Africa Flashcards
How many different languages did the people of sub-Saharan Africa speak by the 11th century.
800
What types of people did Africa support?
Hunter Gatherers, fishing peoples, nomadic hurderers, settled cultivators, people who drew their livelihoods from mining, manufacturing, and trade.
What challenges did Kin based societies face after 1000 C.E.
Population growth, and conflicts between villages
What makes it difficult to speak about African society and cultural developments?
Diversity
What did increased conflict encourage Bantu communities to organize?
Military forces for both offensive and defensive purposes.
How did many Bantu districts fall under the leadership of powerful chiefs?
The chiefs overrode kinship networks and imposed their own authority on their territories.
In what cities did africans develop complex societies with clearly defined classes?
Kongo, Mali, and Kilwa
What sort of authority structure existed inside smaller states in Africa?
Kin-Based authority structures
What sort of ruling elite did small states generate?
An aristocratic ruling elite
What emerged in sub-Saharan Africa after about 1000 C.E.
Small kingdoms
What kingdoms arose in the forested regions of W. Africa
Ife and Benin.
Outside larger states and empires, what were the principal considerations that determined social positions?
Kinship, sex, and gender expectations
What was the governmental structure of Ife and Benin like?
They were city-states where the court and urban residents controlled the countryside with family relationships and political alliances.
What served as the main foundations or social and economical organizations in small-scale agricultural societies.
Extended family and clans
What was one of the most active areas of political development in Africa?
The basin of the Congo River
What was the governmental structure of the Congo Area like by 1200.
Larger regional principalities that could resist political and military pressure came into being.
How did the people of Sub-Saharan Africa view ownership of land?
They did not recognize private ownership of the land and used it in common in the communities.
Name one of the more prosperous of the Congolese states.
The kingdom of the Kongo
What groups of people made up communities in Africa?
Multiple extended families make up the communities.
What did the Kingdom of Kongo participate in, and what did this involve?
They participated in trade networks that involved copper, Raffa cloth, and nzimbu shells.
What modern day places did the Kingdom of Kongo bring under its control by the 14th century?
The republic of the Congo and Angola
What were the male heads in the communities in Africa responsible for?
Dividing up lands for their relatives to farm and the distribution of a harvest.
What did the central government of Kongo include?
The king and officials who oversaw military, judicial, and financial affairs?
What was the most tightly centralized of the early Bantu kingdoms?
The Kongo
Who ended the authority of the Kings and government of the Congo?
Portuguese slave traders
Who introduced Islam to sub-Saharan Africa?
Merchants from N. Africa and SW. Asia
What routes did Islam travel along to Africa, and what places did these routes lead to?
West Africa by trans-Saharan camel caravans, and costal East Africa over the sea lanes of the Indian Ocean.
How did the arrival of the Camel affect Africa?
It quickened the pace of communication and transportation across the Sahara.
What aspects of Africa did Islam influence?
The political, social, economic, cultural, and religious
Who has lived in the Sahara since 5000 B.C.E.?
Small groups of Nomadic peoples.
Where did Camels come from, and how did Camels get to Africa?
They came from Arabia, and got to Africa by passing through Egypt and the Sudan.
What did the special camel saddle do?
Take advantage of the animals’ distinctive physical structure.
How long did a caravan take to cross the Sahara?
70-90 days
Why were camels so useful?
They could travel long distances without needing water.
What did camels do after 300 C.E.?
Increasingly replace horses and donkeys as the preferred transport animal.
When did Arab conquers introduce Islam to N. Africa?
The 7th and 8th centuries.
When did Arab conquers introduced Islam to N. Africa, what else did they do along with this?
They integrated the region into a rapidly expanding zone of commerce and communication.
What was Gao?
The endpoint for a lot of caravan routes across the Sahara that offered access to the Niger River valley.
What was the Niger river valley a flourishing market for?
Copper, Ironware, cotton textiles, salt, grains, and carnelian beads.
What was the principal state of W. Africa at the time of the Muslims’ arrival?
The Kingdom of Ghana.
Where was Ghana?
Between the Senegal and Niger rivers in a region on the border between the modern states of Mali and Mauritania.
How many kings ruled in Ghana before Muhammad went on the Hijra?
22
What was the most important commercial site in W. Africa, and why was it so important?
Ghana, because it was the center for the trade in gold.
When did Ghana develop as a state?
During the 4th or 5th century CE
Did Ghana produce gold?
No
How did Ghana get its gold?
The kings got gold nuggets from lands to the south.
Where did Ghana probably get its gold, and why?
The Niger, Gambia, and Senegal rivers, because they had the world’s largest supply of gold at the time.
How did Ghana’s kings enrichen and strengthen Ghana?
Controlling and taxing the gold trade
What else did Ghana provide during trading besides Gold?
