West African Kingdoms Global I: Spiconardi. The Bantu Group of people who originally live in West Africa Migrated in search of fertile land Spread their.

West African Kingdoms

Global I: Spiconardi

The Bantu

Group of people who originally live in West AfricaMigrated in search of

fertile landSpread their knowledge of

farming, ironworking, & LANGAUGE across the continent• Today almost 1/3 of Africans

speak a language derived from the Bantu

West African Gold/Salt Kingdoms

Ghana (c. 400 – 1235)

The first of the West African trading kingdomsThrough weapon making

technology (iron smelting), Ghanaian warriors expanded boundaries• Gained control over trade

routes

Ghana

Gold &Salt TradeLocation! Location! Location!• Ghana was located in the midway between Saharan salt mines and

tropical gold minesCaravans of Muslim merchants brought goods, which

Ghanaian people exchanged for gold• Trade conducted via the silent trade• Muslims brought their religion to the people of Ghana

Recap

Mali (1230 – 1600s)

Mali was the second of the three major West African Kingdoms

Mali was the leading supplier of slaves in the Indian Ocean & Trans-Saharan trades

Mali (1230 – 1600s)

Mansa MusaDevout Muslim king• Bases legal and justice system on

the Qur’an Makes hajj to Mecca, but stops

in Egypt first• Gives Egypt so much gold that the

value of gold declines for 10 straight years• Traveled with 12,000 servants each

wearing silk & carrying gold bars, which were given to the poor

Read the account of Mansa Musa’s Hajj and answer the

questions

Mali

Mansa MusaBrings back Islamic scholars

and architects to MaliHas Timbuktu builtTimbuktu• Center of learning and art• Increased Islamic influence in

West Africa• Use of credit• Written contracts• Education for many classes

Timbuktu

Ibn Battuta

Moroccan born traveler and explorerTravel the Islamic world from

North Africa to ChinaSpent 30 years traveling His primary source writings

inform historians about the Muslim world in Africa

Ibn????

Batttuta!

I think it’s worth a try

this summer

1304-1368

Songhai (c. 1350 – 1591)

The largest of the 3 major West African kingdoms

Took control of Timbuktu

Expanded trade to Europe and AsiaPeriod of great

cultural diffusion

Sunni Ali

Sunni AliFirst emperor of SonghaiWill the real Sunni Ali please stand up?• Some sources note his skills as a politician and military

commander. Others are not so kind…

Sonni Ali entered Banana, committed gross iniquity, burned and destroyed the town, and brutally tortured many people there. When Akilu heard of the coming of Sonni Ali, he brought a thousand camels to carry the fuqaha ([slamic legal expert] of Sankore and went with them to Walata..... The Godless tyrant was engaged in slaughtering those who remained in Timbuktu and humiliated them.

Songhai

Askia Muhammad sets up high functioning bureaucracy 5 provinces each with• A governor• Tax collector • Judges (Like Mansa

Musa, had laws based on Qur’an)• Trade inspectors

Askia Muhammad’s Tomb

Assessment