Standard:

16.Describe the decline of Egypt and rise of other African cultures:– Kush, Ghana, Mali, Songhai, including

trade, products, slavery, learning,– Beginnings and spread of Judaism and

Islam

Ancient Africa

Aksum, Ghana, Mali, Songhai, and Great Zimbabwe

Aksum

• Major force for 800 years

• Oldest Christian country

• Outstanding achievements

• Rich trading center

Christianity• Around A.D. 300 Aksum’s people

became Christian

• Among first Christians in the world

• Followed a leader called the Patriarch

King Ezana• Ruler from A.D. 325 –

360– Conquered part of

Arabian Peninsula– Named “King of Kings”

Achievements• Architecture

• Writing System

• Mint Coins

• Trade Center

Unique Architecture

• Used stone instead of brick

• Perfect fit, no mortar

Writing System

• The first sub Saharan kingdom to develop its own writing system.

Mint Coins

First country south of the Sahara to mint its own coins.

Printed with the saying: “May the country be satisfied.”

• Traders came from Egypt, India, Arabia and the Roman Empire – African trade goods

Ivory Cloth

Rhinoceros horns

Trade Center

Gold

Aksum’s Decline

• 700 A.D. Bagdad took over control of shipping– Aksum lost its importance

• 900 A.D. Aksum overthrown by local nobels and was gone

West African Empires

• Ghana

• Mali

• Songhai

• Gold

• Salt

Empire of Ghana

• A major power in Africa from 700’s

• Major source of gold

• Trade Center

Gold

• Rulers of Ghana “masters of the gold”

• Traded gold for salt– Needed to preserve food– Equal in value

Trade Center

• Located along the major trade routes in North Africa

• Kings of Ghana controlled the gold-for-salt trade

Supply and Demand• Kings kept gold

scarce • Supply –

goods or resources people are willing to sell

• Demand – people’s willingness to buy an item.

Ghana’s Decline

• Ghana’s wealth created envy– Rival kingdoms wanted to control the gold

trade– In 1000’s neighbors attacked– By 1230 Ghana was gone

Mali

• Sunjata

• Timbuktu

• Mansa Musa

Sunjata

• Legend: the king of Ghana murdered every prince except Sunjata, he was disabled

• Sunjata conquered his enemies and by 1230 became leader of Mali

Sunjata

• Set up an organized government

• Made salt-for-gold trade more profitable

• Sunjata was Muslim but let his people practice their own religion

Timbuktu

• Center of Culture

Famous University

Large Mosques

Mansa Musa• Great ruler of Mali

– Extended the borders and power of Mali

• Muslim– Went on a pilgrimage

to Mecca

• Respected education– Brought Muslim

scholars to Timbuktu

Mali’s Decline

• When Mansa Musa died in 1337, Mali rulers grew weak

• Mali was replaced by the Songhai Empire

Songhai Empire• Sunnai Ali

• Askia Muhammad

• Griots

Sunni Ali

• Took control of salt and gold trade

• Had well trained foot soldiers and a cavalry

• Was a brilliant military leader

• Expanded Songhai’s borders

Askia Muhammad

• Sanghai reached its greatest power under Sunnai’s successor, Askia Muhammad

Griots• People who tell stories

and sing songs

– Historic events

– Important traditions

• Helps people to learn about their past

• Still exist today

Songhai’s Decline• Songhai grew too large to rule

• Army was weaker than conquerors

• Morocco warriors armed with gunpowder and cannons defeated the Songhai in 1591

South Africa

• Great Zimbabwe– Developed

between 1000 and 1400

Great Zimbabwe

• Called “City of Stone”

– Largest stone town in South Africa

• Located on a major trade route

• The city sat on a gold mine– Allowed them to

control the gold trade

• By the late 1400’s Great Zimbabwe was abandoned

Why?

Some Suggestions:• Too much cattle grazing?• Natural disaster (famine)?

• Evaluation– Geography of Africa map activity– Chapter test