Kingdoms and states of Africa

1. Kingdoms and states of Africa Chapter 7, section 2

2. Ghana, Mali, and Songhai • The expansion of trade led to migration and the growth of new kingdoms

3. The Kingdom of Ghana • First great trading state in West Africa. • Upper Niger River valley • Most were farmers who lived under a local ruler. • Villages formed the kingdom of Ghana. • King • Governed w/o laws; had a regular army of thousands.

4. Ghana • Economy and Trade • Prospered from gold and iron. • Skilled blacksmiths were highly valued. • Abundance of Gold! • Muslim merchants brought metal goods, textiles, horses, and SALT. • Silent Trade • Merchants place their wares and cloth on the ground and then depart, and so the people of the Sudan coming bearing gold which they leave beside the merchandise then depart. • Berbers, nomadic people were crucial to trade across the Sahara. • “fleets of the desert” • Weakened by Wars.

5. Mali • Mali became the greatest the trade society in West Africa. • Established by Sundiata Keita. • Defeated the Ghanians in 1240 • Timbuktu • Famous trading city. • Gold and salt trade. • Local rulers • Both religious and administrative leaders. • Responsible for sending taxes to the kings of Mali.

6. Mali • Mansa Musa • One of the richest and most powerful kings. • Doubled the size of the kingdom. • Strong central government • Kingdom divided into provinces (w/a governor) • Devout Muslim • Went on pilgrimage to Mecca with thousands of servants and soldiers! • Lavished his hosts with gold! • He put so much gold into circulation, he caused its value to Fall!

7. Mali • Mansa Musa • Great pilgrimage did two things: • Showed all that he was a great ruler, • He was inspired to make Timbuktu a center of Islamic learning and culture. • Mosques, libraries, brought scholars back • Timbuktu was seen as one of the intellectual capitals of the Muslim world. • By 1359, civil war divided Mali.

9. Songhai • Along the Niger River • Kossi • Converted to Islam and established the Dia Dynasty. • Benefitted from Muslim trade routes. • Sunni Ali • Sunni Dynasty, 1464 • Took Timbuktu and Jenne (this gave him control of the trading empire).

11. Songhai • Muhammad Ture • Height of Songhai power. • Overthrew the son of Sunni Ali and seized power in 1493. • New dynasty= Askia [means “usurper”] • Maintained order with navy and soldiers on horseback. • Slow decline, then quickened by 16th century. • Sultan of Morocco occupied Songhai.

12. Societies in East Africa • Migration of Bantus • Farming people belonging to Bantu family of languages. • From Niger River region East Africa.

13. Bantu Migration

14. Bantu • Communities based on Subsistence farming • Division of labor for men and women. • Spread knowledge of iron-smelting techniques across Africa. • Knowledge of high-yield crops too. • Descendants established city of Great Zimbawbe. • Dominated the trade route to the coast.

15. Indian Ocean Trade and Ports • The East African coast became an important part of the trade network along the Indian Ocean. • Muslims from the Arabian peninsula and the Persian Gulf began to settle at ports along the coast.

16. African Kingdoms Mogadishu Mombasa Kilwa

17. Great Mosque of Kilwa

18. Swahili • Mixed African-Arabian culture. • Intermarriage was common among the ruling groups. • Muslim religion and Arabic architectural styles became part of society. • Swahili = “coast” in Arabic. • Mixed language– Bantu + Arabic words/phrases. • National language of Kenya and Tanzania