Aksum

What was Aksum?

Located on the Horn of Africa, the ancient Ethiopian kingdom of Axum (also spelled Aksum) played a significant role in international relations around the time of the first millennium. At its height, Axum controlled modern-day Ethiopia, Eritrea, Sudan, Western Yemen, southern Saudi Arabia, and parts of Somalia. Although largely forgotten today, references to Ethiopians can be seen in such seminal works as the Bible, the Qur’an, Homer’s Iliad, and Dante’s Divine Comedy. Such wide acclaim reflects the power and influence once held by the powerful Axumite Empire.

There are some interesting legends connected to the fallen kingdom as well. The capital of the kingdom, also called Axum, is allegedly the home to the famed Queen of Sheba and stories say the Ark of the Covenant was taken to the kingdom too.

Build on What You Know In the previous lesson you learned about the kingdom of Kush. South of Kush, a new African kingdom arose as a leading center of political and economic power.

The Rise of Aksum

ESSENTIAL QUESTION: Why did trade become important to Aksum?

The kingdom of Kush fell when Meroë was destroyed by a king of Aksum (AHK•SOOM). Kush was conquered by Aksum. Aksum was located in modern-day Ethiopia and Eritrea.

Perfect Trade Location Aksum arose in the Horn of Africa, an area shaped like a rhinoceros horn. (See map below.) This location gave Aksum access to trade to the Red Sea, Mediterranean Sea, Indian Ocean, and the Nile valley.

Arab traders built colonies and trading posts there. They found the location ideal for exchanging goods from the Indian Ocean trade, Persia, and Africa. Aksum was a meeting place for African, Arabian, and other peoples.

A legend traces the founding of the Ethiopian dynasty of Aksum to Menelik, son of King Solomon of Israel and the Queen of Sheba.

An International Trading Hub Like Kush, Aksum became a trading hub, or center, from which trade spread out in many directions. Traders came from Egypt, other parts of Africa, Arabia, the eastern Mediterranean, Persia, and India.

Adulis (ah•DOO•lihs), a city on the Red Sea, was the main trading port of Aksum. There, traders exchanged salt, ivory, cloth, brass, iron, gold, glass, olive oil, and wine. Animal traders purchased animals such as giraffes and elephants.

King Ezana Expands Aksum

ESSENTIAL QUESTION What was the effect of King Ezana on religion?

At the beginning, Aksum was small. Then, in the A.D. 300s, a bold king added territory and built a powerful nation.

Trading Nation A Ezana (AY•zah•nah) was a strong king who rose to power in Aksum in A.D. 325. First he took control of a trading colony on the coast of the Arabian peninsula. Then, in 350, he conquered Kush and burned Meroë to the ground.

Around this time, the empire of Aksum expanded inland and along the coast of the Red Sea. As a result, the kingdom controlled a large trading network.

Ezana had become king as an infant. While he was being educated, Ezana's mother ruled on his behalf. One of Ezana's teachers taught him about Christianity. When Ezana began to rule he converted to Christianity. He also made Christianity the official religion of Aksum. The Christian church in Aksum was linked to Alexandria, in Egypt, rather than to Rome.

Background: African rulers in Egypt, Kush, and Aksum had accounts of their military campaigns carved onto stone pillars and thrones.

They followed a standard format. First they described the reasons for going to war. Then they described the war itself. Next they noted the campaign's results. Finally, they gave thanks to the gods or God for victory. The passage quoted on the right was carved onto a throne for King Ezana to celebrate his victory.

Aksum's Achievements

Aksum Crown - This is an early crown from the Christian kingdom of Aksum.

from Aksum: An African Civilization of Late Antiquity

By Stuart Munro-Hay

And I set up a throne here in Shado

[in Aksum] by the might of the Lord of

Heaven who has helped me and given me

supremacy. May the Lord of Heaven reinforce

my reign. And, as he has now defeated my

enemies for me, may he continue to do so

wherever I go. As he has now conquered for

me, and has submitted my enemies to me, I

wish to reign in justice and equity, without

doing any injustice to my peoples.

ESSENTIAL QUESTION What were some of Aksum's achievements?

A unique culture rose in Aksum. Just as the people of Kush blended Nubian and Egyptian influences, so Aksum saw a coming together of cultural influences from the Horn of Africa and southern Arabia.

Architecture Among the most impressive of these achievements were the pillars of Aksum, which builders placed around the country. Some were 60 to more than 100 feet tall. Writing carved on the pillars celebrated great victories or achievements. Builders in Egypt and Kush had used pillars in a similar fashion.

Builders constructed Aksum's tall pillars without mortar. They were carved from single stone slabs. Features included false doors and windows. Builders and architects also built large temples. Later, richly decorated Christian churches replaced the temples.

A Written Language Aksum had a written language called Ge'ez (gee•EHZ). Arabian migrants brought the language to Aksum. Ge'ez became the basis for three languages that are used in Ethiopia and Eritrea today—Amharic, Tigrinya, and Tigre. Ge'ez is still used in the Ethiopian Church.

Scroll - Text written in the Ge'ez language

Terraced Farming The landscape of Aksum was rugged and hilly. To adapt the land for farming, farmers built terraces. A terrace is a leveled-off area of land. Being flat, terraces hold moisture better than hilly land does. Terraced farming increased the amount of land that could be cultivated. Aksum's farmers also built canals, dams, and holding ponds to bring mountain water to the fields.

Lesson Summary

• Aksum became a powerful trading center.

• King Ezana expanded Aksum's empire.

• Aksum's unique culture had long-lasting effects.

Additional Resources:

The Aksum Kingdom: Trade and Ancient Africa | Africa's Great Civilizations | PBS LearningMedia“Between the first and the twelfth centuries, extraordinary events happened in Africa, events that transformed not just the history of the continent but the history of the world.” - Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Africa’s Great Civilizations Between 300 BCE through 1,000 CE trade began to play a key role in this developing continent, linking more of Africa into networks of exchange that extended across the Eastern Hemisphere. In the first through sixth centuries (CE), East Africa had one of the greatest empires of its time, the kingdom of Aksum in Ethiopia. Considered as important as the empires in Rome, Persia and China, the kingdom of Aksum arose in the Horn of Africa. This location provided access to trade in the Red Sea, Mediterranean Sea and Indian Ocean, allowing it to become a powerful trading hub. The gateway to this African kingdom was the port city of Adulis, the main trading post of Aksum. Located on the Red Sea, Traders came from Egypt, the Middle East, and India. Greek, Roman and Persians followed with an eagerness to acquire the luxury goods that had captured the attention of Egyptian pharaohs. The kingdom of Aksum traded frankincense, myrrh, ivory and tortoise shell, while receiving imports of copper, bronze, silver, gold and wine. Through control of Adulis, Aksum became extremely wealthy through stiff tariffs on goods, which could be seen through its stunning architecture, monuments and art. Also known as: Axum Lesson from hour two of Africa's Great Civilizations.

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