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