West Africa: Ghana, Mali, and Songhai…

 Essential Question:

How did the geography of the West African empires affect their

development?

West African Civilizations

Geography

Africa is the second largest continent on Earth.

Africa is kind of shaped like a soup bowl. Low in the middle with mountains around the edge. In the northwest are the Atlas Mountains.

In eastern Africa, mountains are next to deep rifts. Rifts are long, deep valleys formed by the

movement of the Earth’s crust.

Geography

The Sahara Desert in North Africa is the world’s largest desert.

sub-Saharan Africa (Africa south of the Sahara desert) is crossed by rivers (Congo, Zambezi, Niger)

Geography

Niger River started as place for great West African civilizations (4 main regions): northern band -southern part of the Sahara (sand and gravel-

world’s largest desert-over 120’F - rain rare) Sahel (divides desert from wetter areas-some animals) Savannah (grassland with scattered trees - animals common) Rain forests (near equator - heavy rains - lots of plants and

animals)

Sahel SavannahRain Forest

Geography - Resources

Traditional crops Dates Kola nuts – traditionally used in

medicine

Salt Needed addition to their diet Came from the Sahara

Gold Used for jewelry and coins Came from the southern forests

-Niger River started as place for great West African civilizations (4 main regions):

1.northern band-southern part of the Sahara (sand and gravel-world’s largest desert-over 120’F-rain rare)

2.Sahel (divides desert from wetter areas-some animals)

3. savannah (grassland with scattered trees-animals common)

4. rain forests (near equator-heavy rains-lots of plants and animals)

Geography Cont’d.

Trade & Economy ***PGS. 120-Trade & Economy ***PGS. 120-121***121***

3-5-2

-people traded rarely because horses could not cross Sahara often, but AD 200s, Romans started to use camels and could cross Sahara in two months

-dangers of trade: thieves, weather, supplies run out

-traded salt (from the northern mines) for gold (south) *PG. 133*

-traders called berbers

-also traded cloth, copper, silver, and slaves

-Timbuktu *PG. 139* and Djenne’ were two major

trade cities

Trade & Economy cont’d.-caravans: people who travel and trade together and relied on

Silent Barter (Ghana):

-people traded without contact

-salt traders would go to riverbank and leave slabs of salt

-salt traders would beat a drum and then retreat

-gold traders would come from the river and leave an amount of gold they thought was appropriate

-gold traders would beat drum and then retreat

-salt traders would return and, if they thought the amount of gold was fair, the deal was done…if not, then they

would barter

Empire of Ghana

West African Empires

Empire of Ghana

Politics and Government Farmers banded together around 300 AD to protect

against nomadic warriors

Learned how to work with iron, made weapons. This was superior to other armies who only had wood, bone and stone weapons.

Politics & Government: GHANAPolitics & Government: GHANA3-6-1

-traded gold, iron and salt (none of which were natural to Ghana, but they controlled the trade)

-armies of Ghana began to take over trade from

merchants and gained wealth

-other signs of wealth: sheep, cattle, honey,

leather, golden-thread tassels

-by 800, Ghana very powerful

Empire of Ghana

Ghana’s own mines gave them wealth in gold Some of their gold was traded Ghana’s kings also kept huge amounts of

gold for themselves All of the gold produced in Ghana was

technically the property of the king. NO ONE besides the king could own a

gold nugget. Common people could only own gold dust which they used as money.

Politics & Government : GHANA Politics & Government : GHANA Cont’d.Cont’d.

-traders came through Ghana and leaders started to…charge taxes…on goods sold AND goods bought…also taxed people they conquered…king would allow conquered kings to continue ruling their own lands…as governors…

-mid 1000s Ghana was wealthy, but by 1200s it collapsed…why???

