Africa and Trans-Sahara Trade Routes 600-1450

“Always something new out of Africa” ( Greek Proverb; 1 st C CE ) What do you suppose this proverb is referring to?

Pre-600 CE West Africa: domesticated millet & sorghum Ironworking technology Between North Africa & Sub-Saharan Africa: trade included

ivory, hides, cola, copper, slaves, and dates

Expanded to Islamic World by 700 CE 300 CE: introduction of camels

Pre-600 Predominately

Christian ATR

or State-level societies: Jenne Jeno and Gao (in present day Mali) Stateless societies: organized around kinship boundaries Not-consolidated power: power-vacuum Common language: Bantu

Trans-Sahara Trade Routes

Trans-Sahara Trade Routes Began with Soninke Empire (Ghana) in the 5 th century Linked to Mediterranean Empires  supplied gold and salt Used camels (Ibn Battuta, camel caravan size = 1,000-12,000) Eventually sent slaves north

Trans-Sahara Trade Routes Beginning of trade: Ghana Height of trade: Mali Decline of trade: Portuguese invaders/Atlantic slave trade

African Political Organization Kinship groups Through family groups Village council = male family heads Chiefs District Chiefdoms Population growth increased conflict Organized military forces, around 1000 CE Powerful chiefs overrode kinship networks and imposed authority Ex: Benin and Ife (Yoruba)

African Political Organization Kingdom of Kongo Villages formed small city-states along the Congo River, 1000 CE Small states  larger principalities, 1200 CE One conquered others: Kongo • Centralized government • Royal currency system • Until mid-17 th century

African Political Organization: Christian Kingdoms: Reached Africa by 1 st C; Axum by 4 th C Nubia Independently Christian until the 13 th C.

Ethiopia King Lalibela (13 th C) Egypt: Copts

African Political Organization: Islamic Kingdoms Spread of Islam When did it spread through Africa?

How?

Why?

African Political Organization: Islamic Kingdoms Islamic Impact Active trade with Islamic world (

Dar al Islam

) Islamic world interested in Ghana: • “The richest king on the face of the earth by reason of wealth and treasure of [gold]” By 11 th C, Muslims part of culture of the Savannah

African Political Organization: Islamic Kingdoms Mansa Musa Malian Muslim King 1324-1325, set out to take a Hajj • Thousands of retainers • 100 camel loads of gold • Prices skyrocketed in Alexandria Reports of wealthy Africans to Europe Set out to build new mosques

African Political Organization: Islamic Kingdoms Timbuktu: Center of learning Young men “kept in irons until they had memorized the entire Qu’ran” (Ibn Battuta) “Salt comes from the north, gold from the south, but the word of God and the treasures of wisdom come from Timbuktu." High literacy rate

African Political Organization: Islamic Kingdoms Oral Tradition What is a

griot?

Any connections to other traditions?

What is the value of oral traditions?

What were the qualities people expected in a king?

What’s the connection between Africa and the wider world?

African Political Organization: Islamic Kingdoms Songhay Kingdom Refer to your notes from chapter 8: • What are key components of the Songhay Kingdom?

Timbuktu at its height; decline of Mali and Ghana Replaces Mali by the late 15 th C

Commonalities in Sudanic Islamic States: Clans, kinship groups, etc. formed social aspects Unified states allowed for coexistence of diverse groups and communities Islam served as a common religion Islam fused with existing traditions and beliefs Matrilineal societies Slavery and slave trade: Africa and Islamic world: 4.8 million people in the 700 years of the trans-Saharan trade

African Political Organization: Islamic Kingdoms: East Africa Swahili Arabic term meaning “coasters” • Mogadishu to Sofala • Swahili: Bantu derivative language + Arabic • Trade with Muslim merchants City-States • Chiefs gain power by taxing trade on ports • Ports  city-states governed by kings in 11 th and 12 th centuries

African Political Organization: Islamic Kingdoms: East Africa Great Zimbabwe The stone complex known as Great Zimbabwe built in 12 th C 18,000 people lived there in the 15 th (some say up to 30,000!) C Kings organized flow of gold, ivory, slaves Wealth lie in cattle production

African Political Organization: Islamic Kingdoms: East Africa Kilwa Began around the 9 th C Traded throughout the Indian Ocean Trade: • Gold and iron from Great Zimbabwe • Ivory and slaves from mainland Tanzania • Jewelry, porcelain and spices from Asia.

Islamic: mosques Ibn Battuta

African Society and Cultural Development Social classes: Diverse dependent upon location Kinship groups No private property

African Society and Cultural Development Men Heavy labor Public authority Kings/chiefs Women child rearing, domesticity High honor as source of life Aristocratic women could influence public affairs Women merchants All-female military units

African Society and Cultural Development Slavery Most were captives of war, debtors, criminals Agricultural labor Increased after 11 th C Demand outstripped supply from eastern Europe Large states began slave raids from small states or villages