Bellwork Write down at least 3 details you know about Africa. It can be anything you know about the continent. World History Section 4, Unit 2 West African Societies Objectives Identify the geographic contrasts of Africa Review over the history of early humans in Africa Study and describe early societies in Africa, such as Djenne-Djeno (jeh-nay jeh-noh). Study early cultures in Western Africa. Describe the effects of iron smelting on early African cultures. Analyze powerful empires in Western Africa Describe the importance of the Gold-Salt Trade Where are we at? For this lesson, we have to go back in time a bit. Currently, we were in post-classical history while talking about Islam. However, we have to go back, even before Egypt, and study the early history of Africa. Question What is this a picture of? What do you see in it? Deserts Rainforest Grassy Plains Lakes How big is Africa? To give some reference, Africa is large enough to fit several European nations, the U.S., China, Japan, and India within its borders. Geography of Africa Africa is the second largest continent in the world, with a total of 11.7 million square miles in size. Little of the African coast is usable to form ports, as the coastlines are generally narrow or too steep from the shore to navigate. Environment Africa varies widely in its environment. Parts of Africa suffer from constant drought while others receive almost 400 inches of rain annually. Deserts make up about 40% of the African continent. The largest desert, the Sahara in North Africa, has only a small area that consists of sand dunes. The rest is a flat, grey wasteland. Environment (cont.) The rainforest covers about 5% of the continent. Despite a lot of rain, the forest is quite inhospitable due to few edible plants. Environment (cont.) The largest population in Africa live in savannas, or large grassy plains. Savannas cover about 40% of the continent. Despite relatively little rainfall, the savannas receive enough water to support agriculture. However, other groups of people live near areas of Africa that have high mountain ranges. Early Humans The first humans appeared in the Great Rift Valley, a deep gash in the earths crust that runs through the eastern part of the continent. People moved outward from this area and adapted to the various environments they encountered (as we discussed about other groups of people). Human Migration As humans spread, they adapted the areas in which they moved, creating different characteristics and cultures of humans. Hunter-Gatherer Domestication Africas earliest people were nomadic hunter- gatherers. Many modern African societies continue to be hunter-gathering societies. However, Africans who lived in areas with a variety of animals began to domesticate animals and raise them for food. These people are known as herders or pastoralists, who kept cattle, goats, or sheep. These people were still nomads, as they continued to move their animals to areas with water and food. Question: What was the Neolithic Revolution? Settlers Around 10,000 B.C., Africans began to farm their own food and, between 8000 and 4000 B.C., parts of the Sahara received increased rainfall and turned into a savannah. However, around 4000 B.C., the Sahara began to dry up again, leading some to move towards the Nile Valley and south to West Africa. Many groups began to settle in the savannas, which had good agricultural land. These people also learned how to grow food such as yams-- in the rainforests of central Africa. Effect of Agriculture Question: What are the effects of agriculture on cultures? Agriculture changed African societies: They began to settle in one place, rather than be nomadic. Stable food meant longer lives and higher birthrates. Farming allowed some members of society to focus their efforts on other practices, such as metallurgy, pottery, and making jewelry Communities Stable food allowed African societies to form communities and complex settlements. Governments began to form, with either a chief to rule or a council of leaders. Government styles would change, however, as powerful communities conquered weaker communities. This would soon lead to the formation of kingdoms. Characteristics of African Societies Many African societies south of the Sahara shared common elements. Valued the family unit often was tied into clans Similar belief system many religions held that there was one god, but also held that spirits held a important role in daily life. Language all African societies had a language, but most were not written. Most stories were kept alive through story telling. Village Society The basic unit of the village was the Family. The Extended family was a larger unit these groups sometimes unified under clans (groups that shared a common ancestor) Leading the villages was often the village chief, sometimes with a council of elders. West African Societies Archaeologists have continued to look for evidence to provide for the history of Africa, which was told orally. Archaeologists have discovered that the history of West Africa is far more advanced than previously known and that they formed large complex civilizations before outsiders came to the continent. Djenne-Djeno Archaeologists, in 1977, Djenne-Djeno (jenne- jeno) was discovered during an excavation. The city may have been founded around 250 B.C., making it the oldest known city in Africa south of the Sahara. The city was abandoned in 1400, but another city, Djenne, arose about two miles away. Djenne-Djeno (cont.) At its height, Djenne- Djeno had about 50,000 residents. They traded heavily with the people around them and Djenne-Djeno became a center of trade and commerce for many other cities near it. Nok Although Djenne-Djeno was West Africas oldest city, the Nok was the oldest culture. They lived in what is now known as Nigeria between 1000 B.C. and 200 A.D. Their name comes from the village in which their artifacts (see left) was found. The Nok were farmers who learned how to smelt iron and utilized