Migration and Cultural Dynamics in Africa and the Americas

1. Africa, Americas, Islam, Byzantine, Russia Unit 2

2. Africa • Geographic contrasts & challenging environments • Sahara, Sahel Deserts, Savannas, Rainforest • Nomadic to agricultural, pastoral herders • Droughts, floods, tsetse fly • Nok – early iron age civilization • Djenne – Djeno city

3. Migration • Permanent move from one place to another • Environmental, Economic, Political • Push-Pull factors • Push – drought, war, persecution • Pull – jobs, land, religious freedom

4. Migration cont. • Effects of migration • Population change • Cultural diffusion • Ideas and technology • Quality of life improves • Clashes between groups • Depletion of environment • Employment opportunities • Spread of language

5. Bantu Migration • Bantu – language group, not one but a group who shared cultural characteristics • Farmers, nomadic herders, used iron • Bantu began to move from south of Sahara to South Africa. Why? • Produced lots of food through farming, population increased, then not enough land to go around • Sahara advancing • Moved south into forests – wood for smelting iron • Split and covered all of Africa over 1,500 years

6. Bantu Migration • Effects of migration • Conflicts between Bantus and others; wars • Exchanged ideas, intermarried • New agricultural tools, technology • Shared ideas about government, culture, language • These helped unify the people • Today 240 million people speak version of Bantu language, most speak Swahili

7. Chapter 15 – West AfricaGhana, Mali, Songhai • Camels had enabled effective trade across Sahara • Ghana (by 700) was a rich trade kingdom • Gold and salt – key trade items • Arab traders also involved in Saharan trade (caravans) • Islam spreads through Africa this way • Some Africans clung to animism (belief that spirits lived in animals, plants, etc.) • Wars disrupted gold-salt trade and Ghana declined

8. West Africa • Mali (1235) emerged • Also involved in gold-salt trade • Found new mines and shifted east creating larger kingdom • Sundiata– Mali’s first great leader • Mansa Musa – famous Mali king • Muslim, built mosques • Strong govt., military, divided into provinces • Built mosques in Timbuktu and it became a leading center – judges, doctors, scholars, etc. • After Mansa Musa, Mali declines

9. West Africa • Songhai (1400’s) • Expands further under two Muslim leaders (Sunni Ali and Askia) • Further spread and advanced government • Lacked modern weapons • Moroccan Arabs invaded with gunpowder and canons and defeated Songhai (swords & spears) • Collapse of 1,000 period of great kingdoms in West Africa

10. Americas • Beringia (land bridge) connected Asia and North America • Ice Age had locked up vast amounts of water exposing land • Nomadic tribes crossed in search of game (mammoth most important) • Possibly 20,000 years ago • Ice Age ended, ice melted and land covered • Spread to the tip of South America • Shift to agriculture leads to settlement, villages • Maize (corn) important

11. The Olmec • Mesoamerica (central America) • Olmecs– first civilization builders (1200 BC) • Rainforest made life difficult but contained salt, tar, clay for pottery, wood, rubber • Rivers allowed for transportation • Built enormous stone sculptures • Worshipped many gods (jaguar spirit important) • Extensive trade network • Collapsed – either invaded or destroyed own civilization after death of leaders.

12. The Zapotec • Developed in what is now Mexico (Oaxaca) • Monte Alban – prosperous city atop mountain • Controlled Oaxaca Valley for 1,000 years • Eventually declined for unknown reasons • Olmec and Zapotec left behind legacy of trade, sculpture, evidence of religious and spiritual rituals, language, urban centers

13. The Maya • 250 – 900 – built a flourishing civilization in Southern Mexico • Spectacular cities ruled by god-kings, temples, palaces, pyramids, etc. • Chichen Itza – one of the most famous • Mayan cities linked by trade • Cacao beans could serve as currency (chocolate ) • Slash and burn agriculture – maize, squash, beans • Also used terracing for agriculture

