Africa before the Arrival of the Europeans Warm
Africa before the Arrival of the Europeans
Warm up………. . �How many African countries can you name? ? ?
Bantu migrations spread knowledge of ironworking and language
Africa in the Postclassical Period � At time of Roman Empire sub-Saharan Africa on the edge of major centers of civilizations � Between 800 -1500 contacts with the outside world increased dramatically with the growth of the growing international trade network � Spread of Islam had profound effects on both those who converted and those who resisted - until 1450 Islam provided the major external contact b/w sub-Saharan Africa and the world � State building, ie. Songhay and Mali (although their power derived from military strength) � Africa in the post-classical period: ◦ N. Africa and eastern Africa incorporated into the Arab world ◦ New centers of civilization and political power arose ◦ Much still remained in isolation
African Societies: Diversities and Similarities �Differences in geography, language, religion, politics, etc. meant that they never unified �Stateless societies ◦ Organized around kinship or other forms of obligation and lacking the concentration of political power and authority we normally associate with the state ◦ Little concentration of authority; did have forms of government but the authority normally held by a ruler was held by a council of families or a community council ◦ Drawbacks- difficult to resist external pressures, mobilize for warfare, organize large building projects, etc.
Common Elements in African Societies Bantu language- provided a linguistic base (despite regional variances) Animistic religion- belief in the power of natural forces personified as spirits or gods; provided a cosmology- view of how the universe worked Veneration of ancestors vital Diversity in economies- N. Africa stands apart b/c of contact with Med. World; Sub. Saharan Africa- settled agriculture, skilled ironwork - specialization – basis for lively markets and large cities
Arrival of Islam in North Africa ◦ 640 -700 CE followers of Muhammad swept across north Africa from Suez to Morocco’s Atlantic shore- by 670 Muslims ruled Tunisia- by 711 Arab and Berber armies had crossed into Spain ◦ Conversion took place rapidly, as Abbasid dynasty had provided political unity ◦ Berbers- peoples of the desert- formed states of their own- by 11 th century reformist movement- Almoravids- moved south against the African kingdoms of the savanna. 1130 another reformist group- Almohadis- followed same pattern ◦ Islam attractive within Africa �Acceptance of conquerors and new rulers acceptable since all Muslims were equal in Islam �Tradition of uniting the powers of the religion and the state in the caliph appealed to some �Despite ideals, practice differed at local levels
The Christian Kingdoms: Nubia and Ethiopia ◦ Adopted Christianity before Roman Empire ◦ Christians of Egypt- Copts- developed rich tradition in contact with Byzantium- were able to maintain faith when Egypt was conquered – eventually spread to Nubia (ancient kingdom of Kush) ◦ Ethiopian Kingdom- grew from Axum- cut off from Byzantium by Muslim conquest of Red Sea coast – so turned inward- King Lalibela (died 1221) sponsored huge building project- 13 -14 th centuries- Christian Ethiopian state
Kingdoms of the Grasslands �African had three important coasts of contact: the Atlantic, the Indian Ocean, and the savanna on the southern edge of the Sahara �Ghana had already formed by the 8 th century by exchanging gold form the forests of west Africa for salt or dates from the Sahara or goods from the Med. – probably founded in 3 rd century. By 10 th century had converted to Islam �Sahel- grassland belt at edge of the Sahara- became a point of exchange between the forests to the south and north Africa- another “coast” where ideas and goods were exchanged- several cities developed along the “coast”
Empire of Mali and Sudiata, the “Lion Prince” ◦ Mali creation of the Malinke people who broke away from Ghana in 13 th century ◦ Rulers supported Islam- in return supporters were obedient and faithful as the sermons stressed ◦ Agriculture economic basis ◦ Malinke merchants- juula ◦ Sundiata (died 1260) - leader who began Malinke expansion- he became the mansa (emperor) ◦ Mali grew wealthy from trade ◦ Mansa Kankan Musa (1312 -1337)- most famous successor, made a pilgrimage to Mecca in 1324 and brought the attention of the Muslim world to Mali. Brought back Ishak al-Sahili, poet and architect, who directed the building of several important mosques (great mosque of Jenne)
