a distinct

culture, language, and identity

18. oral tradition

-community’s cultural and historical

background, passed down in spoken stories and songs

19. proverb

-wise saying

20. polyrhythmic drumming-type of drumming that combines two or

more different rhythms at the same time

Section 1 – A Trading Empire

Obj: Students will know the regions of Africa; trade was important in developing societies; students will be able to identify major areas of ancient West Africa; analyze the importance of trade in ancient West Africa

Expectations: In this section, students will read “A Trading Empire”; make connections between trade and the rise of empires; go “On Assignment” in

West Africa and work on the chapter assignment

Key Ideas:

· Africa is a continent with diverse land and rich natural resources

· Ironworking and the gold-salt trade helped the development of African empires

· Trade wealth helped rulers in Ghana create a powerful West African empire

Chapter 16 – Section 1 – A Trading Empire

Africa’s unique geography shaped the growth of African civilizations.

Early kingdoms earned great wealth and power by adapting to a rich but challenging environment.

THE AFRICAN LANDSCAPE

Africa’s interior is like a plate turned upside down

· Its plateau is raised but flat

· Rivers flow across and fall as waterfalls at the edge.

· It is there that the plateau meets a thin strip of coastal plain

· Africa’s coastline discourages a seagoing trade because:

· It lacks natural harbors

· It has many waterfalls

The Sahara

· The world’s largest desert

· Covers most of northern Africa

· Today is measures about 3.5 million square miles

· In ancient times is was not so large

· Rivers, trees and grasslands covered most of the region then

· 6,000 years ago the climate began to change and get drier

· Travel became more difficult

· 2,000 years ago traders began to use camels, rather than horses

· The trip was long and dry

· Camels made it possible for trade to occur between West Africa and the Mediterranean world.

· Camels travel much farther and require less water

· Camels can cross sandy areas more easily

Vegetation Zones

Rain is critical to life in Africa

· Most people settle in areas where rain falls the most

There are several vegetation zones (where plants life exists)

Each zone has its own climate

The Rain Forest Zone -

· Rain is most common along the equator

· Hot and wet year round

· Thousands of different insects, plants and animals live there

· In some places it has been cut down for towns and cities

· In other places land has been cleared for farming

The Savanna (Zone)

· Located above and below the equator

· A broad grassland with scattered trees

· Some grass land support herders of animals

· Giraffe

· Antelope

· Cattle

· Sheep

· Horses

· Tropical savannas have wet and dry seasons

The Desert (Zone)

· Located north and south of the savanna

· Few people live here due to lack of food

The Mediterranean Zone

· Located at the northern tip of Africa

· Summers are warm and dry

· Winters are rainy

Some variations can be found within these zones.

The oceans affect local climates, as do cooler highland regions.

The Niger and Senegal Rivers

· Both of these rivers are located in West Africa

· Rivers allowed early civilizations to form, they provided:

· A reliable source of water in a dry region

· This allowed farmers to grow crops even in years with little rain

· Boats could use the rivers for travel and transportation across West Africa

Natural Resources

Some materials were used to meet the peoples’ needs:

· land for farming and grazing

· trees for fuel or building

· minerals, such as gold, copper, and salt

Some materials were used as valuable trade items:

· its gold and agriculture gave rise to powerful trading empires

· trade brought Africans in contact with one another and people and ideas from other parts of the world.

RISE OF GHANA

The ability to work with metals was essential in the development of West African civilizations and empires.

· Metal tools and weapons were stronger than those made of stone, wood, or bone

· Metalworking skills aided in their wealth

Iron-Working Technology

350 BC – West Africans began making iron tools in a place called Nok

· Iron was much harder than other materials used

· Iron tools allowed more food to be grown

· As food supplies increased, population increased

· Ironworking technology spread throughout West and Central Africa

Ancient Ghana

300 AD – the Soninke people founded a kingdom between the Niger and Senegal rivers.

Food surplus and a growth in population led to the need to keep order so governments were formed.

With a growing food supply, no everyone had to farm so some became experts in crafts (artisans) or in government.

