Africa’s Governments

and ReligionsLESSON 8.2

African Rulers and Society In most ancient societies, rulers were isolated

from their subjects.

In Africa south of the Sahara, distance between

kings and common people was not as great.

African rulers would hold meetings to let people

voice their complaints.

In Ghana, drams called the people to the king.

Before talking to the king, subjects poured dust

over their heads or fell to the ground.

o Subjects would bow and state their business.

o Then they would wait for their king’s reply.

Kings and the People African developed ways to rule their people.

Powerful states, such as Ghana and Mali, favored

strong central governments.

► Power rested with the ruler.

o Rulers settled disputes, controlled trade and

defended the empire.

o Rulers expected total loyalty from their people.

► Merchants received favors from kings and paid kings

in taxes in return.

► Local rulers held some power and supported their

king.

► This system allowed kingdoms to grow rich, control

their lands, and keep peace.

Present-day Governments

of Ghana and Mali

Ghana and Mali have presidents.

o Elected by the citizens.

► Both countries have legislative

and judicial branches.

o They share power running the

government.

What was Ghana’s Government Like? Kings of Ghana were strong rulers.

o Played active roles rulers running the kingdom.

Ministers and advisers helped them.

o Many advisers came from the royal household, included

Family members of the king

Military leaders

Other officials

Ghana’s kings surrounded themselves with capable advisers.

o Jurists

o Scholars

o Interpreters

o Treasurers.

Kings asserted their authority by appointing the sons of rival

lords as part of this royal court.

Ghana’s empire grew.

o King’s divided their territory into

provinces.

Lesser kings governed the provinces.

o Provinces were made up into districts.

Governed by district chiefs.

o Each district was governed by district

chiefs.

Districts were composed of villages

belonging to chief’s clan.

Clan – a group of people descended

from the same ancestor.

What was Ghana’s Government Like? (con’t)

Ghana’s government had a unique method of transferring power from one ruler to

another.

o Kingdom is inherited only the son of the king’s sister.

o Property was inherited by a man’s sons.

o Ghana’s leadership is passed to the king’s nephew.

What was Ghana’s Government Like? (con’t)

The Government of Mali

Mali had a government like that

of Ghana, but grander.

o Mali had more territory.

o More people.

o More trade.

Royal officials had more

responsibilities due to the size of

the Mali Empire.

Royal court employed foreign

born and native-born Muslims as

administrators.

Mali’s kings controlled a strong central government.

Empire was divided into provinces, like Ghana.

King put generals in charge of the provinces.

o People supported the generals because they protect

them from invaders.

o Generals came from the provinces they ruled.

Mali rulers controlled the trans-Saharan trade with a powerful army.

o Having the army ensured taxes and tributes were paid.

Mali’s rulers maintained a large army to protect the gold mines, the people

of Mali and trade routes.

o Army protected the territory and the economy of the empire.

o Kings spent money on the army.

The Government of Mali (con’t)

Mansa Musa was Mali’s most powerful king.

o He won the loyalty of his people.

He paid them gold, property, and horses.

o He gave military heroes the “National Honor of Trousers”

Meaning king gave him a pair of wide trousers

(pants).

The more successes soldiers had the bigger the size

of trousers.

In Mali, only the king and his family could wear clothing that

was sewn (like clothes of today)

o Other people wore pieces of cloth wrapped around their

bodies to form clothing.

o Military heroes receiving the trousers was truly a great

honor.

The Government of Mali (con’t)

The Songhai Empire

► In 1464 Sunni Ali became the ruler of

Songhai. He was a skillful leader.

o He unified, strengthened, and

enlarged the territory.

o Much of the land he added to

Songhai had been part of Mali

► In 1468 Sunni Ali helped the rulers of

Mali defend Timbuktu from Tuareg

invaders .

► Then when the invaders were driven

off Sunni Ali decided to keep the city

for himself.

Songhai built their government on the political traditions

of Ghana and Mali.

o Songhai reached its height under the power of

Muhammad Ture.

He was a general and devout Muslim..

He seized power in 1493 and created a new

dynasty.

He was a capable administrator; he divided

Songhai into provinces.

The provinces had officials.

o Each had a governor, a tax collector, a court of

judges and an inspector.

Muhammad Ture maintained the peace and security with

a navy and soldiers who rode on horseback.

Government in Songhai

Traditional African Religions

Most African societies shared common religious beliefs

for example the belief in a single creator God.

o Many groups carried out their own religious

practices, which were different from place to

place.

o Some religions linked the creator god to a group of

lesser gods.

