Early African Kingdoms & Empires

Pre-Historic Africa

Kingdom of Kush[295 BCE – 320 CE]

Nubia[modern-day

Sudan]

Pyramids of Kush at Meroë

Pyramids of Kush at Meroë

Kushite in Egypt, 23 BCE

Kingdom of Axum [300-700]

Stele, Ezana’s Royal Tomb,Aksum (4c)

Christian Church, Lalibela[Ethiopia]

Christian Church, Lalibela[Ethiopia]

Coptic Christian Priest

AXUM’SACHIEVEMENTSControlled

NE AfricanTrade

WrittenLanguage

Spread Christianityin No. & E.

Africa

TerraceFarming

BuiltStelae

Early African Kingdoms 600 CE – 1500’s

• Ghana• Mali• Songhay• Benin• Swahili• Great Zimbabwe

Trans-Saharan Trade & Islamic States in W. Africa

• After 300 CE – camels replaced horses & donkeys as transport

• Camels – quicken pace of communication

• Islamic merchants crossed desert & established relations

Berbers

GOLD

SALT

Gold-Salt Trade

Gold “Money”, Ghana/Ivory Coast

Ghana Empire [4c-11c]

Salt

Kingdom of Ghana -- Gold-Salt Trade

• Most important commercial site in W. Africa

• Provided gold, ivory, & slaves for traders from N. Africa

• In exchange for salt, horses, cloth, & manufactured goods

• Capital = Ghana – thriving commercial center

• Ghana kings convert to Islam by 10th cent. – tolerant

Mali Empire [13c-15c]

GOLD

SALT

Sundiata [1210-1260]

“Lion Prince”

Mali Empire• Sundiata

– “Lion Prince”– Built Mali Empire

• Controlled gold-salt trade (post-Ghana)

• Taxed all trade in W. Africa

• Caravans linked Mali & N. Africa

• Many prosperous cities

Mansa Musa [r. 1312-1337]

Mansa Musa• Greatest king of Mali• Sundiata’s grandnephew• Known for pilgrimage to Mecca

(Hajj)– huge caravan

• Effects of Hajj (Important)• Strengthened Islam, promoted

education, trade & commerce in Mali– Built mosques (Timbuktu, Gao

& Djenne)– Sent students to study

w/scholars in W. Africa– Estab. Islamic schools

• Timbuktu – Commercial & Intellectual center

of Mali

Mansa Musa – Hajj Stats• 100 camel-loads of gold

(300 lbs./each)• 500 Slaves – each carrying

a 4 lb. gold staff• Thousands of his subjects• Senior Wife

– 500 attendants• He was “making it rain”

gold in Egypt & Mecca• SO!! Mansa Musa ran out of

$$$$. “He gave out so much gold… it caused its value to fall”

Timbuktu-”Heavenly Clay”

Timbuktu Rooftop, Mosque

Tuaregs

Marketplace near the Niger River

Mosque in Gao

Great Mosque at Djenne, Mali

Distant Mosque at Djenne, Mali

European Map

Songhai Empire [15c-16c]

GOLD

SALT

Sunni Ali [r.1464-1492]

• Songhai take over from Mali (control gold-salt trade)

• Muslim leaders• Sunni Ali – ruler of Songhai• Worked to unify, strenghten &

enlarge the land (took over Timbuktu & Djenne)

• Brought stability & peace to Songhai

• Religiously tolerant

Askia Mohammed [r.1493-1529]

Great leader of SonghaiSerious MuslimSupported Islamic education (Timbuktu flourished again)Djenne became a center of learningOrganized govt. and laws based on Islamic principlesCreated 1st standing army

Askia Mohammed’s Tomb [1443-1538]

Gao, Mali

Benin Empire [15c-19c]

Bronze Heads from Benin (16c)

Benin Bronze Leopard

BantuMigration

s:

1000 BCETo

500 CE

IslamicInvasion

s

African Trade Routes

Swahili-Speaking Areas of E. Africa

SWAHILI [“the coast’] = Bantu + some Arabic

Arab Dow off the coast of Zanzibar

Great Zimbabwe [1200-1450]

“Zimbabwe” = “stone enclosure”

Great Zimbabwe Street

Great Enclosure, Zimbabwe

Manamotopa Empire [1450-1630]

Overland & Sea Trade Routes by 16c

African Trade [15c-17c]