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The Empires of Africa
Ghana
to
Zimbabwe
The West African Kingdoms
Kingdom of Ghana
Kingdom of Ghana
First powerful west African kingdom– Located between the Senegal and Niger
rivers– Founded by Soninke people around 300AD
• Height reached between 800 and 1200AD
– Capital = Kumbi Saleh
Kingdom of Ghana
Reasons for development– Gold Trade
• Provides ruler with wealth and power
– Iron Weapons• Give Soninke a military advantage
over their neighbors
– Use of Horse and Camel• Increase transportation and connect
parts of kingdom
Decline of Ghana
Almoravid rulers from the north attack Ghana– Call for jihad against the non-Muslim
rulers of Ghana– In 1054, they capture the capital
Soon after, Almoravid rule weakens– Parts of the kingdom break away, and
Ghana becomes fractured into smaller states
Kingdom of Mali
Kingdom of Mali
Develops after the fall of Ghana– Height around 1200 to 1400AD
– Located in territory of Ghana, plus additional territory
Begun by the Mandingos– Same pattern as Soninke; conquer neighboring cities
and establish control over certain areas
Several great centers of learning were established during the Mali kingdom– Timbuktu, Djenne, Gao
Mansa Musa
Mansa was the name given to the ruler of Mali– Musa was a very wealthy and
famous ruler– Ruled from 1312 to 1337– Captured city of Taghaza, and its
salt mines; brought him even more power
Musa’s Impact
Musa converts to Islam – Many officials do the same; local people retain
traditions– Musa bases justice on the Koran
Musa’s Pilgrimage to Mecca– Won him worldwide fame; traveled with
60,000 people, 80 camels and 300 lbs. of gold– His “charity” disrupted the economy of Egypt
Musa, Islam and Timbuktu
The Decline of Mali
Mali begins to break apart in the early 1400’s– Rulers after Musa were not as able
Regions and cities begin to break away from Mali control– Mali exists for centuries after, but only as a
small kingdom
The Rise of
Songhai
Develops after the decline of Mali– Centered in the city of Gao
Encompasses part of former kingdom of Mali, plus land to the east and north– Established between 1350 and 1600AD
Rulers of Songhai
**2 powerful rulers during the height of Songhai Sunni Ali –
– In 1464 he seizes the cities of Timbuktu and Djenne, which had been parts of Mali
– Attempts to restore peace and security to trade routes
Askia Muhammed – assumes power in 1493– Songhai reaches its height under Askia; sets up strong central
government– Makes a pilgrimage to Mecca
• Encourages Muslim scholars to move to Timbuktu; becomes great center of learning
The Decline of Songhai
Moroccans invade Songhai in 1591– Had heard of the wealth of Mali
Cross Sahara with more powerful weapons (guns, cannon)– Arrows and spears of defenders are no match
for Moroccans
**This marks the end of the great kingdoms of West Africa
Great Zimbabwe
Located in region of Zambezi and Limpopo rivers– Bantu-speaking people from central Africa begin to
migrate south and east
– Brought iron and agriculture with them
First centralized state was known as “Great Zimbabwe”, or “stone enclosure”– Was a fortification surrounded by huge, elliptical
stone walls made without mortar
Great Zimbabwe
FrontPage: NNIGN
The Last Word: “Letter to the Editor” due Wednesday
Sample letter to the editor Dear Editor, I recently read an article in the Post-Gazette regarding the lack of
civilizations in Africa. There were some facts in that article which I think are incorrect, and I would like to set the record straight.
First, ancient civilizations did exist in Africa. One of the characteristics of a civilization is the establishment of permanent structures and settlements. There were great stone houses built at Zimbabwe, and these structures show that there was civilization present there. Also, to be a civilization, a group needs to trade with other societies. The Ghanan empire of West Africa did just that, trading gold for salt and other important goods….
In conclusion, the quote by John Burgess is just not true. The African continent has provided us with a great deal of evidence of civilizations which contributed much to world progress.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=InkYI9Bvua8