· The division of jobs and skills in a society is called labor specialization

Families very important in Ghana

· Each clan (family) specialized in a craft or trade

· The Sisse clan:

· Formed the ruling class

· Its members became Ghana’s kings and officials

· Other clans specialized in:

· Fishing

· Cloth making

· Cattle raising

· The Soninke benefited from:

· The use of iron

· They used iron swords and spears while their enemies still used wooden clubs.

· Eventually, they would use their superior weapons to control others.

· Their kingdom grew into an empire known as Ghana

· The modern African nation of Ghana is names after this ancient empire, but is in a different part of West Africa today)

· Like the empires of Rome and Greece, they also enslaved people they conquered in war

· Ghana traded its slaves for salt and other goods offered by Berber merchants.

A POWERFUL EMPIRE

By the 700s, Arab and Berber traders of northern Africa regularly traveled across the Sahara.

They traded salt, horses, cloth, swords, and books for: gold and ivory

Ghana acted as a go-between for the Northern African traders and those who produced the gold and ivory in Southern Africa

Gold-Salt Trade

Trade across the Sahara (Trans-Saharan Trade) relied on gold and salt.

North Africans:

· Wanted gold to make into coins

· Removed slabs of salt from ancient seabeds in the Sahara

· Loaded the salt onto camels and crossed the desert into West Africa

· Traded their salt for gold

West Africans:

· Rich in gold but needed salt

· Paid in gold for the salt to the North Africans

Wealthy Rulers

Kings of Ghana grew rich from the gold-salt trade.

Gold producers were taxed and every load of goods that entered or left Ghana.

Ghana’s rulers also controlled the gold supply

· Too much supply would lessen the price

· All gold taken from the ground was the property of the king

· Removing much gold from the market, keeping the price high

· This made the kings rich

Invasion and Decline

Ghana prospered for centuries

· Its rulers welcomed North African traders

· Who would bring Islam to West Africa

· It kept its traditional religions

· It was known for religious tolerance

· It welcomed Muslims

· Its leaders borrowed and used Islamic administrative and legal practices

Ghana would eventually begin to decline

Some reasons:

· Over-population

· Food shortages

· Over-dependence on trade

Around 1060 – the Almoravids expanded their empire into Ghana

· They were a group of Berbers from northwest Africa

· They were religious reformers

· Wanted to purify the Islamic practices of Muslims in Ghana

· Wanted to spread their own interpretation of Islam

· Wanted greater control of the gold trade

· Their invasion would fail in the end, but it disrupted trade and weakened the monarchy.

· The large flocks of animals brought by the Almoravids took over much of the land and Ghana had trouble supporting its population.

Ghana never returned to its prosperity after the Almoravid invasion.

Section 2 – Muslim Empires of West Africa

Obj: Students will know Mali became a powerful African emp ire; characteristics of Mana Musa’ rule; Islam spread throughout ancient West Africa; students will be able to describe the various empires of ancient West Africa; analyze how Islam contributed to scholarship and learning

Expectations: In this section, students will read “Muslim Empires of West Africa”; learn about great leaders of ancient West Africa; go “On Assignment” in West Africa and analyze historical maps

Key Ideas:

· Mali was the second West African empire to prosper from the gold-salt trade

· After its rulers converted to Islam, Mali became a center of Muslim culture

· Under the Songhai empire, Islam and the Arabic language spread across West Africa

Chapter 16 – Section 2 – Muslim Empires of West Africa

RISE OF MALI

After Ghana fell, the small kingdom it once ruled competed for power.

1203 – Sumanguru took over what was left of the old empire

· He ruled over many small kingdoms that had been under Ghana

· One of these was the home of the Malinke people

Triumph of the Sundiata

According to oral history:

· Malinke tired or Sumanguru’s harsh rule

· Asked Sundiata (son of a Malinke ruler) to free their kingdom

· 1230 – Sundiata led a rebellion with help of Malinke kings

· 1235 – Sundiata ruled over a new empire

· Mali

· Sundiata took over all former Ghana territory and added more

· He became a national hero of Mali and remains honored by the Malinke

A New Empire

Sundiata proved to be a wise ruler

· Called himself mansa (emperor)

· He ruled an assembly of kings

· First meeting put forth a set of laws

· Laws dealt with:

· Social classes

· Property rights

· The environment

· Personal conduct

· The laws:

· became the law of the land and were passed by word of mouth

· divided the responsibilities and privileges among the clans.