Ashanti people, from Ghana, believed in a supreme

God and his sons were considered lesser Gods.

Others believed that God had once lived on Earth, but

left because of human behavior..

They believed that God would forgive them if they changed their ways.

Even though Africans practiced different

religions in different places, their beliefs

served similar purposes.

o Provided rules for living

o Help people honor their history and

ancestors.

Africans relied on religion to protect them

from harm and guarantee success in life.

o A special group called diviners, believed

they had the power to predict events.

Kings hired diviners to guarantee good

harvests and protection for the kingdom.

Traditional African Religions (con’t)

Islam Arrives in Africa

Beginning in the 700s C.E., traditional African

religions were challenged by the arrival of

Islam.

Arab merchants introduced Muslim beliefs to

West Africa.

African rulers welcomed Muslim traders and

allowed their people to convert to Islam.

o Rulers did not become Muslims until the

1000 C.E.

o By end of 1400s, much of people from south

of the Sahara had converted to Islam.

Islam in the Ghana Empire

Islam arrived in Ghana by way of the trans-Saharan trade.

Kings of Ghana accepted Islam to improve relationships with the Muslims

traders.

Even with Ghana rulers converting to Islam, traditional religious practices

remained.

Al-Bakri stated that traditional religious leaders were present around the

capital city.

Who was Ibn Battuta? Ibn Battuta was a young Arab lawyer from Morocco.

In 1325, he set out to see the Muslim world.

o In 1352, he reached West Africa and found that people had been

following Islam for centuries.

But not all West Africans were Muslims.

o People in rural areas still followed traditional African religions.

Rulers and traders accepted Islam only for trading with Muslim Arabs and

their goods.

During Ibn Battuta’s travels he was amazed by the places he visited and

the people he saw.

He was surprised that women did not cover their faces with veils

Saw that West African Muslims were eager to learn about the

Quran. They faithfully performing their religious duties.

The Journey of Mansa Musa Mali’s most famous ruler was Mansa Musa.

o He allowed his subjects practice different

religions.

o He was devoted to spreading Islam.

o He used his wealth to build more

mosques.

In Timbuktu he set up libraries with books

from around the Muslim world.

In 1324,, he increased the fame of Mali

during a pilgrimage he made Makkah.

o Muslims are expected to travel to the

holy city of Makkah.

o Mansa Musa made it known that he was

the ruler of Mali

Mansa Musa traveled in grand style.

o Eighty camels that carried two tons of

gold.

o He gave away gold to the poor on his

journey.

This cause the price of gold to fall.

While in Makkah he met with scholars.

o His goal was to get them to return with

him to Mali.

o They helped spread Islam in West

Africa.

The Journey of Mansa Musa (con’t)

Islam in Songhai

Islam won followers among the Songhai

people.

Ruler, Sunni Ali, became Muslim to keep

the loyalty of the merchants.

After the death Sunni Ali died, his son

Muhammad Ture became ruler.

o He was a general.

o Had the backing of the Muslim

townspeople.

He drove out Sunni Ali’s family.

Then called himself “Askia.”

Under Askia Muhammad

o Songhai created the largest empire in West African

history.

o He ordered local courts to follow Muslim laws.

o He made Timbuktu an important center of Islamic

learning.

o He set up a famous university

o He opened schools to teach the Quran.

► Songhai Empire survived disputes among royal

family members.

► In 1591, Invasion brought down the empire.

o Songhai did not survive the guns of Moroccan invaders.

Islam in Songhai (con’t)

How did Islam Develop in East Africa?

Islam spread slowly in East Africa.

o Arrived in late 700s C.E.

Islam gained followers between 1100s and 1200s.

New society arose, Swahili.

o It was based on a blend of African and Muslims cultures.

o Swahili comes from an Arabic word meaning “people of the coast.”

o By 1331, Swahili was accepted as the culture of the East African

and the language spoken.

Swahili culture came from cultures of Africa’s interior.

Muslim influences came from Arab and Persian settlers.

Swahili culture and language still thrive Africa.

Islam’s Effect on Africa

Islam had far reaching effect on much

of Africa.

Africans who accepted Islamic laws

and idea were influenced by Islamic

learning.

Muslim Schools

o Introduced the Arabic language.

African art and buildings were

influenced by Islam.

o Architects built beautiful mosques

and palaces in Timbuktu and in other

cities.