chapter 18 if my computer didnt start crashing Flashcards
(vocab) Griots
professional singers & storytellers in Africa
(vocab) Sundiata
known as the “Lion Prince”, he established the Mali empire and consolidated rule throughout the valley of the Niger river
(vocab) Bantu peoples
a group whose migrations settled in most parts of Africa south of the equator, establishing agricultural societies and displacing hunters & gatherers
(vocab) Mansa Musa
the grandnephew of Sundiata and the ruler of Mali from 1312 to 1337, his gifts established mosques and religious schools throughout west Africa
(vocab) Swahili Society
Bantu peoples who established settlements and dominated trade on the coasts and islands of east Africa
(vocab) Ibn Battuta
a Moroccan jurist and possibly the most traveled man of his time, it is through his written accounts that gives insight into the customs of the age
(vocab) Jenne-jeno
A center of iron production and trade that emerged around 400 CE, becoming the main commercial crossroad of west Africa
(vocab) Ife & Benin
local city-state kingdoms that arose around 1000 CE in the forested regions of west Africa under powerful chiefs
(vocab) Kingdom of Kongo
prosperous Congolese state with a tightly centralized government, actively participating in trade networks for copper, cloth, and shells
(vocab) Kingdom of Ghana
the principal state of west Africa at the time of Muslim arrival, situated between the Senegal and Niger rivers
(vocab) Koumbi-Saleh
at its height, a thriving commercial center and primary trading site that became the capital of the kingdom of Ghana
(vocab) Timbuktu & Gao
market cities on the trans-Saharan caravan routes that became prosperous trading centers
(vocab) Kilwa
by the 13th century, one of the busiest city-states on the east African coast, often importing Chinese porcelain in exchange for gold
(vocab) Zimbabwe
referring to “the dwelling of a chief”, it is best known as a large and powerful kingdom in east-central Africa
(vocab) Great Zimbabwe
arising in the early 13th century, it was a city of stone towers that served as a capital and controlled trade between the interior and coastal regions
(vocab) Axum
located in the Highlands of modern Ethiopia during the 4th century CE, it became a foothold for Christianity in Africa
(vocab) Trans-Saharan Trade
Extensive north-south commercial activity across the deserts of northern Africa
(vocab) Zanj Revolt
A lengthy uprising of black slaves from the Swahili coast in the late 9th century
(vocab) Islamic Slave Trade
Muslim networks that transported an estimated 10 million Africans to foreign lands between 750 and 1500 CE
(vocab) Oral tradition
Stories, histories, accounts, and other epics transmitted by professional singers & storytellers
(vocab) Kin-based societies
Rule built on the principle of family and clan groups where the male heads of families constituted a village’s ruling council
(vocab) Camels
the chosen beast of burden for the long-distance caravan trade across the Sahara
(vocab) Mali Empire
A powerful political state which emerged in the first half of the 13th century after the collapse of the Kingdom of Ghana
(vocab) Age Groups
In African society, groupings of all individuals within a community born within a few years of each other
(vocab) Kebra Negast
Fictional work that meant to tie Ethiopia’s rulers as descendants of David and Solomon
Trade and communications networks were slower to penetrate sub-Saharan Africa compared to other regions because…
there were formidable geographic barriers to overcome
The earliest Bantu migrants were…
agriculturalists
True or False: The bubonic plague stimulated African migrations.
False. African migrations were mostly stimulated by the introduction of iron metallurgy, bananas, agriculture, and population pressure.
Before the 10th century, the dominant form of social organization in sub-Saharan Africa was the…
Kin-based system
True or false: It is accurate to say that Kin based societies had:
1. male heads of families preside over village affairs
2. the most prominent of family heads acting as chief
3. a group of villages constituting a district
4. ethnic loyalties focused at the district level.
True. All statements are accurate
The kingdom of Kongo maintained what system, based on what?
It maintained a royal currency system based on cowries from the Indian Ocean
The arrival of camels in Africa quickened…
The pace of communication across the Sahara
In an analogy, Koumbi-Saleh was to the kingdom of Ghana as Niani was…
as Niani was to the Mali empire
The conversion to Islam of rulers of the kingdom of Ghana and the Mali empire stimulated…
commercial relations with Muslim merchants
Swahili refers to…
The peoples of the east African coast
True or false: Zimbabwe and Ife were one of the Swahili city-states.
False. Swahili city states were on the coast of East Africa. Zimbabwe is in southern Africa and Ife is in Nigeria.
True or False: According to Ibn Battuta, Mogadishu…
1. had only hunters, gatherers, and fishers
2. was a large, inland, overland trade city
3. had not yet converted to Islam
4. was hostile to strangers.
False. None of those statements are true.
In societies of the sub-Sahara, what did not exist?