· Allowed women to serve in government on rare occasions

Under Sundiata:

· Mali gained:

· Control of the gold-producing regions

· Trade routes

· Wealth from trade

· Trade included:

· Gold

· Salt

· Cloth

· Books

· Copper

MALI AT ITS HEIGHT

1312 – 1337 – Mansa Musa

· Ruled during Mali’s most prosperous period

· Made the empire larger

· Embraced Islam

· Made Mali Muslim

· Embraced Muslim learning and art

Mansa Musa’s Hajj

1324 –

· He made a great hajj

· ne

· Twelve thousand officials and slaves

· More than 80 camels loaded with bags of gold dust

· Through the desert

· His hajj brought world attention to the empire

· Countries who began to understand Mansa Musa’s wealth and advanced empire were:

· North Africans

· Arabs

· Europeans

Muslim Culture in Mali

Mansa Musa returned home from his ha with Muslim teachers, scholars, and artists.

One famous poet, scholar and architect was As-Saheli:

· Mansa Musa had him:

· Build great mosques in Gao and Tombouctou (Timbuktu)

· Tombouctou became a center for Islamic scholarship.

· Students and teachers traveled from all over to study there

· North Africa

· The Middle East

· One great teacher was names Battuta of Morocco (1352)

Expansion of Mali

Mansa Musa extended Mali’s territory westward to the Atlantic Ocean and northward, creating one of the largest empires of its time.

At it’s height:

· Governed an areas about the size of Western Europe

· Supported a population of roughly 50 million

· Some even think they may have explored the ocean at this time, but no evidence supports this claim

RISE OF THE SONGHAI EMPIRE

1300s –

· Mali controlled trading cities along the Niger River

· One city was Gao, capital of Muslim kingdom of Songhai

· After Mansa Musa, rulers of Mali began losing control

· After losing control of Gao, Songhai grew in power

· Under Ali, a Muslim leader, it became the center of a new empire

Conquests of Ali

1464 –

· Ali Ber became king of Songhai

· Taking the title sunni

· Becoming known as Sunni Ali

· A great military leader

· Kept mounted warriors to protect the land

· Had a fleet of war canoes patrolling the Niger River

· This extended its empire along the bend of the river

· once in power –

· Ali wanted control of Tombouctou

· Gold and salt trade

· At this time it was under the control of the Tuareg people

· They were driven out by Ali’s army in 1468

· Ali then captured Djenne

· Another wealthy trading city

· This capture allowed Songhai the control of the trans-Saharan trading routes

The Largest Empire

Later rulers conquered even more territory making Songhai the largest West African trading empires.

· Askia Muhammad –

· Successful military leader

· Used well-trained army

· Superb administrator

· Set up government systems uniting the region

· Businesses ran smoothly

· Set up a system of weights and measures

· Which helped him ensure the wealth of the empire

Islamic Law and Scholarship

Askia Muhammad strengthened the influence of Islam within the empire.

· Appointed Muslim judges to enforce laws

· Laws based on the Quran

· Laws written in Arabic

· Promoted scholarship

· Learned to read and write in Arabic to study the Quran

· Copied old manuscripts and wrote new books in Arabic

· Books focuses to advance human thought:

· Biology

· Medicine

· Law

· Ethics

· Agriculture

· Mathematics

· Astronomy

· These books were sold at great expense and showed the advanced society of Tombouctou at the time

· Arabic also assisted trade

· Provided a common language

Decline of Songhai

When Ali Muhammad could no longer rule due to his health, his sons competed to take over their father’s lands.

Result: the empire slowly began to weaken.

1591 –

· Songhai’s era came to a close

· Soldiers from Morocco invaded Songhai

· Moroccan forces overpowered Songhai warriors using guns

· Captured Tombouctou and other cities

· The invasion caused Songhai to collapse and leave its once thriving cities in ruins.

