Post on 19-Dec-2015
Kingdoms of AfricaKingdoms of Africa
Sub- Saharan Sub- Saharan AfricaAfrica
This is the area we will be
studying this chapter. It does
not include North Africa.
VVWA for Sub-Saharan Africa
Word Visual Representation
Definition Personal Association or Characteristic
West African Kingdoms
• Ghana
• Mali
• Songhai
• Hausa
• Benin
The Kingdom of Ghana
• Began around the 9th Century
• Capital was Kumbi-Saleh• People were the Soninke• King was a semi-divine
figure• Center of trade• Arab traders referred to it
as the “Land of Gold”
A map of Ghana with Muslim trade routes
Women in The Kingdom of Ghana
• Played an active role in economics
• Held positions in the government
• Line of succession for the King went through the King’s mother
A photograph of a woman from Ghana dressed in traditional clothing
Influence of Islam in the Kingdom of Ghana
• Muslim merchants formed their own communities
• Muslims were used as advisors to the king absorbing technology and ideas of government
• Almoravids converted most people to IslamThe crescent moon is the symbol of Islam
like the Star of David and the cross are symbols of Judaism and Christianity. The
star is a symbol of Ghana.
Muslim Contributions to Ghana’s Society
• Written language• Coinage• Business methods• Styles of architecture
An African mosque exemplifying the influence
of Islam in African architecture
The Kingdom of Mali• Began around the
13th Century• Capital was
Timbuktu• People were the
Mandinke• Center of trade• Mali means “Where
the king dwells”A Map Depicting the Kingdom of Mali
Two Emperors of Mali
• Sundiata – founded Mali in 1250 ce
• Mansa Musa – considered the greatest emperor of Mali. He came to power around
1312 ce
Sundiata• His entire family was
killed shortly after he was born
• Brilliant military leader• Won control of gold
trade routes• Famous epic poem
written about him• Seen as a folk hero of
MaliA Copy of the Epic of Sundiata
Mansa Musa• Expanded the borders
of Mali westward and to the north
• Worked to ensure peace and order in the empire
• Converted to Islam • Based his system of
justice on the Qur’an• Women were not
veiled or secluded
A European Map Showing Mansa Musa
Mansa Musa Takes the Hajj
• Accompanied by 500 slaves each holding a golden staff
• He was accompanied by 100 camels laden with gold
• Visited the ka’aba• Journey took over a
yearA Map of Mansa Musa’s Trip Across
the Sahara Desert
Effects of Mansa Musa’s Hajj
• He forged new trading ties with Muslims states like Egypt and Morocco
• Brought Arab scholars and artists to Mali• News of his gold wealth reached Europe which
sparked interest in the riches of Africa
Gold Jewelry
The Kingdom of Songhai
• Began about 1450 ce and lasted until 1586 ce
• Capital was Gao• Largest West African
kingdom• Located in present day
Niger and Burkina Faso
A Map of the Kingdom of Songhai
Sonni Ali – Songhai King
• Sonni Ali ruled from 1464 to 1492
• Brought key trade routes under his control
• He did not practice Islam
A Depiction of Sonni Ali
Askia Muhammad – Songhai King
• Set up a Muslim Dynasty• Expanded the territory• Set up a bureaucracy w/ departments for farming,
treasury, and military• Made the hajj• Built mosques and set up schools to study the Qur’an
A depiction of Askia Muhammad
The City-States of the Hausa
• Came to power in the 14th Century
• Group of independent walled city-states
• Each was a thriving commercial center producing cotton and leather goods
• Kano – most prosperous• Many Hausa leaders
were women
A Hausa House
The Kingdom of Benin
• Began in the early 14th Century
• The king who was called the Oba was both political and religious leader
• Power to rule was shared with the queen-mother and a council of hereditary chiefs
• Artists created brass sculptures depicting warriors, queen-mothers, obas, and even Portuguese merchants
A Warrior In Bronze from Benin
The Lasting Impact of the Kingdoms of West Africa
• The eyes of Europeans were turned toward Africa’s supplies of gold and other natural resources.
• Europeans would soon travel to Africa in order to explore and then to divide up and colonize almost the entire continent.
• This created chaos for Africa and its people because political boundaries were not drawn based on ethnic group, language or culture. They were drawn by Europeans based on the amount of land under European control.
European Colonization of Africa
Kingdoms of East Africa
• Axum• East African
City-States• Great
Zimbabwe
The Kingdom of Axum
• Located in present day Ethiopia
• Founded by King Ezana• Language = Geez• Axum & Adulis were
important trading cities• Practiced Judaism &
Christianity• Christianity isolated
Axum when most of the region converted to Islam.
One of the Christian churches One of the Christian churches carved out of stone by King carved out of stone by King
LalibelaLalibela
East African City States• The names of the city
states were Mogadishu, Kilwa, Malindi, Sofala, & Mombasa
• They were very successful trading cities trading with India, China, & the Middle East
• Most people converted to Islam
• A diverse culture created much cultural diffusion for example Swahili is a mix of Arabic and the local bantu language
Ancient remains from the trading Ancient remains from the trading city of Kilwacity of Kilwa
The Empire of Great Zimbabwe• Settled around
900 ce• Traded gold and
other goods• Archeologists have
found remains of beads from India and porcelain from China
• Ruled by a god-king, queen mother and 9 queens using a bureaucracy
Remains of the main city of Remains of the main city of the empire of Great the empire of Great
ZimbabweZimbabwe
East African City StatesEast African City StatesA map
depicting East African
trade
How many East African
Kingdoms can you identify?
List them in your notebooks and make sure to
remember they may be spelled differently
Africa Today