Ciara Bouchard Chapter 8 African Civilizations and the Spread of Islam 1 Introduction 2 Mansa Musa crossed Sahara on hajj

j 3 wealth symbolized potential of Africa 4 Sub-sahara never totally isolated 5 Butfor periods contact was difficult and intermittent 6 Changes came from 7 Arrival of Muhammad followers 8 Commercial and military attributes 9 changed by Islam, but retained individuality 10 African culture not united 11 provided major external contact between sub-Saharan Africa and world 12 State building 13 Mali, Songhay created more from military power than ethnic/cultural unity 14 Merchant city states on west/East coast 15 Portugese in 15th century brought Africans into world economy more 16 Bantu migration continued 17 Societies dont build so much on previous civilizations 18 African Societies: Diversities and Similarities 19 Introduction 20 Diverse large centralized states to stateless societies 21 Differences in geography, language, religion, politics 22 Universalistic faiths penetrated continent 23 butuniversal states/religions dont characterize history 24 Stateless societies 25 organized around kinship and other forms of obligation 26 council of families 27 orsecret societies of men/women 28 little concentration of authority 29 government not a full-time job 30 after internal dispute, you can always leave and form new village 31 Unable to 32 mobilize for war 33 organize large building projects 34 create stable conditions for long distance trade 35 Common Elements in African Societies 36 Even though different, similarities existed 37 language Bantu migration 38 thought 39 religion animistic religion 40 power of natural forces 41 ritual and worship 42 dancing, drumming, divination, and sacrifice 43 witchcraft 44 cosmology how universe worked 45 belief in creator deity

46 saw selves as first settlers, land meant more than economic usefulness 47 link of deceased ancestors 48 Economies 49 North Africa fully involved in Mediterranean trade quite different than rest 50 Settled agriculture and skilled metalwork had spread 51 Market life key for men and women 52 Professional merchants controlled trade 53 Population least known by 1500 30 to 60 million people 54 Arrival of Islam 55 Land conquered and reconquered by Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Vandals 56 Cyrene and Carthage became huge trading centers 57 640-700 CE Muslim followers spread across Africa 58 by 670, controlled Ifriqiya Tunisia > Africa 59 Arabs called n.east Arica > Ifriqiya and west Maghrib 60 When Abbasid dynasty united many conversions 61 11th century Almoravids ultra-conservative - reformers 62 launched jihad holy war to purify, spread, protect faith 63 Almohadis also reformers 64 Return to original teachings of Muhammad 65 Why attractive? 66 Egalitarian teachings all Muslims are equally 67 Reinforced African kings authority 68 Equal footing with Arab invaders 69 but 70 Disparity between law and practice 71 The Christian Kingdoms: Nubia and Ethiopia 72 Islands of Christianity left behind 73 Christian Egyptians Copts 74 Traded with Byzantine Empire 75 Eventually split with empire doctrinal and political issues 76 What differences 77 Muslim invaders allowed them to keep religion tolerance 78 Met resistance in Kush/Nubia couldnt push Islam further 79 Axum > Ethiopia most important African Christian outpost 80 Cut off, surrounded by pagans, influenced by Jewish/pagan immigrants 81 Dynasty appeared build rock sculptures 82 Traced origins to marriage of Solomon and Sheba Bible 83 Maintained its brand of Christianity isolated 84 in 1542 Portugese expedition pushed back Muslim invaders 85 Butcouldnt push Catholic faith, remained isolated 86 Kingdoms of the Grasslands 87 Introduction 88 Three coasts Atlantic, Indian, savanna on edge of Sahara 89 Edge of desert 90 Gold found 91 Camels improved trade 92 Sahel grassland belt best place to live centers of trade 93 African states emerge as trade intermediaries

94 Location makes them open to droughts and attack 95 10th century Ghana rose to power through taxing salt, gold exchange 96 Sudanic States 97 Patriarch or council of elders 98 Power over subordinate communities 99 Collect taxes, tribute, military support 100States emerge Ghana, Mali, Songhay 101Rulers separated from commoners through ritual think mandate of heaven 102The Empire of Mali and Sundiata, the Lion Prince 103Mali 13th century Malinke broke away from Ghana 104Rulers supported Islam encouraged obedience to ruler 105built mosques 106attended public prayers 107supported preachers 108juula traders 109Sundiata Sunjata brilliant leader 110Lion Prince expaned Mali 111Originator of social arrangements divided into clans castelike 11216 free to bear arms, 5 religious, 4 blacksmiths 113Created peace through loyalty, severely punished crimes 114Security of traders key to survival 115Ibn Batuta Arab traveler noted impressive security 116Mansa Musa 1324 trip to Mecca awesome, impressive 117passed out gold devalued 118brought back Ishak al-Sahili architect great Mosque of Jenne 119City Dwellers and Villagers 120Cities flourished Timbuktu and Jenne 121Mosque, library, university 122Book trade 123Difficult life soil sandy and shallow 124Clearing land done communally 125Polygamy for the purpose of having more labor 126irrigation in Timbuktu 127The Songhay Kingdom middle Niger Valley 128masters of the soil and masters of the waters 1291370, Songhay broke from Mali gold trade 130Sunni Ali ruthless, tactical commander 131Expanded borders, created administration 132Mid-16th century Songhay dominated Sudan 133Familiar pattern created unique brand of Islam 134pagan/Muslim beliefs both believed 135fusion, priests still need to work with local spirits 136local interpretation of Muslim law 137woman mixed freely in public, no veil 138Downfall when Muslim army from Morocco came down > this led to revolts 139Muslim role in city 140Came as merchants joined communities 141Though minorities, became elite 142Located throughout west Africa, but no Islamicized state 143Intermarriage took place