LEGACY OF EMPIRES

The powerful empires of Ghana, Mali, and Songhai are long gone, but their legacy remains.

· Millions of Africans speak the languages of Mali and Songhai

· Professional story-tellers and oral historians (Groits) keep the history of West Africa alive

· Sing of the achievements of great kings like Sundiata

Family, Agriculture and Religion

Families form the basis of modern African society.

Markets and farming remain key parts of the economy

Slam continues to be a major influence in West African life, along with many traditional religions.

Section 3 – East African Civilizations

Obj: students will know the importance of Axum and Ethiopia

Religion in Axum and East African city-states; students will be able to summarize the rise of Axum and Ethiopia as religious and trading centers; evaluate the role of trade in East African city-states

Expectations: In this section, students will read “East Africa Civilizations”; make connections among religion, trade, and east African powers; go “On Assignment” in East Africa and work on the chapter assignment

Key Ideas:

· After the fall of Kush, Axum became an important trading kingdom

· Ethiopia became a center of Christianity In East Africa

· East African city-states played a key role in ocean trade

Chapter 16 – Section 3 – East African Civilizations

Early civilizations often formed near rivers or larger bodies of water.

The East African civilizations were no different.

The Nile River and the Red Sea made East Africa an ideal location for settlements because these bodies of water made trade, farming, and transportation easier.

THE KINGDOMS OF KUSH AND AXUM

The Egyptian Empire of Nubia:

· Located along the southern Nile River

· Much of the region covered by desert

· Along the Nile banks the land was fertile

· 2000 BC – the civilization of Kush was formed

· Also called Kerma

· Its people traded through the Red Sea and Nile River

· Kushite merchants traded heavily with Egypt, especially Upper Egypt

· Egypt wanted Kush’s gold

· 1400 BC – Egypt would take control of Kush

Decline of Kush:

1000s BC –

· Egypt would lose control of Kush

· Kushite kings would rule again

150 BC –

· After generations, the kingdom began to fall

· By this time it was too weak to defend itself from invaders from the north

Axum: A Great Trading Kingdom

AD 325 –

· Axum’s King Ezana took over Kush

· Replaced Kush with Axum as the commercial center of northeast Africa

· He now controlled the trade routes to:

· Roman Egypt

· Southern Arabia

· Asia

· Most trade was in the port city of Adulis along the Red Sea

· Glass, copper, brass, gold, and slaves were traded for:

· Textiles, tools, jewelry, and steel

· Axum’s wealth and power shown through its huge monuments

· Great stairways to altars honoring their gods

· A stele (grand stone pillar) marked each grave of Axum rulers

· The stele looked like a skyscraper

· It had doors and winders carved into the stone

· Beneath them lay royal burial tombs and chambers

CHRISTIANITY IN EAST AFRICA

AD 300s –

· The Red Sea was busy with activity

· The region was filled with Greco-Roman trading settlements

· Christianity was widespread in this region

· Christian merchants and traders interacted daily with the people of Axum

· Introduced them to a type of Christianity

· Before long Christian churches and stelae (plural of stele, was a gravesite) appeared along the East African coastline

· The Church of St Mary the first, built in the 300s

Christianity in Axum

After AD 340 –

· Christianity grew

· Two Syrian brothers were shipwrecked in Axum while on their way to India

· They were captured and put to work in the king’s court

· One brother, Frumentius:

· Was Christian monk

· Became a trusted civil servant

· Influenced King Ezana to become Christian

· Monks established Christianity throughout the kingdom

· Monks are men who dedicate their lives to worshiping God

Ethiopia, a Christian Kingdom

600s –

· Axum began to weaken due:

· to economic problems

· The spread of Islam

Mid 1000s –

· New Zagwe dynasty emerged in present-day Ethiopia

· They continued Christian traditions

· Replaced officials with those who were Christian

· Traded successfully with the Muslim world

· Saw their land as a Christian holy land

· Carved their churches out of solid rock under the ground

· Their tops are level with the ground

· In present-day Lalibela, Ethiopia

· Their literature and music are still used today

· These Ethiopian Christian churches

East African City-States

The contact through trade brought distant people together and created unique societies along the East African coast.