Ivory and Slaves
What did Ghana import?
Horses, cloth, small manufactured wares, and salt.
What brought huge wealth and power to Ghana, even more than before?
Integration into the trans-Saharan trade networks.
Ghana capitol
Koumbi-Saleh
What was the population of Koumbi-Saleh when Ghana was at its height?
15-20 thousand people
How did Al-Bakiri describe Koumbi-Saleh?
A flourishing site with buildings of stone and more than a dozen Mosques.
Who was Al-Bakiri?
A Spanish Muslim traveler of the mid 11th century
How large was the army that Ghana’s kings financed?
200,000 warriors.
What did Ghana’s army do?
Protected the sources of gold, maintained order in the kingdom, kept allied and tributary states in line, and defended Ghana against nomadic invasions.
What had the kings of Ghana done by about the 10th century?
Converted to Islam
How did the kings converting to Islam help Ghana?
They led to improved relations with Muslim merchants and nomads, and recognition and support from Muslim states in N. Africa.
Did the kings of Ghana attempt to impose Islam on their society, or exclusively accept Islam?
No, neither
What did the kings of Takrur do in relation to Islam?
They zealously campaigned for the conversion of their entire kingdom.
How did the Ghanese mix Islam and traditional religious customs?
Despite the practicing of Islam, native religious specialists practiced magic and kept idols in the woods surrounding the royal palace
How did the Kingdom of Ghana fall?
It collapsed because raids from the desert greatly weakened it.
After Ghana, who did political leadership in W. Africa fall to?
The Mali empire, which emerged just as Ghana dissolved.
What was Sundiata known as?
The lion prince
Who is Sundiata?
founder of the Mali empire, he united the kingdom in trade and politics
Bantu Migrations:
When the Bantu people migrated and settled in most parts of Africa south of the equator. These migrations resulted in the spread of agriculture and herding to almost all parts of Africa
Forest Peoples:
food gatherers who served as useful guides in environments that were unfamiliar to the Bantu. Eventually integrated into Bantu society.
Time of Sundiata’s reign
1230 to 1255
What did Sundiata do?
He built the Mali empire during the first half of the 13th century after his return from exile
Kin-Based Societies:
society based on village chiefs who were chosen because they were the male head of a family. The village chiefs worked together to settle matters.
What did Sundiata do while away from home?
He made astute alliances with local rulers, gained a reputation for courage in battle, and assembled a large army dominated by cavalry.
What areas did Mali include?
Ghana, and other neigboring kingdoms that are today Mauritania, Senegal, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, and Sierra Leone.
What did Mali benefit from on an even larger scale than Ghana?
Trans-Saharan trade
What did Mali control and tax?
Almost all trade passing through W. Africa
What is the significance of Timbuktu, Gao, and Jenne.
They were market cities on caravan routes that became prosperous centers featuring buildings of brick and stone.
Capital of Mali
Niani
What was the relationship between Mali and Islam?
Mali’s rulers honored Islam and provided protection, lodging, and comforts for Muslim merchants.
Did the leaders of Mali force Islam on their people?
No, they encouraged its spread on a voluntary basis.
Time of the rule of Mansa Musa
1312 to 1337
What did caravan of Mansa Musa’s hajj consist of?
Thousands of solders, attendants, subjects, and slaves, as well as 100 camels carrying gold.
What did Mansa Musa do during his visit to Cairo?
Distribute so much gold that its value declined by 25% on local markets.
What did Mansa Musa do after his pilgrimage to Mecca?
He took Islam even more seriously, building mosques and religious schools, and sending promising students to study with Islamic scholars in N. Africa
What empire overcame Mali? When?
The Songhay empire, the 15th century.
What caused Mali’s decline?
Factions crippled the central government, provinces seceded from the empire, and military pressures came from other kingdoms and desert nomads.
Jenne-jeno:
A settlement emerging as a center of iron production and trade; participated in extensive trade networks from the Mediterranean to North Africa
Kingdom Ife and Benin:
Two kingdoms that arose in forested regions of West Africa, introduced a new type of art based on sculptures with human faces.
Kingdom of Ghana:
principal state of west Africa at the time of the Muslims arrival, in between Senegal and Niger rivers
Mali Empire:
came after the Kingdom of Ghana, benefited greatly from the trans-Saharan trade
Koumbi-Saleh:
capital of the Kingdom of Ghana, an important trading site
Timbuktu, Gao, and Jenne:
prosperous trading cities on caravan routes in the trans-Saharan trade route
Swahili:
language of the “coasters”, mixture of Bantu and Arabic language
Port cities on the Swahili coast:
Mozambique, Zanzibar, Lamu, Mogadishu, Malindi, Mombasa, Kilwa
Kilwa:
city-state on the Swahili coast, developed heavily and became wealthy because of trade
Great Zimbabwe:
served as the capital of Zimbabwe
Age Grades:
a way of grouping individuals based on their age that forced kinship
Zanj Revolt:
uprising of black slaves from Swahili coast
Islamic Slave Trade:
export of African slaves to foreign lands
Axum:
a kingdom in modern-day Ethiopia that converted to Christianity in hopes of improving relations with Christian Egypt
Kebra Negast:
an important religious text for Rastafarians that attempted to trace the lineage of Ethiopia’s kings to David and Solomon.
