Chapter Eight: African Civilizations and the Spread of Islam

African Regions

African Civilizations and the Spread of Islam

• • • Between 800 and 1500 C.E., Africa below the Sahara and civilizations in the Mediterranean and Asia had more and more contact with one another. State building in Africa was influenced both by indigenous and Islamic inspiration. • • Mali and Songhay = military power and dynastic alliances. Western and eastern Africa= larger trading networks. Parts of Africa south of the Sahara entered into the expanding world network; many others remained in isolation.

Pre-Islamic Africa

• • • Extremely diverse societies developed Political unity was difficult because of terrain • • Bantu is primary language spoken • Oral traditions; very few written records • Most communities are preliterate (lacking writing system) Animistic and polytheistic religions common Majority of Africa, even after introduction of Islam, will remain in isolation • Many who are exposed to Islam do not convert but remain practitioners of their indigenous religion

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Stateless

”

Societies

Many small communities are politically organized in this way • Authoritarian and centralized empires will exist, however.

Lack concentration of power and authority • Authority and power normally exercised by a ruler and court is held by a council or families or community • Typically controlled by lineages or kinships Weakness of stateless societies • No organization to collect taxes  • No consensus  no effective militaries Difficult to resist external pressures • No undertaking of large building projects • Hard to create stability for long-distance trade Internal problems could be resolved by allowing dissidents to leave and establish new villages Christianity and Islam sometimes influenced political and cultural development

African Economy

• • Economies vary by region • N. Africa integrated into the world economy via Islamic trade routes and Mediterranean • Most participate in agriculture and ironworking • Encouraged regional trade and urbanization.

Africans exchanged abundant raw materials for manufactured goods.

Influence of Islam in Africa

• • • • 7 th century: Muslim armies moved west from Egypt across N. Africa • Spreads Islamic influence; rapid conversions Traders and travelers brought Islam along pre-existing caravan routes.

Berbers (people of the Sahara) begin to convert to Islam • • • 11 th -12 th centuries: Almoravids and Almohads (reforming Muslim Berbers) from western Sahara grow in power Launch jihad (war to spread and protect faith) Almohads defeat Almoravids Almohad Caliphate: 1121-1269 • These groups are essential to penetration of Islam throughout Africa.

Almoravids 1040-1147

Grasslands Kingdoms

• • • • • Sahel Grasslands: transition zone between Sahara Desert and savannahs to the south Point of exchange between North and Sub-Saharan Africa; important region of trade Grasslands Kingdoms = Sudanic States = Ghana, Mali, Songhai Most of their population did not convert Arrival of Islam after the 10 th century reinforced ruling power

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Story Time “Sub-Saharan Africa” p. 123

Take notes on “Sub-Saharan Africa” • • 10

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Sudanic States

Islam reinforced ideas of kingship and power: “royal cult” • Joining Islam gives rulers prestige and associates them with other great Muslim leaders Majority of population never converted but retain their polytheism/animism Trade gold for salt from Berbers in North Africa Mali, Ghana and Songhai • Combine Islamic religion/culture with local practices • Each incorporates the previous kingdom; bigger than last

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4

th

Ghana – 11

th

c.

1 st great West African empire Rose to power by taxing salt and gold 10 th c: rulers convert to Islam while common people remain loyal to polytheism Reaches 11 th c. height Almoravid armies invaded Ghana in 1076

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Story Time “Kingdom of Ghana” p. 123

Take notes on “The Kingdom of Ghana” • • 13

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Mali

Broke away from Ghana in 13 th c.

Economy: agriculture and gold trade • Traders spread beyond W Africa • Very wealthy empire Islamized state in 13 th c. when rulers convert Founder: Sundiata (dies 1260) • Credited with Malinke expansion and creation of unified state with each tribe having a representative at court • Governing system based on clan structure • Mansa Musa is successor Jenne and Timbuktu • Major cities of commercial exchange • Scholars, craft specialists, and foreign merchants • Timbuktu was famous for its library and university

Mansa Musa

• • • 1324: Hajj to Mecca • Aligns himself with elite Islamic rulers • Brings back scholars, architects • Inadvertently devastates economies he enters Indicates wealthy, sophisticated empires existed in Africa Estimated wealth: $400 billion

King Mansa Musa ’s astounding wealth came from his country Mali’s production of more than half the world ’s gold and salt, Celebrity Net Worth said. A photograph of Mansa Musa on a map of North Africa circa 1375.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/king-mansa-musa-named-richest-history-article 1.1186261#ixzz2hKUI21QI 16

Quoted from http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/king-mansa musa-named-richest-history-article-1.1186261

• • • King Mansa Musa wasn’t just the 1% of the 14th century — he may be the richest person of all time.