Between 800s and 1400s -

· Arab and Persian immigrants blended with local communities

· Formed more than three dozen city-states along the coast of present-day:

· Somalia

· Kenya

· Tanzania

· Mozambique

· Madagascar

Indian Ocean Trade Routes

AD 100 –

· as early as this time trade was going on between the people of:

· East Africa

· The Mediterranean

· India

India’s goods:

· Cotton

· Cloth

· Grain

· Oil

· Sugar

· Ghee (strained butter)

Other goods traded down the coast of the Red Sea:

· Cloaks

· Tunics

· Copper

· Tin

The above items were traded for:

· Gold

· Tortoiseshell

· Ivory

· Timber

· Slaves

700 on, Arab traders exchanged metal weapons and iron tools for:

· Tortoiseshell

· Rhinoceros horn

· Ivory

· Coconut oil

The Swahili Culture

Along the coast of East Africa, a new culture formed in trading towns

· Swahili

· Primarily Muslim and African

· From the Middle East they imported:

· Ceramics

· Glassware

· Silver

· Copper jewelry

· From China

· Silk

· They adopted Islam by the 700s through traders, immigrants, and teachers of Islam

Blending of Cultures

By 1000s –

· Swahili settlements had grown into stonetowns

· City-states with multistoried stone houses

· Houses often served as custom houses for foreign traders

Through trade, cultural contact spread:

· East Indies

· China

· India

· Arab lands

· Persia

· East Africa

The Swahili imported trade goods from the interior of East Africa to trade with distant lands.

The wealth on their interior was based on control of resources:

· Bunyoro arose in the east-central Africa’s Great Lakes region

· Cattle-based kingdom

· Copper, gold mines and grazing lands made other kingdoms wealthy

Contact through trade brought a multicultural mix to the East African coast.

· Swahili became a language:

· From words from trade languages spoken on the coast of the Indian Ocean

· Although Islam was the shared religion, East African version of Islam included parts of fold religions from the region

Section 4 – Society and Culture

Obj: students will know the cultural organization of Wet African societies; cultural traditions that have carried over into the modern day; students will be able to summarize West African social structure; identify and locate major cities and regions of ancient Africa

Expectations: In this section, students will read “Society and Culture”; analyze how storytelling works; go “On Assignment” in East and West Africa and work on the chapter assignment

Key Ideas:

· Society in West Africa was based on kinship and caste

· African religions varied from place to place, but shared certain features

· Oral tradition played a key role in preserving African history and culture

Chapter 16 – Section 4 – Society and Culture

West African empires of Ghana, Mali and Shonghai, had organized societies.

There were large empires, but also cities, towns, ad villages.

Throughout the empires, societies had complex, family-based relationships.

“Kings may come and go,” observed a popular saying from Mali, “but the family endures.”

SOCIETY IN WEST AFRICAN EMPIRES

West African empires of Ghana, Mali, ad Songhai had organized societies.

There were large empires, but also cities, towns, and villages.

Throughout the empires, societies had complex, family-based relationships.

SOCIETY IN WEST AFRICAN EMPIRES

How time was spent is still not entirely known, but throughout the West African empires, men would hold the position of leaders.

Men:

· Took part in warfare

· Took part in Islamic learning

Later, in African societies:

Women:

· Farmed

· Took care of the family

Early West African society was organized by ranking

· Social classes

· It was a caste society

· An individual’s place in the social structure

· Established by the family he or she was born into

Social Structure

On top:

· The emperor

· Ruled each empire

· Had the most power

· Highest status (social rank)

· All had to bow before him

· Mansa Musa’s kingdom some had to sprinkle dust on themselves to acknowledge his superiority

· Next level:

· Nobles and kings

· helped the emperor govern different parts of the empire and led his armies, and paid tribute to the emperor

· Below noble families:

· Traders and free people of the towns

· Ran businesses and farms

· Next level:

· Skilled workers (artisans)

· Each trade formed its own different caste

· Examples: ironworking, musicians, pottery, etc.

