Transcript Early History of Sub

Early History of Sub-Saharan
Africa
Many years ago (not 2500…)
• Climate became
hotter & drier in
Northern Africa
•  plants
destroyed, rivers
evaporated
• People forced to
move southward
• Nile Valley
(Egypt) remained
fertile and
civilizations
emerged along
the Nile River
Delta
African Kingdoms & Empires: A
Preview
• Ghana cultural hearth
• Large,
effectively
organized
states existed
in Africa for
centuries
before
European
contact
• The Great
Bantu migration
– Occurred in
waves starting
about 5000
years ago
Ghana: The Kingdom of Gold
• First great W. African trading empire (700 CE)
• Gold was VERY plentiful here = $$$$$$$
• Practiced traditional African religions, but very tolerant of
Muslim traders (to the north)
• Power came from ability to use iron weapons to control
gold and salt trade
– Taxed all trade—tax collection system put into
place
• Weakened w/ Berber attacks  enter Islam
SALT
GOLD
Berbers
CAMEL CARAVANS!
Kingdom of Mali
• Rose to power after Ghana (about twice
the size)
• Most powerful under rule of Mansa Musa
• Also became rich from the gold-for-salt
trade
• Encouraged Islam (officials had to
read/write in Arabic)
– Made the hajj, a pilgrimage to Mecca,
Saudi Arabia
The Great Mosque at Djienne, Mali
Timbuktu & Major Trade Routes
Songhai Empire
•
•
•
•
Replaced Mali gradually
Islam became official religion
Expansion of lands
Ended in 1600s
Bantu Migrations
• Had already established societies in central & southern
Africa during the “empire period” in the north
• Historians estimated that Bantu spread over 1/3 of
continent  CULTURAL DIFFUSION
• How did they impact Africa then and today?
– Founded central African kingdoms (kingdom of
Kongo/Congo)
– Iron tools allowed more efficient work
– Established colony-like states
– Absorbed other people into their society  60 to
150 million people speak a Bantu language today!
– Influenced modern-day countries: Tanzania, Malawi,
Zambia and Zimbabwe
Swahili Trading States
• Independent citystates linked by:
– Language
(Bantu)
– Trade
• Traded
gold,
slaves,
ivory,
leopard
skins, etc.
with Persia,
India, &
China
– Religion
(Islam)
• Height: 13th-16th
century
Another Bantu grp.
European Arrival
• Natural wealth of Africa  Europeans
interested!
• Began in 1200s, mainly by the
Portuguese
• By 1600s & 1700s, Europeans were
trading gold, ivory, textiles (cotton) and
SLAVES
– Got the idea from Africans, actually!
– (kings & chiefs of African kingdoms had
taken prisoners-of-war and traded them with
Arabs….for a really long time)
The Slave Trade
Triangular Trade
Berlin Conference: 1884
• How did the Industrial Rev. impact colonialism in Africa?
– Need cheap labor, raw materials, new markets, and
competition b/w countries
• Why was the Berlin Conf. called?
– On paper: legally divide continent between
European powers (sounds legit)
– In reality: it was a power struggle to see who could
control slave trade, become SUPER rich off of
Africa’s natural resources
• What was the doctrine of “effective occupation”?
– To own coastal land, had to prove you were
capable of protecting freedom of trade & transit
(wealthy and powerful enough to handle it).
“Sphere of Influence”
Berlin Conference: A Summary
• 14 European powers divided up Africa without any
consideration of cultures
• Result of boundaries:
– Ignored cultures, divided homelands
– Set African groups against each other by
European rule
– Migration routes cut off
– Small, local farms  HUGE plantations for cash
crops (coffee & tea)
– European missionaries promoted
Christianity/European culture  weakening of
African culture
• By 1914, all but two areas (Liberia & Ethiopia) were
colonized by the Europeans
Which two
European
powers ruled
much of SubSaharan Africa?
• British
• French
Pros! 
Cons 
• New educational
opportunities
•
Economy set up to benefit
the EUROPEANS, not the
Africans
• Cities developed
under European
rule
•
No room for African
involvement in
government
•
Not given an example for
democracy
This is important! When these
countries won independence later
(after World War II), they didn’t know
how to run themselves as a democratic
government  conflicts as different
groups within countries competed for
power
AFRICAN INDEPENDENCE
• Really took off after
WWII – weakening
of Europeans
• Used Africans for
military• Larger group of
educated Africans 
what impact did this
have on
independence?