Transcript Chapter 13
SECTION 12 CHAPTER 13 African Societies & The Impact of Islam Mosque in Timbuktu RESOURCES Timeline from BBC Africa 500-1000 CE – Map Links Islamic Sourcebook – Fordham University Link through CPCC Library, “Empire of Faith” – Islam Part 1 and 2 BBC Link for Africa & Islam Art of Umayyad Period AFRICA BEFORE ISLAM Diversity of peoples and regions Difficult to traverse Difficult climate, seasonal rainfall Large deserts Adaptation of people to different environments Many different cultures & languages Valleys of Nile & Niger prosper Highly-developed agricultural societies Political and social hierarchies Trade Art and craftsmanship ENVIRONMENTAL AND GEOGRAPHICAL VARIETY CLANS & KINGDOMS Varieties of political organization within Africa: Location Makeup of Kingdom Sub-Saharan Africa Large groups of villages under a regional ruler South Africa Stateless – ruled by local chiefs & councils East Africa City-states emerge with independent rulers Central rain forest & eastern plans Foraging societies – nomadic clans AFRICA BEFORE ISLAM: BANTU Bantu Migrations 500 BC – 1000 CE Bantu tribes migrate from West Africa Organized into families/clans Patriarchal People or Language? Provided unity AFRICA BEFORE ISLAM: BANTU The Bantu Toolkit: People adopted Bantu language and culture b/c it was useful in adapting to different environments Patriarchal rule, polygamy, ancestor worship = stability and connections Many Bantu became cattle herders = means for survival, way of life, wealth and status Adaptability to different and changing circumstances AFRICAN TRADITIONAL RELIGIONS Polytheistic Animism (belief that spirits existed that could either help or harm human beings) Like San Rock Art people we studied earlier Priests & prophets performed rituals Sometimes King alone could contact gods Ancestor worship RITUAL MASKS 1. Côte d'Ivoire, Mali, or Burkina Faso; 2. Côte d'Ivoire KONO OR KOMO MASKS OF MALI Kono or Komo are male associations to ward off evil, protect individual or village, project individual’s power and knowledge Men construct masks as symbols of power – they become experts in nyama, a vital force that can bring good or evil Just possessing a mask gives the individual power, but it is also used in rituals For more info., follow link IFE WEST AFRICAN BRONZES 12th-15th-century CE Symbols of power and religion Connection with spirit world Power of kings To reach spirits Over people Link to images Link to videos Links to Websites on African Religions http://www.afrikaworld.net/afrel/ http://wwwsul.stanford.edu/depts/ssrg/africa/religion.ht ml http://www.africa.upenn.edu/About_African/w w_relig.html RELIGIOUS DIVERSITY IN AFRICA Animists, Christians, Muslims Christian Kingdoms, such as Axum Variety of Islamic practice Orthodox and non-orthodox monotheists People who mixed Islam and other beliefs Variety of political entities overlapping with religious practice – diff. rulers w/ diff. interests and religious views ETHIOPIA’S CHRISTIAN KINGDOM (P. 315-316 TEXT) 320-340 CE - Ethiopian King Ezana made Christianity Official State Religion http://www.pbs.org/wonders/fr_e4.htm http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/acet/hd_acet.htm African Christianity in Ethiopia During the reign of Ethiopia's Emperor Lalibela (c. 1200-1250), the monks of the region built a remarkable series of churches hewn out of solid rock that remain unique to this day. The churches stand as a testament to the strength and fervor of the Ethiopian Christian Church. The church shown here, the Church of St. George, was carved out of red volcanic rock in the shape of a Greek cross. Workers first chipped away the stone until they reached a depth of 40 feet. Afterwards, they molded the exterior of the church and hollowed out its interior. Photo credit: Georg Gerster/ Photo Researchers, Inc. St. George’s – the Rock Church Link to GoogleMap Link to photos Procession Priest Pilgrim Paintings AKSUMITE STELAE Aksum or Axum was ancient Ethiopian kingdom AKSUMITE STELAE Link to GoogleMap of Aksum Stelae Site ISLAMIC AFRICA & SPAIN Muslims and Islamic religion spread into: North Africa (639-642 CE) Created Umayyad Spain (711 CE) Created Fatimid Egypt (909-969 CE) Led by Isma’ilis – Shi’ite Islam – Orthodox Moved capital from Alexandria to New city – Cairo Defeated by Crusaders in 1099 SPREAD OF ISLAM IN AFRICA EAST AFRICAN COAST: SWAHILI CULTURE East African culture created from combo of African and Arab influences “Swahili” = “coasters,” people living along coast Swahili language a combination of Bantu and Arabic Muslims migrated down coast from north Development of trade ports and city-states along coast EAST AFRICA – SWAHILI COAST SWAHILI MERCHANTS – INDIAN OCEAN TRADE EAST AFRICAN COAST: SWAHILI CULTURE Indian Ocean trade united them Class of merchants developed along coast Trade to India, Indonesia, Arabic peninsula Development of plantation economies on islands of Zanzibar and Pemba (similar to what happened in Atlantic) – cloves & spices Use and trade of slaves by Swahili and Arab elites EAST AFRICAN COAST: ZANZIBAR Photos from Zanzibar Malindi Mosque, Zanzibar ISLAM & SLAVE TRADE Muslim demand for slaves of all races: not religious, for political power and wealth Variety of uses for African slaves: for household, military, and labor Different than Atlantic slave trade which was raciallyand plantation-based Slave caravans from west Africa across Sahara Muslims also traded in slaves from east Africa – coastal ports on Red Sea and Indian Ocean carried slaves from African interior TRADE ACROSS THE SAHARA Trade brought west African societies into contact with Berbers, Arabs, other African tribes The importance of camels – necessary to cross desert Huge camel caravans to west Africa West African rulers and kingdoms converted to Islam: used Islamic law, institutions, and writing Link to Trade and Spread of Islam in Africa (Art) EFFECTS OF TRADE ON WEST AFRICA Connections to other cultures Spread of Islam Slave trade Growth of African merchant class and cities Consolidation of kingdoms to control trade Power used to control trade and people: enslaved non-Muslims and unprotected Example, Ife bronzes: show kings AND captives WEST AFRICAN KINGDOMS: GHANA Ghana – “land of gold” Strong kingdom before Islam Controlled trade of gold & salt Berber traders converted elite to Islam Then Berbers adopted militant form of Islam – followers were called Almoravids Conquered Spain, converted Ghanaians Art of the Almoravid Period Trans-Saharan Gold Trade EMPIRES OF MEDIEVAL AFRICA EMPIRE OF MALI (1200-1450 CE) WEST AFRICAN KINGDOMS: MALI Mali (1200-1450 CE) Mandinke People Successor to state of Ghana Upper Niger River Good agriculture & lots of rainfall Strong Rulers: Sundiata, Mansa Uli, Mansa Musa MM Pilgrimage to Mecca 1324 CE Very rich & powerful – visited kings of other nations Timbuktu became center of learning & culture (p. 134) Mosque in Djenne (Mali) Djenne Mosque, Mali (20th century)