AfricaAfricaPost Classical Period

The Sahara: to 600Pre- Post Classical Age

• long history of sporadic encounters for more than 1000 years.

• Site of Innovation: urbanization and state-formation started in Western Africa independently (jenne-Jeno)

regular commercial and cultural exchange between Western Africa and the Mediterranean

world did not start until the 8th century AD.

West AfricanWest African DevelopmentDevelopmentNiger River Valley

Leadership: Stateless Societies Leadership: Stateless Societies

• Village LifeVillage Life– 100s of people– Chief & Council of Elders– Groups of villages constituted a district– Consensus or agreement

• Less social stratification Less social stratification than urban areas– A type of ‘Aristocratic’ ruling elite– Religious authorities– No concept of individual property

ownership

Evolution African Political Organization

• Stateless society or Segmentary society– No bureaucracy – Family and kinship groups (TribalismTribalism)

• Around 1000 – Changes… during post classical age!– Population growth– Strained resources– Increased conflict

• Emergence of Formal Governments in some areas

West African Changes…West African Changes…WHY?WHY?

• Trans Saharan Muslims traders joined up with the internal West African networks.

• The savanna’s established states (Ghana and Gao) and cities, like Jenne had some twenty thousand inhabitants. – Demand for Salt in the north– Gold reserves in Niger Delta (south)

• Camel caravans revolutionize trade across Sahara

• Governments regulated and profit from Gold for Salt TradeGold for Salt Trade

Trans-Saharan Trade Influence

West African Development

Ghana Ghana ((700-1000)700-1000)4th century• Agricultural traditional

people• Sought protection from

Camel nomads

8th Century• Ghana rulers (divine)

welcomed Muslim traders• 2 cities

(Muslim/Traditional)

11th Century• Almoravids introduced

Islam

West African heritage• Formal Governments became

prosperous from taxes and duties that regulated gold-for-salt trade networks, YET….

• Most people outside cities maintained a traditional agricultural existence– Tribal identities & animistic beliefs continued to

dominate the region/people

Timbuktu Development

Tribal CultureTribal Culture• Gender expectations

– Men- blacksmiths, tanners, clear the field– Women – potters, domestic chores, child-rearing– Both planted & harvested crops– Women enjoyed more rights in Africa than other Eurasian

regions (occupations, freedom of movement)

• Age sets (age grade)– Communal tasks – Rights of passage

Mali Mali (1200-1450)(1200-1450)

• Sundiata – founder• Peak of Gold-Salt

trade• Mansa Musa

– Importance of Hajj

• Timbuktu – intellectual capital of scholarship

• University of Sankore• Competing factions

led to decline - invasions

http://www.journeyidea.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/pg-124-9725.jpg

Songhai Songhai ( - 1591)( - 1591)• Sunni Ali – founder• Gao – capital

– Well-organized government

• Prosperity continued through trade, commerce, agriculture

• Scholarly pursuits continued at universities – Timbuktu, Jenne