Chapter 7

Early African Civilizations

2000 B.C. – A.D. 1500

Modern Day Africa

Key Events• The continent’s immense size and

distinct geographical and climatic zones influenced where civilizations developed and how they survived

• The introduction of Christianity and Islam affected the way civilizations developed and interacted

• The development of trade led to the exchange of goods and cultural ideas

The Impact Today• The expansion of trade

creates a global society, allowing people to exchange goods, services, and ideas throughout the world• African art, music, and dance

remain very influential today

Chapter Preview

•“Explorer Finds Great Zimbabwe”

Section 1

The Development

of Civilizations

in Africa

The Land of Africa• Northern coast is mountainous• South of the mountains is the

Sahara desert• Major regions south of the

Sahara– Hump of Africa (Sahara gives way to

grasslands and the tropical jungles)– Great Rift Valley (Mountains loom over

deep canyons) Grasslands with many wild animals

– Congo Basin (Dense Vegetation watered by the Congo river)

Sahara Desert

Great Rift Valley

Congo Basin

The Climate of Africa• 4 Distinct Climate Zones (Map

224)–Mild Zone (Moderate rainfall and

warm temperatures result in fertile land that produces abundant crops)–Deserts (40% of Africa)–Rain Forest (Heavy rains and warm

temperatures produce dense forests where little farming and little travel are possible)–Savannas (Broad grasslands dotted

with small trees and shrubs)

Kush• Became independent in 1000 B.C.• In 750 B.C. Kush Conquered Egypt• In 663 B.C. the Kushites were

overwhelmed by the Assyrians and returned to upper Nile Valley

• Economy originally based on farming

• Soon emerged as one of the major trading states in the region

• Kushites made iron weapons and tools

Kush (Continued)• For the next 200 years, Kush was a

major trading empire, providing iron products and goods from central and eastern Africa to the Roman Empire, as well as to Arabia and India.

• Other Exports – Ivory, gold, ebony, and slaves.

• Imports – Luxury goods, including jewelry and silver lamps from India and Arabia.

Axum• Located in the highlands of what is

now Ethiopia• Founded by Arabs from the

southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula

• Eventually combined Arab and African cultures

• Prosperous due to location on Red Sea trade route

• Conquered Kush in 4th century A.D.

The Coming of Islam• For hundreds of years, relations

between Christian Axum and its Muslim neighbors were relatively peaceful.

• 12th Century – Problems arose as the Muslim states along the coast began to move inland to gain control over trade.

• 15th Century – Axum was deeply involved with the Muslim state of Adal.

Section 2

Kingdoms and States of

Africa

The Kingdom of Ghana• The first great trading state in West

Africa – Emerged in A.D. 500• Most people were farmers living in

villages under a local ruler• Together the villages formed the

kingdom of Ghana• The Kings of Ghana were strong

rulers (with great wealth) who governed without any laws.

Ghana Location

Ghana – Economy and Trade• Lived off the land and also prospered

from their possession of both iron and gold.

• Received imports of metal goods, textiles, horses, and salt from Muslim merchants

• Exchange of goods took place through “silent trade” – page 229.

• Also exported ivory, ostrich feathers, hides, and slaves.

Exports through Camel Caravans

The Kingdom of Mali• Established around 1240 by Sundiata

Keita (Compared to George Washington)

• Extended from the Atlantic coast to the famous trading city of Timbuktu

• Local rulers sent tax revenue to the Kings of Mali

• Richest and most powerful king – Mansa Musa

• By 1359, civil war divided Mali.

Mali Location

The Kingdom of Songhai• Located south of the bend in the

Niger River in Western Africa• Due to military victories Songhai had

control of the trading empire, especially salt and gold

• Declined in the 16th century mainly due to Morocco forces occupying much of Songhai

• By 1600 the Songhai Empire was all but gone

African Trading Empires

• Review chart on page 232

KushAxumGhanaMali

Songhai

Bantus• Migration of Bantus to East Africa (1st millennium B.C.)• Communities based on subsistence farming• Sometime after A.D. 1000 , descendants of a Bantu tribe established the prosperous city of Great Zimbabwe

Great Zimbabwe

Great Zimbabwe

Bantus• String of trading ports on the Eastern edge of Africa (Mogadishu, Mombasa, and Kilwa) – 7th and 8th centuries.• Later in the 1500’s a Swahili culture began to emerge throughout the coastal area.

South Africa• Until the eleventh century A.D., most of the peoples lived in a stateless society.• From about 1300 to 1450, Zimbabwe was the wealthiest and most powerful state in the region.

Section 3

African Society and

Culture

King and Subject• Less of a divide between king and

common people in Africa. Nevertheless, the king was still held in a position high above all others.

• Relationship helped both sides–Merchants received favors from the king– King’s treasury received taxes paid by

merchants– King maintained law and order in the

kingdom so that the merchants could practice their trade

Family and Lineage• Extended family and lineage

groups were very important to Africans.

• All members of a lineage group could claim to be descended from a real or legendary common ancestor.

• The elders in the group had the most power

• Members took care of one another

Role of Women• Usually subordinate to Men• Women often worked in the

fields while the men tended cattle or hunted• Most African societies were

matrilineal rather than patrilineal

Community Education and Initiation

• At age 6, boys went to live in “house of the men” and girls in “the house of the women” – raised for adult roles• Initiation and ritual ceremony

took place at puberty where they became men and women and entered into the life of the community

African Ritual Ceremony

Slavery• Had been practiced in Africa

since ancient times• Berber groups raided farming

villages south of Sahara for captives and sold them throughout the Mediterranean• Slaves used in a variety of ways

(Page 238)

Religious Beliefs in Africa

• Most early Africans believed in a single creator - God.• Sometimes, the “creator god”

was joined by a whole group of lesser gods.• Communication through rituals

– by diviners.

Religious Beliefs in Africa (Cont.)

• Importance of ancestors (closer to the gods)

• Many African religions shared a belief in afterlife

• Islam began spreading rapidly in Northern Africa and more slowly south of the Sahara

• Christianity also spread in the mountains of Ethiopia

African Culture• Earliest art forms in Africa were rock

paintings showing the life of the peoples.

• Wood carvers made remarkable masks and statues (usually representing gods, spirits, and ancestral figures).

• Later, metal workers produced handsome bronze and iron statues

• Dance, music, and storytelling served religious purposes.

Chapter 7Early African Civilizations

Wrap Up and Review

Key Events (Re-visited)• The continent’s immense size and

distinct geographical and climatic zones influenced where civilizations developed and how they survived

• The introduction of Christianity and Islam affected the way civilizations developed and interacted

• The development of trade led to the exchange of goods and cultural ideas

The Impact Today (Re-visited)

• The expansion of trade creates a global society, allowing people to exchange goods, services, and ideas throughout the world• African art, music, and dance

remain very influential today