Africa and Middle East1000-1500

Impact of Geography

• Different and vast terrain has created a huge variety of races, ethnicities and cultures.

A. African Societies by 1500

• presentation divided into three parts:– Economic

development– Social

development– Political

development

1. Economic Development

• Pastoral economies became complex– Pastoral societies

included Fulani, Maasai, Somali

– Some of these are nomadic or migrant, others settle and build villages or cities

A Fulani village in Northern Ghana, 2004

Cattle crossing the road, Northern Ghana, 2004

Economic Development (contd.)

• Agricultural economies expanded

• Farmers supplied the food needed by the population

• Surplus food was brought to the market for exchange

A market scene in West Africa

Economic Development (contd.)

• Manufacturing• Africa’s main

manufactures– Hides and skins – Metallurgy (iron)– Textile manufacturing

and dyeing

Kente cloth from Ghana

2. Social Development

• Each African society had a religious system

• We call that religion African Traditional Religion (ATR)

ATR Beliefs

• belief in a Supreme God

• belief in several divinities or lesser gods, tied to nature

• belief in ancestors• belief in life after

death• belief in

reincarnation

ATR Beliefs (contd.)

• belief in the spoken word– incantations, sacred

songs, etc.

• belief in prayers• belief in sacrifice• role of priests, holy

men, seers, spirit mediums

Other Religions in Africa• Islam in Northern and

Sudanese Africa (from Ottoman Expansion)

• Christianity (from European imperialism) in Northern and Northeastern Africa

• Judaism (from ancient migration) in Northeastern Africa

Mosque in Kaduna, Nigeria

African music

• music for all occasion– work, naming,

marriage, funeral, etc.

• dance, drama

African Art and Craft

• African art inspired by religion, kingship, and personal beautification

• made for upper class and royalty

• accessible to all

Benin ivory mask

African Art (contd.)

• specialized forms:– sculpture in wood,

bronze, brass and stone

– painting of homes– body adornments– charms, amulets

Ife Bronze figure of a king

3. Political Development

• Main trends were:• rise of empires

– Ghana, Mali, Songhai

– Kanem, Bornu, Hausa states

– Ife, Oyo, Benin, Dahomey, Asante, Kongo

• division of power• rise of nation states

Ghana Empire

• established by the Soninke people

• its capital was Kumbi Saleh, a market town

• it engaged in the caravan trade in gold, kolanuts, salt, captives

• it was attacked by the Almoravids in 1076

• the defeat weakened the empire and it later fell

photo shows kolanuts on sale in Djenne, Mali,

2004

Mali Empire

• established by Mandingo people

• founded by Sundiata• original capital was Niani• most prominent city was

Djenne• like Ghana, it engaged in

caravan trade• Mali’s famous ruler was

Mansa Musa• he performed pilgrimage to

Mecca, built Sankore mosque in Timbuktu

The Grand Mosque of Djenne on a market day

Songhai Empire

• established by Songhai people

• founded by Sunni Ali

• its famous ruler was Askia Muhammad Toure

• he expanded the empire, performed pilgrimage to Mecca, and made Sankore mosque a university

• Songhai was destroyed by the Moroccan invaders in 1590-91

Sankore mosque and university, Timbuktu

Other Empires of Western Africa

• Oyo Empire• Segu Tukulor Empire• Asante Empire• Benin Empire• Kongo kingdom

Photo: Asante king adorned with gold

Ottoman Empire

• Muslim• Great traders across

Europe, N Africa and Asia

• Sultan was the “landlord” and people left to own beliefs but many convert to Islam.

• Math, astronomy, sciences, literature, architecture

B. Coming of Europeans to Western Africa

Reasons for European Exploration

• Europeans came to West Africa in the 15th century

• They came for reasons of:

• Gold• God• Glory

Effects of European Exploration

1. Trade: gold, ivory, pepper, etc.

Effects (contd.)

2. Kidnapping of millions of Africans along the coast

3. Construction of forts and castles

4. Beginning of trans-Atlantic slave trade.

5. More direct control develops by 1800’s.

http://flocabulary.com/middle-ages-africa/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uakAVGi30ps