As the obscure ruler of West Africa’s Mali Empire, Musa amassed a jaw-dropping $400 billion during his reign from 1312 to 1337, according to a new inflation-adjusted list by celebritynetworth.com.

That outranks the Rothschild family, whose European banking dynasty landed them second on the list with $350 billion, and John D. Rockefeller, the American industrialist worth $340 billion.

• Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/king mansa-musa-named-richest-history-article 1.1186261#ixzz2hKUcuQaB 17

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Songhay

Independent from Mali in 1370s Prospered as a trading state and military power.

Founded by Sunni Ali (1464-1492) • Great military leader; extended rule over the entire Niger River valley.

• Sunni Ali’s successors were Muslim rulers with the title of askia Songhay remained dominant until defeated by Moroccans in 1591 for not being “ Muslim enough ”

Influence of Islam in Grasslands Kingdoms

• • • • Islam provided universal faith and fixed law. Rulers reinforced authority through Muslim ideology. Many Sudanic societies were matrilineal and did not seclude women. • Hesitancy over conversion to Islam since it restricts women more than these societies did Slavery and slave trade was prevalent from Muslim influence

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Swahili Coast of East Africa

Coasts enable East Africa to be connected to India Ocean trade Islamized trading ports along coast by 13 th • Islam c.

Kilwa, Mogadishu, Mombasa: large city-state centers of • Ibn Battuta: Islamic scholar/writer who visits these cities Exported raw materials in return for Indian, Islamic and Chinese luxuries Swahili language (Bantu + Arabic) emerged in urbanized trading ports • More than 30 coastal trading towns flourished. Rulers and merchants were often Muslim. • Most of the population retained African beliefs and few converted to Islam Culture = Swahili as language and fused African and Islamic practices Islam built a common bond between rulers and trading families.

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Central Africa

Across central Africa, agrarian societies thrived and kingdoms developed Yoruba • Non Bantu-speaking • • Highly urbanized agriculturalists Small city states • • Benin • Forms in 14 th century under ruler/oba Ewuare the Great • Ruled from the Niger River to the coast near Lagos • Artists worked in ivory and cast bronze Luba (Near Southern tip) • • Divine kingship Hereditary bureaucracy

Central Africa without Islam

• • • Both develop free of Islamic contact Kongo (lower Congo River) • Agricultural society, flourishes by 15 th • Gender division of labor and family-based villages • Largest site: Mbanza Kongo = 60,000-100,000 people Zimbabwe (east, central Africa) • Great Zimbabwe, largest site • Dominated gold sources and trade with coastal ports • Internal divisions split during 16 th century)

Christianity in Africa

• • • • • Christian states are present in North Africa, Egypt, and Ethiopia before the arrival of Islam.

Egyptian Christians, the Copts, had a rich and independent tradition (Coptic Christianity).

• Oppressed by Byzantine Christians caused them to welcome Muslim invaders The Nubians resisted Muslim incursions from 9 th until 13 th century. Ethiopia continues to retain Christianity.

Christianity will come later to the rest of the continent with the presence of Europeans.

Global Connections

• Spread of Islam brought large areas of Africa into the global community through increasing contact from 700 1500 CE between Africa and Mediterranean and Asian civilizations. • South of the Sahara were Sudanic states and in East Africa • However, most of Africa evolved in regions free of Islamic contact (Central + Southern Africa). • Organized their lives in stateless societies. • While no universal empires and religions develop in Africa, Christianity and Islam impact the region through political, economic, and cultural development.

• Many Africans organized their lives in stateless societies.

Africa

• • • Story time p. 122 Take notes on “The Nubian Civilization” • • Take notes on “The Axumite Civilization” • • -