Ch. 2 - Empires of Africa
Africa’s Early History (pp. 182-186)
1. Oral Traditions
-cultural history passed from one generation to the next through speaking
-many things change or are lost because they are not written down
2. Griots-
-expressed African history through music, oral folk tales, and drama
-used riddles
-oral traditions gave society a sense of unity and importance
3. Stateless Society-
-leadership not based on a central government
-generally based on some other type of criteria such as linage
6. Linage-
-those who share a common ancestry
-clans are larger groups of people who share a common linage
5. Patrilinear-
-line of inheritance which follows the male side of the family
6. Matrilineal-
-line of inheritance which follows the female side of the family
7. Nuclear Family-
-societies accept various family patters
-parents and children living and working together
8. Maghrib-
-geographic region of North Africa next to the Mediterranean Sea
-region of Africa which fell to Muslim influences very early
9. Almoravids-
-North Africans from the Berber tribe, who converted to Islam
-under the leadership of Abd Allah Ibn Yasin they began to spread the Islamic religion
-even spread into Europe (where they were known as the Moors)
-city of Marrakech was their capital
10. Almohads-
-came from the Atlas mountain region of North Africa
-criticized how the Almoravids leaders had moved away from the traditional Islamic teachings
-led by Abd al-Mumin, they took over leadership of the Islamic religion
West African Civilizations (pp. 413-421)
11. Niger River-
-located in west Africa, it was were the great West African empires developed
-most began near the “big bend of the Niger”
12. Ghana-
-first great West African civilization, A.D. 300's to the mid-1000
-located on the major caravan routes across the Sahara
-traded salt and gold to camel caravans, across the Sahara, from Arabia
13. Al-Bakri-
-the Islamic geographer
-wrote several books (two of which still exist) at a time when only oral traditions were being used
-considered the most complete cultural history of Mali
14. Mali-
-the Malinke people began conquering the outlying regions of Ghana, eventually took over the empire
-became one of the largest and wealthiest African ancient empires
-flourished in West Africa from about 1240 to 1500
15. Sundiata-
-founded the Mali Empire in West Africa in 1235 and ruled it until about 1260
-his military conquests eventually led to expansion of the Mali empire
-combined Islamic and traditional African beliefs
-believed to possess magical powers
-today is regarded as a hero of West Africa
16. Mansa Musa
-ruler of the Mali Empire in Africa from 1312 to about 1337
-greatly expanded Mali and made it West Africa's political and cultural power
-brought the trading cities of Gao and Timbuktu under his rule
-traveled to Mecca with a caravan that included thousands of people and hundreds of camels bearing gold and gifts
-brought back learned people and architects who designed beautiful mosques in Gao and Timbuktu
17. Ibn Battuta-
-early African traveler and historian who recorded life during the height of the Mali rule
-traveled all the way to Far East Asia
18. Songhai
-trading state in West Africa that reached its peak during the 1400's and 1500's
-became powerful by controlling trade across the Sahara
-most Songhai's people farmed, fished, or traded
-traders exchanged gold and other West African products for goods from Europe and -Songhai declined after being defeated by a Moroccan army at the Battle of Tondibi in 1591
19. Timbuktu
-trading town in central Mali, near the southern edge of the Sahara, along the Niger River
-richest commercial cities and a center of Islamic learning in early Africa
-attracted merchants and scholars from across northern Africa
-goods from North Africa were exchanged for products from the forests and grasslands of West Africa
-its location left it open to attack, and control of the city changed hands many times
-official name today is Tombouctou
20. Sonni Ali
-ruled the Songhai Empire in West Africa from 1464 to 1492
-developed Songhai into the most powerful state in west Africa
-captured the trading center of Timbuktu in 1468
-established law and order in the Songhai Empire and encouraged trade
-may have been assassinated while returning from a military expedition
21. Muhammed I Askia
-also called Askia I or Askia the Great
-ruled the Songhai Empire in western Africa during its height
-seized large territories from the Mali Empire
-supported the spread of Islam in West Africa and modeled his empire's laws on those of Islam
-overthrown by is eldest son (A.D. 1528) buried in a huge tomb in Gao
22. Hausa-
-created a successful trading civilization east of the Niger River using Sahara trade routes
-created huge city walls in order to protect his city-state
-never fully developed into an empire due to the constant battling between themselves
23. Yoruba-
-also called Ife Empire
-famous for their great works of art using wood, ivory, terra cotta and metal
24. Al-Hassan
-also known as Leo Africanus (Latin for Leo of Africa)
-born in Spain in the 1490’s, but forced to leave to Morocco for religious reasons
-for religious reasons, traveled throughout the Mediterranean world
-captured by pirates and given to Pope Leo X as a gift
-remained in Rome and wrote a book “Adventures of Leo Africanus” sparking the curiosity of many
25. Benin-
-West African trading kingdom that flourished from the early 1400's to the late 1800's
-traded ivory, pepper, and slaves to the Portuguese
-artists created brass and ivory sculptures which today are in museums worldwide
-weakened and later collapsed by the European slave trade
East City-States and Southern Empires (pp. 422-27)
26. Ethiopia-
-later Aksum empire
-Ethiopian rulers claimed descent from Solomon and Sheba until revolution in late 1970’s
27. Swahili
-Moslem people of mixed Bantu and Arab ancestry
- means coast people
-Arab traders began to settle in East African coastal villages about the time of Christ
-the Swahili language is used in East Africa today
-during the 1500's and 1600's, the Portuguese looted numerous Swahili cities and seriously damaged their ability to trade
28. Kilwa
-very rich Islamic trading empire in southern Africa
-traded with seagoing Asian traders
-located at the farthest point of travel using the monsoon winds
-defeated by Portuguese traders
28. Great Zimbabwe-
-means house of stone in the Shona language
-also called Great Zimbabwe for the huge stone buildings and monuments they created
-structures were made of huge granite slabs fitted together without mortar
-much about empire remains a mystery
30. Mutapa-
-empire named for the ruler who left Zimbabwe and settled in the rich northern valley region
-used slave labor to mine gold
-militarily strong enough to fight off the Portuguese, but eventually the Europeans took political control and ended the empire.
The Atlantic Slave Trade (pp. 566-570)
31. Slave Trade
-began in West Africa by the Portuguese to supply labor for plantations in North America
-severely weakened the west African trading empires as the young, strong and healthy
32. Triangular Trade Route-
-ships transported manufactured goods, slaves, and raw material between Europe, Africa, and America
33. Middle Passage
-the part of the Triangular Trade Route which brought slaves to America