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 vitalDiversity 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 11th 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- 13-14th 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 8th 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 3rd century. By 10th 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 13th 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 7th century, by 1010 capital established at Gao on the Niger River and the rulers had become Muslims, by 1370s Songhay had established its independence

◦Sunni Ali (1464-1492) great leader who forged the empire- by mid 16th 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 faith

The Coastal Trading Ports

◦From 1st to 10th 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 2nd century BCE

◦By 13th century string of urbanized east African trading ports

◦Port city Kilwa flourished from 13th-15th 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, class-based 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 14th century By 16th 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

◦ 13th-15th 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 9th century Greatest house was the Great Zimbabwe, which was the

center of the kingdom and was associated with the bird of God

By 15th century centralized state ruled from Great Zimbabwe Mwene Mutapa- great king who led period of expansion in

late 15th and 16th centuries. Had dominance of internal resources like gold, which gave them an advantage in trade

By 16th century internal divisions split kingdom apart but control of the gold fields still provided a source of power and trade