14. The Maya • Worshipped many gods • Made sacrifices, sometimes human, to the gods (Chichen Itza – large sinkhole) • Studied math, astronomy, physics • Calculated an exact calendar (off by .00002 of a day by modern standards) • Used zero • Advanced system of writing - glyphs

15. The Maya • Mysterious disappearance (700’s) • Possible explanations • Warfare disrupted trade • Population growth • Over farming • Toltecs from the north • By the time of the Spanish arrival (1500’s), weak and fractured civilization • See page 451

16. The Aztecs • Lived in the valley; Mexico (1300’s) • Tenochtitlan major urban center • Empire grew through conquest, trade, brutally suppressed those who challenged them • Emperor most important • Military leaders and priests important • Widespread use of slaves • Worshipped many gods and had rituals and ceremonies

17. The Aztecs • Human sacrifices to the sun god on a massive scale • Thousands killed atop the Great Temple • Hearts carved out with obsidian knives • Victims were POW’s, criminals, slaves • Goal of conquering was to take prisoners for sacrifice • Arrival of the Spanish led to the conquest of the Aztecs (disease, horses, guns)

18. The Incas • High plateau in the Andes Mountains, Peru (1200’s) • Powerful military and government • Allowed the conquered to keep their customs so they sometimes just surrendered • Cuzco the capital city • Government controlled economy (unlike Aztec and Maya who allowed private commerce)

19. The Incas • All required to work for the state certain days of the year; were cared for too • A type of ancient “socialism” • No writing system – oral tradition • God-Kings (polytheistic also) • Machu Picchu discovered in 1912 (p. 462) • Civil war weakened Incas • Spanish conquered them

20. Islam • Arab nomads, Bedouins, organized into tribes called clans • Extensive trade routes throughout Middle East and Africa • Mecca – in Arabia; worshiped at shrine called Ka’aba (associated with Abraham, prophet and believer in one god) • Allah and belief in one god was known in Arabia

21. Islam • Muhammad – orphaned at 6, raised by grandfather and uncle • Married Khadijah, wealthy older businesswoman • Revelations from Gabriel – he believed the lord had spoken to him through Gabriel • All other gods must be abandoned • Islam – “submission to the will of Allah” • Muslims – followers of Islam

22. Islam • Met with hostility from those who feared neglect of traditional Arab gods • Hijrah – fled from Mecca to Medina – turning point; gathered many followers • 630 returned to Mecca, thousands converted; only destroyed idols • Five Pillars • Faith - Allah • Prayer - mosque • Alms - charity • Fasting - Ramadan • Pilgrimage – (Haj) to Mecca

23. Islam • Other customs and morals – no pork, liquor, Friday worship, no priests or central authority • Qu’ran– holy book (Arabic) • Sunna – Muhammad’s example is the best model for life • Shari’a– law that regulates morals, family life, community life, etc. • After Muhammad’s death, Abu-Bakr chosen as first caliph

24. Islam • Promised to uphold teachings of M. • Some began to abandon faith • Bakr invoked jihad (“striving”), also means an armed struggle against nonbelievers • Greatly expanded Islam – by 750, empire stretched from Atlantic to Indus! • Attracted by the equality of Islam • Allowed conquered people to keep their faith

25. Islam • Split in Islam • Shi’a – believed caliphs needed to be a direct descendent of Muhammad • Sunni – followers of Muhammad’s example • Today, approximately 85% Sunni, 15% Shi’a • Important cities grew: Damascas, Cordoba, Cairo, Jerusalem, Baghdad • 4 classes: • Muslims at birth • Converts to Islam • Christians, Jews, Zoroastrians • Slaves

26. Islam • Astronomy – observatories, astrolabe • Literature – Thousand and One Knights • Art – calligraphy (can’t reproduce image of Muhammad), textiles, ceramics, mosaics, etc. • Architecture – some Roman influence, baths • Medicine – medical books, eye surgery, idea of infectious diseases, hygiene, quarantine (IbnSina) • Developed algebra • IbnBattuta– travels and geography

27. Byzantine • See separate Power Point