African Empires & Islam Study Guide Flashcards
One similarity between the ancient African kingdoms of Ghana, Mali, and Songhai is that all of these kingdoms were located ___________?
On major trading routes
How did the ruler of Ghana profit from the trade routes that met in his empire?
By collecting a tax on all merchants or traders who went through their land
A major trading town in the African savanna was?
Timbuktu
Ancient African kingdoms, such as Ghana and Mali, based their economic systems on which of the following?
Trade and agriculture
Mali reached the height of its wealth, power, and fame under _____________________, its most famous ruler?
Mansa Musa
Griots are _____________________.
West African storytellers
Visitors traveled to Timbuktu because _______________________.
It was the center of Islamic learning with schools and mosques.
The traditional religious practice of West Africans was centered on the belief that (definition of animism)
the spirits of ancestors stayed nearby
Great civilizations in West Africa arose where?
in the Sahara desert.
Which two uses of iron were the most significant for West Africans?
for clearing the land and using as weapons
People south of the Sahara traded their gold for…
Salt
The trade of which two items contributed to the development of the Ghana empire?
technology (iron) and trade (salt/gold
What two factors had the biggest impact on the growth of West Africa?
salt and gold
As salt and gold trade increased in the area, what also began to increase?
trading places grew into towns and then cities.
Why was salt so valuable?
People needed salt in their diets and they used it to preserve and season foods.
Silent barter is a…
a process in which people trade and exchange goods without direct contact.
What was the importance of Mansa Musa’s hajj to Mecca?
He became famous and introduced the world to the Mali Empire and influenced the islam religion
How did Mansa Musa spread Islam and education throughout Mali?
He stressed the importance of reading and writing in Arabic, the language of the Qur´an
He sent scholars to study in Morocco and then to set up schools in Mali.
He hired artists and architects from other empires to build mosques in Mali.
What contributed to the fall of the Mali Empire?
Invaders from the north could not be defeated.
Weak leaders could not unite the empire.
The empire had grown so large that the government could not control it
What contributed to the fall of the Songhai Empire?
Trade patterns changed, shifting more to sea routes rather than through Songhai land.
Masses of Songhai people were taken away and sold into slavery
Moroccan troops looted and destroyed the major Songhai cities.
Why was the silent bartering helpful in the exchange of gold and salt?
traders who spoke different languages communicate.
How was the history of West Africa passed on to each new generation?
storytellers called griots
What was the biggest cultural challenge to trade between North Africa and West Africa?
People spoke different languages.
What is an oral tradition?
A spoken record of past events. An example would be a grandfather telling a story about his childhood.
What was the chronological order of the West African kingdoms?
Ghana, Mali, Songhai
What technology allowed Songhai to be conquered?
Guns