Private ownership of land did not exist
After the 11th century, the slave trade became increasingly important in Africa because of…
a demand for slaves in foreign markets outstripped the supply
Unlike many other religions, African religion…
…did not concern itself with matters of theology
Compared with Islam, Christianity in sub-Saharan Africa was…
…located in a much smaller region
Upon adopting Islamic faith, African women…
Did not experience much change in their social status
by 100 CE Bantu speaking people had settled in…
Most of Africa, South of the equator
when and where were bananas domesticated?
400 CE, southeast Africa (madagascar)
when did the desertification of the Sahara begin?
5000 BCE
what were the main things that were traded in ghana?
GOLD, SALT, ivory, slaves, and iron
what did mansa musa do during his rule?
built mosques, supported muslim scholars, and established religious schools
The capital of the kingdom of Ghana, and a major trading center, was
Koumbi-Saleh
The variety of Christianity practiced in Axum was
Coptic christianity.
True or False: The conversion to Islam by east African merchants and princes did NOT completely eliminate animistic religions
True. Many local populations continued to practice animistic beliefs alongside Islamic faith
In regards to political structure, the early Bantu societies…
governed themselves mostly through family and kinship groups
Axum was
a Christian kingdom in Ethiopia
First domesticated in southeast Asia, _____ provided a nutritious supplement to Bantu diets as well as allowing the Bantu to expand into forested regions.
bananas
In sub-Saharan Africa, an age grade was…
a publicly recognized group which performed tasks based on their strength and maturity
In the smaller states of sub-Saharan Africa, the primary considerations for determining social position were…
kinship, age groupings, and sex and gender expectations
Between 750 and 1500 CE, the number of slaves transported north as part of the trans-Saharan slave trade may have been around…
ten (10) million
A Bantu village ruling council was made up of…
the male heads of families
Usually, a Bantu district, which consisted of a group of villages, was NOT…
ruled by a chief or by a larger government
The Bantu originally came from around…
Nigeria
By the tenth century CE the kings of Ghana had converted to…
Islam
The Bantu probably began their migrations because of…
population pressures
Ethiopian Christianity retained both…
Traditional African and Christian beliefs
The term Zimbabwe originally referred to…
the dwelling of a chief
True or False: Domestication of the camel was NOT one of the central factors in the establishment of trans-Saharan trade.
False. camels were very important in caravans
The great epic story of Mali is known as
the story of Sundiata (Sunjata)
Mali became the wealthiest kingdom in sub-Saharan Africa because of…
its control of the gold trade
By the middle of the first millennium BCE, the Bantu had begun to produce…
iron
The most tightly centralized of the fourteenth century Bantu kingdoms was…
Kongo
The most powerful state in west Africa at the time of the arrival of Islam was…
Ghana
Most sub-Saharan African religions believed in…
a powerful creator god who took a very active role in everyday human affairs
Who made a famous pilgrimage to Mecca in 1324-25?
Mansa Musa
True or False: A vibrant religious inspiration caused by the kings’ conversion to Christianity was NOT one of the foundations of Mali’s power.
True. Mali’s power was primarily built on its control of the trans-Saharan trade routes. Also, they were Islam…
Since there was no concept of private ownership of land in sub-Saharan Africa, slave ownership was…
an important aspect of determining personal wealth
Just as the kingdoms of west Africa depended on trans-Saharan trade, the kingdoms of east Africa depended on…
Indian Ocean trade
Oral traditions express the notion that the Bantu viewed hunting and gathering peoples such as the pygmies as
inferior and even subhuman, likening them to chimpanzees
The Swahili city-state of Kilwa was ferociously sacked in 1505 by the…
Portuguese
In relation to spreading their language across a huge stretch of Africa, the Bantu played a role similar to that played by
Indo-Europeans
In regards to gender issues in sub-Saharan Africa,
women had more opportunities open to them than their counterparts in other societies
How many languages were spoken in sub-Saharan Africa?
around 800
Who was the ruler of Mali during its peak?
Mansa Musa
By 1000 C.E., the population of sub-Saharan Africa had risen to around
22 million
Gao was an important trading center in…
the Sahara desert
Swahili is an Arabic term meaning
“coasters”
Ife and Benin were both…
city-states ruled by family relationships and political alliances.
The Swahili city-states dominated…
trade along the east African coast.
What large kingdom, situated between the Zambesi and Limpopo rivers, was dominated by a magnificent capital of stone towers, palaces, and public buildings?
Zimbabwe
The term Zanj refers to
a Swahili slave
What did Ali bin Muhammad do?
Lead the Zanj revolt
Most sub-Saharan African religions were centered on…
the practical business of explaining and predicting the experiences of individuals.
Christian churches carved from solid rock are an example of the influence of
pre-Christian values
