Transcript Document

I. African Society and Culture
• The family was the basis of Africa society.
• Lived in extended families, or families
made up of several generations.
• Matrilineal societies that traced their
descent through their mothers rather than
fathers.
A. Education
• Children learned the history of their people
and skills they needed from their family and
the village.
• Griots, or storytellers kept alive their
village’s oral history through stories passed
down by word of mouth.
Religions of Africa
46% Christian
40% Muslim
12% Traditional African Religions
B. Traditional African Religions
• Varied from region to region.
• Most believed in one Creator.
• Provided rules for living and helped people
stay in touch with their history.
• Believed that spirits of the dead stayed with
the community.
• They believed these spirits could talk to
God and could help solve problems.
C.Women’s Roles
•
Women were mostly mothers and wives.
• Men had more rights and controlled much of what women did.
• In some African kingdoms women served as soldiers.
• Some women were famed rulers:
1. Queen Dahia al-Kahina led a fights against Muslim take over of her
kingdom in 600 A.D. (modern day Mauritania)
2. Queen Nzinga spent 40 years battling Portuguese slave traders. (she
ruled where modern day Angola and Congo is)
D. African Art and Dance
• Masks and statues were made to celebrate
African religious beliefs.
• Artist worked in wood, ivory, or bronze to
show faces of important leaders.
• Music and dance allowed them to express
themselves and to celebrate important
events such as birth and death.
http://www.hp.uab.edu/image_archive/um/painting06.jpg
I. Who were the Bantu
• 3000 B.C. fishing groups along the Benue River
packed their belongings and began moving
throughout Africa.
• The wonders called themselves “Bantu” meaning
“wonderers.”
• They spread throughout Africa bringing their
culture.
• 120 million Africans speak hundreds of Bantu
languages
II. Trade Caravans Begin
• The vast Sahara kept the Bantu from
migrated to Northern Africa.
• For 1,000 of years the North was isolated
until 400 B.C. the North African Berbers
found a way across the Sahara to West
Africa, and trade began.
• Romans introduced camels to N. Africa-this
revolutionized trade.
I. Ghana
• The first empire to develop in West Africa
in 400 A.D.
• Ghana was located where several trade
routs came together-anyone who wanted to
used these trade routes had to pay a fee-this
made Ghana rich.
• Ghana made weapons of iron and controlled
people who had gold mines.
A. Ghana’s Government
• King relied on a council of ministers
• As the empire grew-divided empires into provinces-lesser
kings governed these.
• King held power tightly
• Local rulers had to send their sons to the royal courts.
• Nobody could trade without the permission of the king.
• Nobody could own gold nuggets except the king.
• People had to trade in gold dust.
• The kingdom was inherited only by the son of the king’s
sister.
B. The Fall of Ghana
• Their power declined when gold mines outside
Ghana’s control reduced the taxes it collected.
• Heavy farming depleted the minerals and made it
harder to grow enough crops.
• Constant warfare
• Rulers accepted Islam
• In 1200’s the kingdom of Mali conquered what
was left of the empire.
Ghana developed in West Africa
between the Niger (NI-jhur) and
the Gambia Rivers. It was an
important kingdom there from
about AD300 to about 1100. The
rivers helped Ghana to grow rich
because they were used to
transport goods and develop
trade. Ghana also collected taxes
from traders who passed through
the kingdom. The people called
their nation Wagadu; we know it
as Ghana --that was the word for
war chief.
http://www.nevadasurveyor.com/africa/web/pages/niger_river.htm
The kingdom of Ghana probably began
when several clans of the Soninke
people of west Africa came together
under the leadership of a great king
named Dinga Cisse.
Ghana had few natural resources
except salt and gold. They were also
very good at making things from iron.
Ghanaian warriors used iron tipped
spears to subdue their neighbors, who
fought with weapons made of stone,
bone, and wood.
http://www.imf.org/external/np/exr/center/mm/eng/mm_rs_01.htm
"The King . . .(wears). . . necklaces round
his neck and bracelets on his forearms and
he puts on a high cap decorated with gold
and wrapped in a turban of fine cotton.
He (meets people) in a domed pavilion
around which stand ten horses covered
with gold-embroidered materials…and on
his right, are the sons of the (lesser)
kings of his country, wearing splendid
garments and their hair plaited with gold.
At the door of the pavilion are dogs of
excellent pedigree. Round their necks they
wear collars of gold and silver, studded
with a number of balls of the same
metals."
10th century geographer Al-Bakri, quoted in Corpus of Early Arabic Sources for West
African History.
This is a
primary source
that describes
the court of one
king of Ghana.
Complete the
worksheet on
the modified
reading.
