CW2 – p14 Vocab & p24 Vocab

West African Empires

• As part of the diverse African geography, there were huge forests in west Africa

• The people of west Africa traded the resources they found in the forests and became wealthy

• Soon great western Sudanese (part of the Savannah) empire rose up.

Ghana• Ghana means “king” and the kings of

Ghana were some of the richest in the ancient world

• They became rich by taxing the trade that ran through their lands (especially salt and gold)

• Capital of Ghana was the amazing city of Kumbi Saleh

• Soon Muslim invaders from the north conquered the empire.

Mali

• After the fall of Ghana, many groups fought for power, the Mandinka warriors under Sundiata won and formed the Empire of Mali

• It was located a little bit south of Ghana but included much of the same area (included the gold mines)

• Mali and Sundiata were Muslims, their capital was Timbuktu (great city)

• Reached peak under Mansa Musa, super wealthy and took a pilgrimage to show that wealth

Songhai

• Last great empire of west Africa• Founded by Sunni Ali after he defeated Mali• Muslim empire with its capital in Timbuktu• They were no match for the Moroccan army

(guns/cannons) and later were susceptible to Europeans on the coast.

Other African States

Senegambia Part of former Mali empire, had social hierarchy (slaves at bottom)

Akan Traded gold for guns with Euros, then used guns to spread and capture slaves for Euros

Benin Benin City (capital) became rich off the European slave trade as well

Kongo & Angola In central Africa, unstable due to religious dispute, ensnared in the slave trade.

• Small states that were in turmoil, became a part of the Atlantic Slave Trade in various ways

W African Culture

Families/Villages Patrilineal or matrilineal, small villages, few possessions, little technology

Women Men could take many wives, but women could participate in society (unlike other Muslim areas)

Class/Slavery Had hierarchy, slaves at the bottom (POWs or criminals)

Religion Two: Islam and indigenous (native)

Art/Music Religious art, call and response singing

Literature Oral histories (griots)