144Political and Social Life 145Large states represented goals of elite family/group 146Islam served many groups 147Common religion/law united 148Trust to merchants 149leaders took names emir/caliph to reinforce authority 150as advisors/scribes Muslims helped with administration 151maintained theocracy spiritual and political leader 152with new states came increased social differences 153Adjustment 154Women 155Many societies matrilineal 156ButShariaIslamic law says it must be patrilineal 157Many visitors shocked at African womens equality 158Impact of slavery 1598 > 7 million traded 160Always existed, Muslims brought it to new heights 161Muslims saw slavery as process in conversion 162Used as servants, laborers, soldiers, administrators, eunuchs, concubines 163Led to desire to enslave women and children 164Children of slave mothers freed 165Need for more slaves 166The Swahili Coast of East Africa 167Introduction 168Indian Ocean coast center for Islamic influence 169string of Islamicized trading cities why? 170universal set of ethics 171maritime contacts easier 172Compromise between indigenous ways and new faith 173The Coastal Trading Port 174Founding Bantu people from 1st century to 10th century 175Even Indonesia and Malay in 2nd century- bananas/coconuts on Madagascar 176Fishers, farmers made rough pottery & iron 17713th century urbanized trading ports at least 30 port towns 178Shared Swahili language 179Contained mosques, tombs, palaces cut of stone and coral 180Exported ivory, gold, iron, slaves, exotic animals 181Imported silks Persia, porcelain China 182Sofala beautiful coastal city, gold access, furthers south to catch monsoon 183Riding the monsoon season key to trading in Indian Ocean] 184link to coastal commerce and caravan trade 185Chinese sailing expeditions 1417 > 1431 big boats National Geographic 186Mixture of Cultures Islam fused with local religions not entirely accepted 18713th century great Islamic expansion 188Trust and law to facilitate trade 189Ruling families built mosques and palaces

190Claimed to be descendants of Persian ruling familes 191Gave rule legitimacy 192Rulers and merchants Muslim, but others retained beliefs 193Swahili language Bantu + Arabic words 194Arabic script used 195Islam didnt penetrate internally 196Class based 197Women some still were matrilineal, some patrilineal 1981500 Portuges arrive 199Wanted to control gold trade 200Established Fort Jesus, but couldnt control trade 201Peoples of the Forest and Plains 202Introduction 203Internally following own trajectories independently 204Some herding, some agricultural 205Some small villages, some larger states 206Most preliterate knowledge, skills, traditions through oral methods 207Butcould still make strides in arts, building and statecraft 208Artists and Kings: Yoruba and Benin 209Nigeria, Nok 210Terra cotta/bronze realistic/stylized art 211portrait heads of rulers 212Long gap in history 213Yoruba 214Agricultural society led by ruling family/aristocracy 215City Ile-Ife 216Spoke non-Bantu language 217Small city-states, regional kings 218Urbanized nature similar to city-states of Italy/Germany 219Benin Edo peoples 220Ivory/bronze art sculptures 221Some even included Portugese soldiers 222Ruler in large royal compound 223Central African Kingdoms 224South of rain forest near Lake Victoria 225State formation replaced kinship based societies 226Rituals reinforced rulers power 227Luba peoples - believed leaders controlled fertility of humans/agricult. 228The Kingdom of Kongo and Mwene Mutapa 229Kongo 230Art weaving, pottery, blacksmithing 231Sharp division of labor 232Farther east Bantu confederation built royal courts of stone 233zimbabwes stone houses Great Zimbabwe most famous 234Some even believed Phoenicians prejudices 235Mwene Mutapa 236Controlled gold, glass beads, porcelain trade 237Iron weapons 238Global Connections 239Reality more written records in Sudanic states and Swahili coast Islam

240Synthesis of African/Islamic values changed some Africans lives 241Portugese arrived in 15th century 242Muslims and Portugese intensified trade of ivory, slaves and gold 243Widened trade and global relations