City Dwellers and Villagers ◦ Towns were very commercial- Power of the state protected traders ◦ Timbuktu ◦ 80% of population lived off land ◦ Polygamy common ◦ Farmers able to provide for the people (even with their basic methods)
Songhay Kingdom ◦ People of Songhay dominated the middle areas of the Niger valley ◦ Began to form in the 7 th century, by 1010 capital established at Gao on the Niger River and the rulers had become Muslims, by 1370 s Songhay had established its independence ◦ Sunni Ali (1464 -1492) great leader who forged the empire- by mid 16 th century it dominated central Sudan ◦ 1591 Muslim army from Morocco defeated the Songhay �
Political and Social Life in the Sudanic States ◦ Development of a unified state provided framework to allow existing groups and communities to coexist ◦ Islam provided solidarity and trust to merchants ◦ Muslim concept of ruler as caliph reinforced the kingship ideas in Africa ◦ Islam in the early stages accommodated pagan practices and beliefs ◦ Women- some Songhay societies matrilineal and recognized the role of women ◦ Slavery became a more widely diffused phenomenon and slave trade in Africa developed on a new scale �In theory, Muslims viewed slave trade as a stage in conversion but in reality it did not guarantee freedom �
The Swahili Coast �Islamicized trading cities developed as a result of contacts with trading partners from Arabia, Persia, India, and China �Islam provided a universal set of ethics and beliefs that made their maritime contacts easier �In East Africa- Islamization slower to reach population- compromise between indigenous ways and new
The Coastal Trading Ports ◦ From 1 st to 10 th century Bantu-speaking people had made it to the coast and were mixing with the indigenous groups there ◦ Contacts on the Indian Ocean date back to 2 nd century BCE ◦ By 13 th century string of urbanized east African trading ports ◦ Port city Kilwa flourished from 13 th-15 th century (had gold from Zimbabwe) and was African city furthest south that could be used in one Monsoon season
The Mixture of Cultures on the Swahili Coast ◦ Islam- forged bonds of trust among traders from Asia to Africa ◦ Islam penetrated very little into the interior among hunters, pastoralist, and farmers ◦ Islamization was, to some extent, classbased with the upper classes converting and not the lower classes ◦ Swahili culture- a hybrid of Islam and African tradition
Artists and Kings: Yoruba and Benin �Yoruba �Nigeria- village of Nok- found objects demonstrating great artistic skill dating back to 500 BCE-200 CE �Ile-Ife artists worked with terra-cotta and bronze to create lifelike portraits �Yoruba origins obscure �Yoruba spoke a non-Bantu language of west African Swa family �Organized in small city-states, developed under authority of regional kings, who were considered divine �Benin �Large city state of the Edo peoples formed sometime in the 14 th century �By 16 th century- city of great population and broad avenues and artwork �Power of the ruler demonstrated in much of the art work
Kingdoms of Kongo and Mwene Mutapa ◦ 13 th-15 th centuries CE development of kingdom Kongo �Agricultural base �From kinship to kingship �Division of labor between men and women �Kingship hereditary but local chieftainships were not �Bantu confederation developed among the farming and cattle-herding peoples in the region between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers �Began building stone houses or Zimbabwe in the 9 th century �Greatest house was the Great Zimbabwe, which was the center of the kingdom and was associated with the bird of God �By 15 th century centralized state ruled from Great Zimbabwe �Mwene Mutapa- great king who led period of expansion in late 15 th and 16 th centuries. Had dominance of internal resources like gold, which gave them an advantage in trade �By 16 th century internal divisions split kingdom apart but control of the gold fields still provided a source of power and trade
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