that to make tools and weapons. Smelting Iron The Nok developed iron-making technology around 500 B.C. (although there is suspicion that they did it around 1000 B.C.), almost 300 years before Djenne- Djeno would do the same. Arguably, the Nok probably brought the technology to the city. Question: What effect would iron have had on the Nok and Djenne- Djeno? Farming would be more efficient Hunting would become easier Effective tools could be made for other purposes Societies without iron would want to trade Review Video This video (Mansa Musa and Islam in Africa) will cover what we already talked about and discuss a little of what we will be getting into.video At this point, we are going to segway into discussing more powerful west African societies. Setting the stage Three powerful empires flourished in West Africa. They grew in an area known as the Sahel the savanna region just south of the Sahara. These empires flourished through control of trade. Sahel The region in the tan-brown is the Sahel region. It is a savannah region south of the Sahara. Trade By 200 A.D., trade across the Sahara had existed for centuries. However, the trade was often irregular because of the harsh conditions. Many pack animals donkeys, horses could not travel very far in the heat. These animals could not travel long without water. Camels However, this all changed by 300 A.D. when camels were used by Berber nomads. Camels were very useful for early traders, as they could easily trek 60 miles in a day and not require water for up to 10 days. With camels, nomads blazed new routes across the desert and trade increased. Soninke Trade routes crossed through a region farmed by the Soninke(soh-nin-keh) peoples. These people referred to their ruler as Ghana war chief. Overtime, the Muslim traders began to use this word to describe the region they were crossing through. Ghana By the 700s, Soninke rulers of the kingdom of Ghana were growing rich from taxing goods that traders carried through their territory. Soon, Ghana would be extremely powerful. Gold For Ghana, the two most important items traded were gold and salt. Gold came from a region south of the Savanna between the Niger and Senegal Rivers. Ghana was rich in gold and may have been supplying up to two- thirds of the worlds gold during this time. Salt Despite being rich in gold, Ghana lacked salt, a basic requirement for life. The Sahara desert contained deposits of salt, however, and Arab and Berber traders would cross the deserts with large blocks of salt for trade. Gold-Salt Trade Merchants met in trading cities and exchanged goods under city laws. In these cities, royal officials would tax goods and ensure that all traders would fairly weigh their goods and do business according to the law. Guards also protected against bandits. Empire of Ghana In the empire of Ghana, the king kept control of certain goods in the market place. For example, he kept gold nuggets in his palace, but allowed the free distribution of gold powder. This would ensure that gold wouldnt flood the market and diminish its value. Question: Why couldnt Ghana afford to risk allowing gold to lose value? Ghanas King Ghanas king acted as a religious leader, chief judge, and military commander. He headed a large government and had the ability to call on a large army at any time. Muslim Scholar al-Bakri described the African court in the following ways: The king adorns himself wearing necklaces and bracelets.. The court of appeal is held in a domed pavilion around with stand ten horses with gold embroidered trapping. Behind the king stand ten pages holding shields and swords decorated with gold, and on his right are the sons of the subordinate kings of his country, all wearing splendid garments and with their hair mixed with gold. Empire By 800, Ghana had become an empire because: 1.The gold trade allowed Ghana to become powerful. 2.The king could control trade 3.The king also demanded taxes and gifts from the chiefs of surrounding lands by using his army as long as the chiefs made payments, the king left them in peace. Islam and Ghana Islam began to spread into Ghana through trade. Many Muslim merchants and scholars settled in the region and peacefully introduced their religion. Islam (cont.) Eventually, Ghanas rulers converted to Islam and, by the 11 th century, Muslim advisors were helping the king run the kingdom. While Islam was accepted by those in the court, many people in the empire chose to continue to believe in their native beliefs and practices. Most of the population did not convert. Islam (cont.) For most of those who kept their former beliefs, they observed their beliefs along with Islam. Islams growth encouraged the spread of literacy in Ghana and many of those who lived in Ghana learned to read and write Arabic. Fall of Ghana Ghana eventually fell in 1076 after Muslim warriors of North Africa completed their conquest of Ghana. The Muslims did eventually withdraw from Ghana, but the damage had been done. Ghana lost its power over the Gold-Salt trade and was unable to regain its power. Kingdom of Mali In 1235, the Kingdom of Mali had emerged. Its followers were a people south of Ghana, who, like Ghana, also built their wealth on gold. As Ghana became weak, those that Ghana had control over began to act independently. Discovery of Gold Miners in Africa discovered new deposits of gold farther east and caused important trade routes to shift eastward. This allowed a new group of people those of Mali to become wealthy. It also allowed them to seize gold. Mali Sundiata Malis first great ruler, Sundiata, came to power by crushing a cruel, unpopular leader. Sundiata then became Malis mansa, or emperor. Sundiata (cont.) Through a series of military victories, Sundiata took over the kingdom of Ghana and important trading cities like Kumbi and Walata. A period of peace and prosperity followed. Sundiatas Rule Sundiata proved to be as great a leader in peace as he had been in war. He put able adminstrators in charge of Malis