Africa and Middle East 1000-1500
Feb 10, 2016
Africa and Middle East1000-1500
Impact of Geography
• Different and vast terrain has created a huge variety of races, ethnicities and cultures.
A. African Societies by 1500
• presentation divided into three parts:– Economic
development– Social
development– Political
development
1. Economic Development
• Pastoral economies became complex– Pastoral societies
included Fulani, Maasai, Somali
– Some of these are nomadic or migrant, others settle and build villages or cities
A Fulani village in Northern Ghana, 2004
Cattle crossing the road, Northern Ghana, 2004
Economic Development (contd.)
• Agricultural economies expanded
• Farmers supplied the food needed by the population
• Surplus food was brought to the market for exchange
A market scene in West Africa
Economic Development (contd.)
• Manufacturing• Africa’s main
manufactures– Hides and skins – Metallurgy (iron)– Textile manufacturing
and dyeing
Kente cloth from Ghana
2. Social Development
• Each African society had a religious system
• We call that religion African Traditional Religion (ATR)
ATR Beliefs
• belief in a Supreme God
• belief in several divinities or lesser gods, tied to nature
• belief in ancestors• belief in life after
death• belief in
reincarnation
ATR Beliefs (contd.)
• belief in the spoken word– incantations, sacred
songs, etc.• belief in prayers• belief in sacrifice• role of priests, holy
men, seers, spirit mediums
Other Religions in Africa• Islam in Northern and
Sudanese Africa (from Ottoman Expansion)
• Christianity (from European imperialism) in Northern and Northeastern Africa
• Judaism (from ancient migration) in Northeastern Africa
Mosque in Kaduna, Nigeria
African music
• music for all occasion– work, naming,
marriage, funeral, etc.
• dance, drama
African Art and Craft
• African art inspired by religion, kingship, and personal beautification
• made for upper class and royalty
• accessible to all
Benin ivory mask
African Art (contd.)
• specialized forms:– sculpture in wood,
bronze, brass and stone
– painting of homes– body adornments– charms, amulets
Ife Bronze figure of a king
3. Political Development
• Main trends were:• rise of empires
– Ghana, Mali, Songhai– Kanem, Bornu,
Hausa states– Ife, Oyo, Benin,
Dahomey, Asante, Kongo
• division of power• rise of nation states
Ghana Empire
• established by the Soninke people
• its capital was Kumbi Saleh, a market town
• it engaged in the caravan trade in gold, kolanuts, salt, captives
• it was attacked by the Almoravids in 1076
• the defeat weakened the empire and it later fell
photo shows kolanuts on sale in Djenne, Mali,
2004
Mali Empire• established by Mandingo
people• founded by Sundiata• original capital was Niani• most prominent city was
Djenne• like Ghana, it engaged in
caravan trade• Mali’s famous ruler was
Mansa Musa• he performed pilgrimage to
Mecca, built Sankore mosque in Timbuktu
The Grand Mosque of Djenne on a market day
Songhai Empire
• established by Songhai people
• founded by Sunni Ali• its famous ruler was Askia
Muhammad Toure• he expanded the empire,
performed pilgrimage to Mecca, and made Sankore mosque a university
• Songhai was destroyed by the Moroccan invaders in 1590-91
Sankore mosque and university, Timbuktu
Other Empires of Western Africa
• Oyo Empire• Segu Tukulor Empire• Asante Empire• Benin Empire• Kongo kingdom
Photo: Asante king adorned with gold
Ottoman Empire
• Muslim• Great traders across
Europe, N Africa and Asia
• Sultan was the “landlord” and people left to own beliefs but many convert to Islam.
• Math, astronomy, sciences, literature, architecture
B. Coming of Europeans to Western Africa
Reasons for European Exploration
• Europeans came to West Africa in the 15th century
• They came for reasons of:
• Gold• God• Glory
Effects of European Exploration
1. Trade: gold, ivory, pepper, etc.
Effects (contd.)
2. Kidnapping of millions of Africans along the coast
3. Construction of forts and castles
4. Beginning of trans-Atlantic slave trade.
5. More direct control develops by 1800’s.
http://flocabulary.com/middle-ages-africa/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uakAVGi30ps