Ghana became a rich and powerful nation, especially
when the camel began to be used as a source of
transport. Ghana relied on trade and trade was
made faster and bigger with the use of the camel.
http://es.encarta.msn.com/media_461532998_761558787_-1_1/Caravana_de_camellos.html
news.nationalgeographic.com/. ../salt/photo6.html
Click here to learn about
camels. Use your
notetaking sheet to
record your answers.
Islamic
Mosque
in Ghana
blankbluesky.com/ travel/ghana/
After 700 AD, the religion of Islam began to spread over northern
Africa. Followers of this religion are called Muslims. Muslim
warriors came into Ghana and fought with the non-Islamic people
there. This weakened the great civilization of Ghana. Local
warriors then decided to break away from the power of Ghana and
form their own local kingdoms. This ended many of the trade
networks. This eventually weakened the civilization of Ancient
Ghana.
Return
http://www.btsadventures.com/img/mosque.jpg
I. Mali
• 1230 to 1255 the great warrior king
Sundiata Keita “the Lion Prince” conquered
Ghana.
• Seized the capital of Ghana in 1240.
• He controlled lands from the Atlantic coast
to the trading city of Timbuktu.
• He was able to rebuild the gold and salt
trade.
A. Mansa Musa
• Leader of Mali who used the wealth of Mali to
build mosques and libraries to collect books from
all over the Muslim world.
• 1324 Mansa Musa makes a famous pilgrimage to
Mecca.
• While in Mecca, convinced some of Islam’s finest
architects, teachers, and writers, to accompany
him back to Mail-this helped spread Islam in West
Africa.
• After Mansa Musa’s death in 1332 the kings that
failed to stop Berber invaders who conquered
Timbuktu.
B. The Griots
This is a 19th century griot of
Mali with his instrument
• Storytellers were called
Griots or djeli
• They were important
people in Mali
• They told the land’s
history
• Most of what we know
about ancient Mali came
from the storytellers
• They were advisors to
the kings
C. Why was Salt Important?
The man
is holding
a slab of
salt
mined
recently
near
Timbuktu
MiniFact: The picture
behind these words is
also a slab of SALT!
• Mali often traded its
gold for salt
• Salt was sometimes
more valuable than
gold!
• People’s bodies need
salt to live
– In the desert heat, salt
is lost through
perspiration
• Salt was used to
preserve food
• Salt was brought in
large slabs (coins)
D. Timbuktu
• A very important city
in Mali
– Center of learning for
Muslims
– Universities and
schools
– Largest trading
center in Mali
– On the Niger River
• Trade
• Food
• Washing
Timbuktu
19th century traders in
Timbuktu
A powerful king named Sundiata ruled
this area from around 1230-1255 AD.
He led the people in conquering and
expanding his kingdom to be as great as
Ghana had been.
Perhaps the greatest
king of Mali was Mansa
Musa (1312-1337). He
developed the gold and
salt trade of Mali and his
kingdom became very
powerful and rich.
Mansu Musa: Lord of the Negroes of Guinea. (Photo courtesy of History of Africa)
Mansa Musa was a Muslim, meaning he followed the religion
of Islam. He built many beautiful mosques or Islamic temples
in western Africa.
http://travel.u.nu/pic/ml/djenne.jpg
A Muslim church is called a
Mosque
This is the mosque at Djenne
in Mali. It’s built of mud!
Click for a movie
In 1324 Mansa Musa made a pilgrimage ( a journey to a holy
place) to Mecca, which is a holy city in Arabia, with 60,000
servants and followers and 80 camels carrying more than
4,000 pounds of gold to be distributed among the poor. Of
the 12,000 servants 500 carried a staff of pure gold. This
showed his power and wealth to the other people he visited.
http://bseleck.bei.t-online.de/timbuktu/img_tim/mansamusag.gif
What did Mali trade?
• Gold
The dotted
lines are trade
routes from
Mali to other
parts of
Africa
What else did they trade?
Camels, the ships of the desert, traveled in caravans
bringing to Mali:
•
•
•
•
Salt
Copper
Ivory
Cloth
•
•
•
•
Kola Nuts
Slaves
Books
Shells
MiniFact: This was before Columbus even sailed to
the New World!
When Mansa Musa died there were no kings as powerful
as he was to follow. The great kingdom of Mali
weakened. Eventually a group of people known as
Berbers came into the area and other people came up
from the south to claim territory that was once part of
the kingdom. Although Mali fell, another advanced
African kingdom took its place, the kingdom of Songhai.
The Berbers still
live in North
Africa. This
picture, taken in
1893, shows a
Berber group.
http://www.uchicago.edu/docs/mp-site/plaisanceplan/graphics/berbers.jpg
Mali
Today
http://www.exzooberance.com
I. Songhai
• In 1468 Sunni Ali took back Timbuktu and
drove out the Berbers.