1. invasion (Almoravids wanted Ghana to convert to Islam)

2. overgrazing (Almoravids brought lots of animals and land was overgrazed and then useless)

3. internal rebellion (conquered lands rebelled)

Empire of Mali

Empire of Mali

Located along the upper Niger River Fertile soil Location allowed it to control trade on the

river

First powerful leader was Sundiata (soohn-JAHT-ah) He conquered Ghana Took over the salt and gold trades Improved agriculture

Crops – beans, onions, rice. He introduced cotton to Mali

Sundiata consolidated power – he took power away from local leaders and took the title mansa for himself. Mansas were political and religious

leaders – most of the later mansas were Muslim

Empire of Mali

Empire of Mali Mansa Musa was Mali’s most famous ruler

He was a Muslim king Mali reached its height in the 1300’s Because of Mansa Musa’s influence, Islam spread throughout West

Africa spread Islam and his own wealth—hajj to Mecca and gave gold to Egyptians One story says he arrived in Cairo, Egypt with 100 camels each carrying

300 pounds of gold and 60,000 men! He ruled for about 25 years His army captured Timbuktu, Gao, and Djenne’

Empire of Mali

Mansa Musa supported education Schools were set up for studying the Qur’an Timbuktu became famous for its schools He stressed the importance learning to read and write

the Arabic language Arabic became the main language

The Fall of Mali When Mansa Musa died his son Maghan took over the

throne. He was a weak ruler Raiders attacked and set fire to Timbuktu’s schools and

mosques. The empire was too big to control and invaders continued

to weaken it. The kingdom fell by 1500!

Politics & Government: Songhai ***PG. 143***

3-6-3

-rivals of Mali

-lived along the Niger River

-grew wealthy from trade

-Sunni Ali (powerful leader in 1464-conquered lands-helped Mali fight off invaders and then kept it for himself- This led to the Soghai Empire. He promoted unity-was Muslim but participated in local

religions as well)

-died 1492

-his son took over, but was not a Muslim so people rebelled (led by Muhammad Ture)…

Politics & Government: Songhai Cont’d.-Muhammad Ture becomes Askia the Great *PG. 145*

-Islam

-education

-governors loyal to him

-created army (huge and powerful)

-lost power to son in 1528…went blind and exiled to island…finally other son brought him back

-Morocco wanted Songhai’s salt mines in 1591

-invaded with arquebus (early form of gun) and cannons

-slowly, African trade declined (people traded by sea)

Religion

Some religious practices were common from village to village A traditional belief in the importance of family Many believed that the spirits of their ancestors

stayed nearby.

Animism The belief that bodies of water, animals, trees, and other

natural objects have spirits. Shows the West African dependence on the natural world

for survival.

Society and Culture

Families Typically an extended family

Included the father, mother, children, and close relatives all living in one household.

Loyalty to your extended family was expected.

Groups Sometimes people formed other types

of groups Age-sets = men or women of the

same age would form special bonds and help each other

Society and Culture

Villages worked together – everyone had specific duties Men hunted and farmed

Crops were millet and sorghum Raised goats and sheep

Women farmed, collected firewood, ground the grain, carried water and cared for the children.

The elders (older people) taught the family’s traditions and values to the younger generations through songs, dances, and stories.

Children began working as soon as they were able.

Society and CultureOral History

None of the major early civilizations of West Africa developed a written language.

They passed along information through oral histories – spoken records of past events Storytellers were entrusted to remember

and pass along West Africa’s history Griots were West African storytellers

Highly respected in their community Their stories were entertaining and

informative. They told of past events and of deeds of ancestors

They also recited proverbs – short sayings of wisdom or truth. Proverbs were used to teach moral

lessons.

Travelers through West Africa wrote about the traditions and history of West Africa.

Society and Culture

Art Sculpture

Made statues and carvings out of wood, brass, clay, ivory, stone and other materials

Most of the statues were made for religious rituals

Mask and cloth making Carved elaborate masks made

of wood and painted them. They would be worn during rituals

Kente cloth – a hand-woven brightly colored fabric

Society and Culture

Music and Dance Used to celebrate specific events or ceremonies

Call and Response

Science and Technology

Sometime around 500 BC West Africans discovered how to make iron They learned that by heating the iron again

they could shape it into useful things. Tools

The Nok – early people living in what is now Nigeria – made: Gardening tools Arrows Spears

Iron tools allowed West Africans to live in places they couldn't live before. They used the blades to cut down trees and clear land for farming.