finances, defenses, and foreign affairs. Niani Sundiata created a new capital, Niani, and promoted agriculture and trade (gold-salt). Niani became an important center for commerce and trade. People began to refer to Sundiatas empire as Mali, meaning where the king lives. Fun fact: mud-buildings like these found in West Africa which can serve as temples and homes-- are often partially rebuilt yearly by special mason guilds. Islam in Mali Sundiata died in 1255 and, influenced by Arab traders, many of the following rulers became Muslim. These African Muslim rulers built mosques, attended public prayers, and supported the preaching of Muslim holy men. Mansa Musa One of the most famous Mali rulers was Mansa Musa, who may have been Sundiatas grandnephew. Mansa Musa was a skilled military leader who exercised control over the gold-salt trade and put down every rebellion. Mansa Musa He kept an army of 100,000 men to protect Mali from attack and expanded the empire to roughly twice the size of Ghana. Fun fact: Mansa Musa is the wealthiest person to have ever lived, with an estimated wealth of $400 billion Mali Empire During Mansa Musa (approx.) Governance With such a large empire, Mansa Musa had to decide how to govern his empire, so he: 1.Divided the empire into provinces 2.Appointed a governor- who would rule fairly and efficiently- to manage every province. Islam Mansa Musa was a devout Muslim and went on a hajj to Mecca between 1324 and His procession reported to include 60,000 men, 12,000 slaves who each carried four pounds of gold bars, heralds dressed in silks who bore gold staffs, organized horses and handled bags. When he returned, he ordered the construction of new Mosques be built at Timbuktu and Gao. Islam Following this, Timbuktu became one of the most important cities of the empire. It attracted Muslim judges, doctors, religious leaders, and scholars from far and wide. Fall of Mali After Mansa Musas death, Mali began to weaken due to: 1.Successors to the throne couldnt govern. 2.The gold trade had moved eastward, taking away power from the empire. Rise of Songhai As Mali declined in the 1400s, people who had been under its control began to break away. Among them were the Songhai to the east. The Songhai were a group of Western Africans who spoke the Songhai languages. Songhai The Songhai people began to build an army and extend their territory to the large bend of the Niger River near Gao, and gained control of important trade routes. Gao became the capital of their empire. Sunni Ali The Songhai had two great rulers. One was Sunni Ali, who built a vast empire by military conquest. His rule lasted for almost 30 years. Sunni Ali forged an empire through military rule, with a riverboat fleet of war canoes and a mobile fighting force on horseback. Military Conquest In 1468, Sunni Ali captured the city of Timbuktu, in Malis empire. From there, 5 years later, he took Djenne, another powerful trading city. He sealed this conquest of Djenne by marrying the queen. Death After Sunni Alis death in 1492, his son succeeded him as ruler, but was unable to maintain control due to a Muslim revolt against him. The Muslim people were upset that his son did not practice Islam faithfully. Askia Muhammad The leader of this revolt was a devout Muslim named Askia Muhammad, who drove Sunni Alis son from power and replaced him. Askia Muhammad During his 35-year rule, Askia Muhammad proved to be a great leader. He set up an efficient tax system, formed a centralized government, and chose able officials. He appointed officials to serve as ministers of the treasury, army, navy, and agriculture. Under his rule, the empire thrived. Songhai Empire Weakness of the Empire Despite the wealth of the empire, the Songhai empire lacked modern weapons and, in 1591, was taken over by a Moroccan fighting force equipped with gunpowder and cannons. Songhai could not defend against these advanced weapons. Fall of the Songhai Empire When the Songhai Empire fell, it ended a 1,000 year period in which powerful kingdoms and empires ruled the central region of West Africa. After the Songhai After the Songhai empire fell, new city- states developed in the region. These city-states would never reach the power or splendor of the previous empires. Overtime, Europeans would come to begin trading with these Western African states, which would soon begin a period of European interference with Africa. Review Objectives Identify the geographic contrasts of Africa Review over the history of early humans in Africa Study and describe early societies in Africa, such as Djenne-Djeno (jeh-nay jeh-noh) and the Nok. Study early cultures in Western Africa. Describe the effects of iron smelting on early African cultures. Analyze powerful empires in Western Africa (Mali, Ghana, etc). Describe the importance of the Gold-Salt Trade Questions? If you have any questions, please ask now. Next Lesson In the next lesson, we are going to discuss the rise of the Eastern city-states and Southern Empires in Africa Review 1.What was the Gold-Salt trade? How was gold tied to the success of the empires discussed in this lesson? 2.What do you think was the most effective method Ghana used to regulate its economy (control of trade routes, managing the gold supply, or taxing) and why? 3.How did Mansa Musa effectively manage his empire? 4.Why was Songhai unable to defend itself against the Moroccan invaders? 5.What happened to both Mali and Ghana when the gold deposits moved farther east from their Empires? What has been the effects of agriculture and domestication on cultures discussed in this class, including the African cultures? Name and explain at least three (3) effects. 6.What effect would being able to smelt iron which is cheaper, stronger, and more abundant than copper have on a society? 7.What are the three characteristics African societies shared amongst one another? 8.Where did the first humans appear in Africa? Why did they begin to migrate from here? 9.How was Islam spread throughout Ghana?