• He swept throughout western Africa and
took Berber salt mines.
• He declared himself Muslim to keep the
support of the townspeople.
• By his death in 1492-he has built the largest
empire in Western Africa.
A. Songhai and Askia Muhammad
• Sunni Ali’s son refused to follow his father’s
example.
• Sunni Ali’s general, Muhammad Ture, saw a
chance to take over the government.
• With the support of the townspeople he drove out
Sunni Ali’s family and made himself leaderrenamed Askia Muhammad.
• Built the largest empire in medieval West Africa.
• Made Timbuktu an important center of Islamic
culture with a university and set up some 150
schools to teach the Quran.
B. The End of Songhai
• Lasted for 100 years-was conquered in 1591
by a small army from the Arab kingdom of
Morocco crossed the Sahara.
• Soldiers with cannons and guns easily cut
down Songhai soldiers armed with swords,
spears, and bows.
This map was
created in 1375.
The same trade
routes were used
by the merchants
of the Songhai
kingdom. What
kinds of pictures
do you see on the
map and why do
you think the
mapmaker put
them there?
http://www.sfusd.k12.ca.us/schwww/sch618/Travelers/Catal_AtlasAfrica.jpg
The picture above is one artist’s idea of what the great Songhai
leader, Sunni Ali might have looked like. Sunni Ali saw that the
kingdom of Mali was weakening and he led his soldiers to conquer
the area. He began the kingdom of Songhai. He also set up a
complex government to rule all the lands he had conquered.
http://www.abcorpaffairs.com/gallery/
All three
kingdoms
of West
Africa
relied on
trade for
their
strength
and wealth.
Look at the
map at
complete
the “In and
Out of
Africa”
worksheet
in your
packet.
Silk, Ceramics, Beads, Islam
from Europe and Asia
Salt
Timbuktu
Gao
Jenne
Gold, Ivory, Wood, Slaves
Coming into West Africa
Coming from Africa and going to
Europe and Asia
Click here to complete a scavenger hunt
about western Africa. Use the
“Scavenger Hunt” worksheet in your
packet.
http://www.africanculturalcenter.org/4_4tradekingdoms.html#
Sunni Ali died in 1492 CE. His
son took over the rule of
Songhai but he did not accept
Islam as a religion. Islam was
accepted as a religion by many
people in northern Africa. One
of Sunni Ali’s generals, named
Muhammad Ture, overthrew
the new king and made himself
king of Songhai. Ture was a
follower of Islam (Muslim) and
so he made Islam the religion
of his kingdom.
This is a photo of a mosque,
or place of worship for
Muslims, in western Africa.
Many mosques were built of
local materials.
http://www.thewoz.ca/ghana/_larabanga1.jpg
For more detailed information on Songhai,
click on the picture.
Songhai remained a rich and
strong kingdom under
Muhammad Ture’s rule. It
had a complex government
centered in the city of Gao,
and great centers of learning.
But later rulers were not as
powerful. In the late 1500s,
Morocco invaded Songhai to
take its rich trade routes.
Moroccans had a new weapon,
the gun, and the army of
Songhai did not. This led to
the fall of Songhai.
(Photo courtesy of African Origin of Civilization by Cheikh Anta Diop)
The Great Zimbabwe
Great Zimbabwe is huge stone structure in the modern nation of
Zimbabwe. This 800 foot long structure has outer walls 32 feet
high and 17 feet think in some places. It was probably started
around 1200 C.E. IT is thought that the Great Zimbabwe was a
religious, governmental, and ceremonial center for the Bantuspeaking Shona people: as many as 20,000 people lived around it.
The Portuguese were sure that it was built b y the Queen of Sheba.
Other people felt it was built by Egyptians, Greeks, or even aliens
from out space.
What YOU think?
South African Civilizations
Zimbabwe on the Zambezi (River)
•located on the grasslands between the Zambezi and
Limpopo Rivers
•1871- German explorer Karl Mauch found the remains of a
powerful and prosperous civilization
•city (10,000) wall of cement and stone 38 feet high
•found ornaments of gold, copper, porcelain from China
•wealth source- tax on cattle and gold trade
•German Mauch- did not give credit to Africans- prejudice
•historians recognize and give credit to Africans.
I. The Development of Slavery
• Slavery already existed throughout the world including in
Africa.
• Bantu chiefs would raid nearby villages and would take
captives which became laborers or were released for a fee.
• Criminals and prisoners of war also became slaves.
• Slaves in Africa could win their freedom through work or
by marrying a free person.
II. Slavery in Africa
• Muslims owned traded slaves-had to be non-Muslims.
• Began in Europe in 1441 with the Portuguese.
• Mostly used on Portuguese plantations because of their
farming skills and ability to make tools.
• By late 1400’s other European countries began to enslave
Africans.