Capital CIty of Mali Empire
Niani
Who were Diviners?
Individuals who by virtue of their innate abilities or extensive training had the power to mediate between humanity and supernatural beings
What did Diviners do?
If there was any type of disaster, the diviners would consult oracles, identify the cause, and prescribe medicine/rituals/sacrifices to eliminate the problem
What did African religion emphasize heavily?
African religions strongly emphasized morality and proper behavior as essential to the maintenance of an orderly world
Which two religions won converts in sub-saharan Africa?
Christianity and Islam
When did Christianity reach Egypt and North Africa
The first century C.E.
Where in Egypt and N. Africa did Christianity become prominent
In Egypt Alexandria became the most prominent and for N. Africa, St. Augustine
Which kingdom did Christianity set a foothold in?
Christanity set its foot in the kingdom of Axum
Where was the kingdom of Axum located?
located in the highlands of modern Ethiopia
How did Christianity become so prominent in the kingdom of Axum
The first Axumite converts were local merchants who traded with Christianity/ Kings of Axum hadconverted to Christianity
During which time period did the kingdom of Axum fall into decline
During the late 7th century
After the kingdom of Axum which dynasty would Christianity settle in?
The Ethiopian Dynasty
How did Ethiopian Kings support Christianity?
They would create eleven massive churches requiring an enormous amount of resources and many hours of labor
Why did the Ethiopian rulers claim descent from the Israelite kings, David and Solomon
They did this in an effort to lend additional biblical luster to their authority
In what year would Christianity fall of out of favor in Ethiopia
1974
What did Ethiopian Christians believe about the world
They believed that a large host of evil sprits populated the world
Islam’s impact on Ghana
improved their relationships with other trading groups and kingdoms in north Africa (because they were muslim)
Were people forced to convert to Islam in Ghana?
No they were allowed to keep their own traditions
What fictional work was created to highlight the fact that Ethiopian kings did descend from Solomon and David
Kebra Negast
Why did Islam appeal strongly to ruling elites and merchants in sub-Sahran west and coastal east Africa
It served as a cultural foundation for their business relationships with Muslim merchants from N Africa and SW Asia
What form of structure became a prominent feature in Ethiopian Religion
Rock Shrines/Churches
What did converts do to support Islam?
They built mosques, religious schools, invited experts in Islamic law, and displayed enthusiasm for their adopted religion
Which figure made his pilgrimage to Mecca for his support of Islam
Mansa Musa
How did the Kingdom of Ghana fall?
Weak central leadership
Main exports of Ghana:
Gold, ivory and slaves
Imports of Ghana:
horses, cloth, small manufactured wares, and SALT
What was Ghana able to do in relation to gold, and why?
They had the largest supply of it so they could tax and export it however they pleased
What skills did the Bantu have?
They mastered techniques of iron metallurgy allowing them to fashion iron tools
What did Africans do when they converted to Islam?
They continued to take protective measures against the workings of evil spirits and witches
What foods were the dietary staples of people in south Africa?
Yams, sorghum, and millet.
Which group of people raised cattle before the Bantu and Kushite herders moved in?
The indigenous Khoi people.
Which figure disliked the fact that women had casual conversations with other men besides their husbands?
Ibn Battuta
How did Islam deeply effect African society
Islam had added more to the traditional religions of sub-Saharan Africa rather than replace them
Importance of bananas:
Its arrival encouraged migration, was a nutritious supplement to the diets of the Bantus, cultivation of bananas increased the supply of food available to the Bantu
Population of sub-Saharan Africa in 400 B.C.E:
3.5 million
Population of sub-Saharan Africa in 800 C.E
17 million
Reason for rapid population growth in sub-Saharan Africa:
Bananas and iron metallurgy
What terms did scholars use to refer to one form of social organization widely prevalent in Africa during and after the Bantu migrations?
“Stateless society” and “segmentary society”
How did the Bantu societies govern themselves?
They governed themselves mostly through family and kinship groups
How many people on average were in the Bantu villages?
Around 100 people
Who represented the settlement when dealing with neighboring settlements in the Bantu society?
The most prominent of the family heads. (The village chief)
Relevance of the Tiv people of Nigeria in this chapter:
They organized the public affairs of several hundred thousand people by conducting a kin-based society built on a foundation of family and clan groups.
