Chapter VII: African Empires. Geography Geographic Zones: Niger River= all of the west African kingdoms were located along the Niger, including Timbuktu.

Chapter VII:

African Empires

Geography

• Geographic Zones:• Niger River= all of the west African kingdoms

were located along the Niger, including Timbuktu and Gao. Traders would carry goods down the Niger River into central Africa.

• Sahara= largest desert on Earth• After Asia, Africa is the largest of the

continents

• Africa is the second-largest continent in the world.• B. The African continent contains rain forests; savannas, which are• tropical grasslands; and deserts.• C. The Sahara and Kalahari Desert are in Africa. The Sahara is the• largest desert in the world.• D. A plateau is an area of high, flat land. Almost all of Africa, except

the• coastal plains, rests on a plateau.• E. The Nile River is Africa’s longest river. The Congo River is about• 2,700 miles long.• F. The Great Rift Valley was formed when parts of the plateau’s

surface• dropped.

Ghana

• Salt= highly desired trade item• Traded their gold for salt• First great trading state to emerge in the area

south of the Sahara• Emerged 500 AD…mostly farmers• Kings of Ghana were strong, wealthy rulers…

had a well-trained army with thousands of soldiers

Ghana

• Ghana prospered from its gold and iron products, Muslim merchants brought textiles, horses , metal goods and salt

• Exchanging of goods in Ghana was done by silent trade…boundary line

• Berbers (nomadic people whose camel caravans carried much of the trade across the desert

• Muslim merchants often acted as middlemen between the local traders and the Berbers.

Mali

• Ghana, weakened by wars, collapsed during the 1100’s.

• Sundiata Keita established the kingdom of Mali

• Sundiata means “lion prince”…he captured the Ghanaian capital in 1240.

• He united the people of Mali and created a strong government.

Mali

• Trading center= Timbuktu• Mali was built on the gold and salt trade• The farmers (who grew sorghum, millet and

rice) lived in villages with local rulers…these religious and administrative leaders sent tax revenues to the king

Mali

• Mansa Musa• One of Mali’s richest and most powerful king• Ruled 1312 to 1337 (25 years)• Doubled Mali’s size• Created a strong government with local

governors whom he appointed• Legendary pilgrimage to Makkah (value of gold

fell)• 1359, civil war divided Mali.

Songhai

• 1009, a ruler named Kossi converted to Islam and established the Dia dynasty

• The chief trade center was Songhai…Songhai expanded and under the leadership of Sunni Ali, who created the Sunni dynasty in 1464

• Conquest over Timbuktu• Songhai reached its height under the rule of

Muhammad Ture…eventually, forces from Morocco took over.

Daily Life

• Role of Women• Usually subordinate to men• Many African societies were matrilineal (the

descent was based on the mother rather the father)

• Often permitted to own property/ husband was often expected to move into his wife’s house

• Bantu= communities based on subsistence farming

Significance of Ancestors/ Religion• Ancestors were important to African religion:

each lineage group can trace itself back to a founding ancestor

• Ritual ceremonies dedicated to ancestors were important because the ancestors were believed to be closer to the gods

• Ancestors had the power to influence, for good or evil, the lives of their descendants

• Ancestors would live in the afterlife as long as the lineage group continued to perform rituals in their names

• First stage of life is on earth… After life on Earth is finished, the human soul floats around the atmosphere for eternity…Ancestral souls were honored by rituals performed by lineage groups

• Ashanti= people in Ghana who worshipped Nyame and a group of lesser gods

• diviners= people who believe they have the ability to foretell events, usually by working with supernatural forces

• griots= told stories in order to preserve and pass down history

• Swahili= blend of African and Arabian culture