Slavery in West Africa

Enslaved people made up the lowest level of society

They were enslaved for different reasons

· Born into slavery

· War captives

· Political prisoner

· Kidnap victims

Slaves performed many tasks:

· Songhai

· Soldier

· Farm workers

· Servants

· Mali

· Served the royal court

· Served the government

Some slaves had rights in West African society:

· Could marry

· Families could not be separated

· Protected from harsh punishment

· Could earn extra money and buy their freedom

· One enslaved person even became emperor of Mali

Importance of Kinship

Kinship is a strong sense of family

West Africa:

· Not just parents and children, but grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins.

· These larger families formed lineages (group of descendants from a common ancestor)

· The leader often controlled the family members and property

· Building blocks of West African society

· Each was part of a clan

· Clans formed even larger groups

· Several clans could live together in a village

· These villages shared a distinc culture, language ad identity.

· This is known as an ethnic group

· West African empires had man ethnic groups each with its own way of life.

City and Village Life

West Africa:

· Families

· grouped together in cities, towns, and villages

· in many urban areas

· Arabic main language of trade

· Islam worship and teaching

· Rural villages – families:

· Spoke the languages of their ancestors

· Worshiped ancient gods

· Village economies based on producing food

· Villagers developed tools for farming

· Farmers grew crops

· Rice

· Yams

· Beans

· Herders raised animals

· Cattle for meat, milk and skins

· Villagers traded in the markets

· City economies based on trade.

· Markets offered goods brought on the caravan routes

· Steady supply of food

· Finely crafted goods

· Thousands lived in large cities such as:

· Djenne

· Gao

· Tombouctou

AFRICAN RELIGIONS

Though Islam and Christianity were practiced to a great extend in early Afria, some people followed traditional religions.

These religions shared some common characteristics:

· Religious leaders guided prayers

· Followers prayed on a daily basis

· Religious rituals

· Promote the honoring of ancestors

Religious Rituals

· People engaged gods on a daily basis

· Attended shrines to pray, get advice, and make offerings

· Religious officials helped communicating with the gods

· Rituals reinforced social and moral values representing their gods

· Following religious teachings helped keep society functioning smoothly

Honoring Ancestors

Upon death, Africans believed a person became a spirit and joined the spirits of ancestors.

Some families created shrines to their ancestors to remain in touch with them.

Ritual and spiritual mediums helped some seek ancestors’ help with their problems, much like the gods

CULTURAL LEGACY

Arabic language:

· Allowed learning and teaching within the African empires

· Strong oral traditions to tell of history, poetry, folk tales, and sayings both to teach and entertain

Music, Dance, and Art:

· Societies rich in them

· Artistic traditions helped pass on each group’s history and culture

Oral Tradition:

· Storytelling part of daily life

· Families shared fold tales at home

· Proverbs (wise sayings)

· Provided a quicker way to share wisdom

· Griots (professional storytellers and oral historians)

· Served African kings and nobles

· Memorized and told stories of famous events and people

· Griottes (female storytellers and oral historians)

· Their tradition remains today

· Their role and circumstance has changed with time and will continue to change as they accompany Africans wherever they live.

Music, Dance and Art

West African lives were filled with dance and music

· Mothers lulled babies to sleep with song

· Young people learned songs that taught them adult responsibilities

· They also learned certain dances when they became adults

· They marked many important stages in people’s lives

· Dancers celebrated births and marriages and performed at funerals

West Africans created many musical instruments.

· Mostly the drum

· Polyrhythmic drumming

Dancing:

· Dancers danced to the polyrhythmic drum sounds

· Performed during festivals and religious ceremonies

· Acted out stories of gods or ancestors

· Wore masks of gods and spirits carved by skilled artists

Art:

· West African artists created art for many purposes

· Used in everyday life to express people’s beliefs

· Emperors used it to show off their wealth and power

· In Benin, sculptors made metal plaques and figures to record important events and people.

· In Mali, artists crafted clay soldiers in fine detail