Civilizations of Africa Chapter 11 Africa and the

Civilizations of Africa Chapter 11

Africa and the Bantu Section 1

Africa’s Physical Geography • People kept searching for better land for farming – Migration – mass movement of people – Not even physical barriers can stop a great migration, or movement of people • The largest desert in Africa and the world is the Sahara

• Tropical rain forest are on either side of the equator – think of the mirror on the movie • Much of the area north and south of Africa’s rain forest is savanna – Savanna – areas of gently rolling land covered by grasses

The Bantu • Bantu is a language – the people were known as the Bantu – When they migrated they spread their language and culture • They lived in a clan – a group of families who traced their roots to the same ancestor • The Bantu-speaking people migrated because they were looking for better farmland better grazing

The Bantu (con’t) – remember about the title! • The migrations of the Bantu people lasted more than 1, 000 years to and in Africa • The only reason we know about the Bantu is from oral history –accounts of the past that people pass down by word of mouth – Traditional African story tellers help historians study the Bantu migrations

Section 2 Kingdoms of West Africa

Kingdoms of the Savanna • Ghana was the first West African kingdom based on the gold and salt trade – People would usually trade salt to get gold • West African trade was based on gold and salt – Very important products • Mali was centered in the Upper Niger Valley – In about 1230, under the leadership of Sundiata, Mali took control of the salt and gold trade – Sundiata made Mali the most powerful kingdom in West Africa

Kingdoms of the Savanna (con’t) • Mansa Musa became ruler of Mali, North Africa has brought the new religion, Islam – Remember the trip to the holy city of Mecca? – This trip that they took created new ties between Mali and the Muslim people of North Africa and Southwest Asia • Muslim scholars in the empire of Mali taught students religion, mathematics, medicine, and law – Mansa Musa wanted Mali to be the center of learning

Kingdoms of the Forest • Benin and Ile-Ife were two of the most important kingdoms of the West African forests • Ile-Ife – A center of culture and trade – Not much is known about area – Thick woods and damp area has washed much of the possible artifacts away

Kingdoms of the Forest (con’t) • Benin rules an Empire – Workers mined copper, iron, and gold – Leader – obas • Sold slaves to African traders – Benin reached its greatest strength and size • Ruled trade along the rivers

Section 3 East Africa’s Great Trading Centers

Ancient Ethiopia • The port cities of East Africa traded with China, India, and Southwest Asia • Kilwa was a Muslim city that thrived because of trade with these foreign lands • Aksum is located in present-day Ethiopia – 300 s A. D. the official religion of Aksum was Christianity • The Muslim traders drove the rulers of Aksum from the coast of Africa for Red Sea trade routes

Rich Centers of Trade • Each port was a city-state – A city that is also a separate, independent state – Kilwa was a city state • Kilwa traded with Africans and Arabs – this lead to a new culture and language – Swahili is a Bantu language with Arabic words, spoken along the West African coast

Great Zimbabwe • Great Zimbabwe provided must of the gold that was brought to the Swahili city states • Most people in this area were poor famers • The only rich were those who traded the gold – They build great stone walled structures • By 1500 the city had fallen • Trade routes moved • Today the stone ruins still stand!