What goods did the merchants of Jenne-Jeno handle?
Iron products as well as the region’s abundant supplies of rice, fish, and domesticated animals like cattle, sheep, and goats.
What kind of city was Jenne-Jeno emerging as?
A center of iron production and trade
What trade networks did Jenne-Jeno participate in?
Extensive trade network that reached from north Africa and the Mediterranean to the savannas and forests of central Africa.
What major trading city did Jenne-Jeno inspire?
TIMBUKTU
What skills were dominated by men and passed down to their heirs?
Leather tanning and Iron working. They cleared and prepared the land for crops and helped harvest.
What skills did a woman have in blacksmith families in Sub-saharan Africa?
Potters, took care of domestic chores, and cared for this kids. They also took part in harvesting and planting crops.
What rights did the women of sub-saharan Africa have?
They enjoyed high honor because they were the vessels of life. They could rise to positions or power.
What did aristocratic women in sub-saharan Africa have the chance to do?
Were able to influence public affairs by virtue of the prominence within their families.
Did woman engage in combat?
Yes! Woman did engage in combat and organized some all woman military units.
Did the arrival of Islam affect the role of woman in sub-saharan Africa?
No, it did not change the roles and importance of women in sub-saharan Africa.
Where did age grades begin?
the agricultural societies of Sudan
What was the results of age grades?
members preformed appropriate tasks together and formed tight knit friendships and created allies.
What were some tasks age grades completed?
Labor for community projects, aided members of communities who experienced adversity, helped with marriages, and building of households.
Where did their slaves come from?
Most where captives of war but others where debtors, suspected witches, and criminals.
What were the slaves jobs?
Agricultural laborers, construction laborers, miners, and porters.
Why were slaves so important in sub-saharan Africa?
They showed wealth of individuals who owned because they couldn’t own land. The slaves increased agricultural and social standings.
When did the popularity of African slaves boom?
9th century CE
Where was there high demand for slaves?
India, Persia, South west Asia, and the Mediterranean basin.
Where did most slaves come from at this time?
Eastern Europe
What did people start trading Gold, ivory, and exotic local products for?
Slaves
What started to occur because of the demand for slaves?
Slave raiding - larger scale states attacked smaller scale states that couldn’t protect themselves.
How many Africans left their homes to be forced into slavery?
10,000-20,000 Africans
How many slaves did Mansa Musa travel with and what where they used for?
500 slaves as gifts to his hosts.
What does the term Zanji refer too?
Black slaves from the Swahili coast
By what time were many Zaji slaves labored under extremely hard conditions in southern Mesopotamia?
7th century BCE
What did the slaves do in S. Mesopotamia?
Worked on sugarcane plantations or clearned the land of salt deposits to prepare.
What happened in 869?
Ali-bin Muhammad organized 15,000 Zanji slaves that captured Basra (most important city of southern Mesopotamia) and established a rebel state.
What happened between 879 and 883 to the rebels?
The Abbasid rulers turned their attention to the rebels and crushed the revolt, killed Ali bin Muhammad and executed the other rebel leaders.
How long did the Zanji revolt last?
14 years
What were the years of the Islamic slave trade?
750-1500 CE
How many slaves were transported in the years of the Islamic Slave Trade?
10 million
Did most of Africa have one creator god or many?
They believed in one Creator god from the early days of Sudanic religion.
Did the religion change over time?
Yes, the religion when under development as individuals learned about different deities and improved their understanding of god and their roles in the world.
What were the lesser spirits connected to?
Sun, wind, rain, trees, rivers, and other nature features.
What were the abilities of the lesser deities?
They could bring favor or injury to humans.
What did africans believe the soul of their ancestors can do?
They could intervene in the lives and experiences of their descedants. They could control wether they behave properly or bring misfortune and punishment for misbehavior.
What did the rituals of the African religion focus on?
honoring the deities, spirits, and ancestors.
What did their rituals include?
Prayers, animal sacrifice, and ceremonies.
Who linked Costal E. Africa to the trading world of the eastern hemisphere?
Merchant-mariners sailing the sea lanes of the Indian ocean.
Who populated much of East Africa by the second century C.E.
The Bantu peoples
What did the Bantu introduce to E. Africa?
Agriculture, cattle herding, and iron metallurgy.
What sort of governmental structure did the Bantu in E. Africa have?
Complex societies governed by small, local states.
What does Swahili mean in Arabic
Coasters
Swahili language definition
A Bantu language supplemented with words and ideas borrowed from Arabic.
What did the Swahili export?
Gold, slaves, ivory, tortoise shells, and leopard skins.
What did the Swahili import? How did they get these things?
Pottery, glass, and textiles. Muslim merchants brought them from Persia, India, and China.
