Africa’s Religion and Government

Daily Lesson and Discussion Notes: 3-2

Objectives:

1.1.Describe how traditional Describe how traditional African religions provided a African religions provided a guide for living togetherguide for living together

2.2.Identify the role of Islam in Identify the role of Islam in medieval Africamedieval Africa

3.3.Explain how the growth of West Explain how the growth of West African empires led to the African empires led to the growth of governments ruled by growth of governments ruled by kingskings

Objective 1:Describe how traditional Describe how traditional African religions provided a African religions provided a guide for living togetherguide for living together

I. TraditionalTraditional African Religions (page 223)

A. Many African groups believed in one one supremesupreme god.

B. African religious practices vary from placeplace to placeplace, but their beliefs served similarsimilar purposes – to help people stay in touch with their historyhistory and provide rulesrules for livingliving.

C. Many Africans believed the spiritsspirits of dead relatives stayed with them when they died and that the spirits could talktalk to the supremesupreme god.

Objective 1: Describe how Describe how traditional African religions traditional African religions provided a guide for living provided a guide for living togethertogether

Many Africans believed in a Many Africans believed in a single creator and honored the single creator and honored the spirits of their ancestorsspirits of their ancestors

Objective 2:

Identify the role of Islam in Identify the role of Islam in medieval Africamedieval Africa

II. IslamIslam in Africa (pages 224-227)

A. IslamIslam was popular in West African cities where Africans traded with MuslimMuslim Arabs, but notnot all West Africans accepted Islam.

B. Some Muslims complained that the West African leaders Sunni AliSunni Ali and Sundiata KeitaSundiata Keita did not do enough to promote Islam.

C. Mansa MusaMansa Musa had worked to spread Islam, though he allowedallowed different religions. He made a pilgrimage to MakkahMakkah, or MeccaMecca, with a caravan of thousands of people.

D. Sunni AliSunni Ali practiced the traditionaltraditional religion of the Songhai but called himself a MuslimMuslim. His son refusedrefused to declare himself a Muslim.

E. Muhammad Ture declared himself kingking and drove Sunni Ali’s family from Songhai. He then took the name AskiaAskia Muhammad. Under him, Songhai became the largestlargest empire in West Africa. Timbuktu – its capital – was a center of Islamic learninglearning and cultureculture.

The Great MosqueDjenne’s Great Mosque was made from

baked bricks, and the walls were covered with mud. The Great Mosque is one of the

largest buildings made from mud in western Africa

HomesHomes were built from bricks

made from clay out of the nearby river. The flat roofs had

drains made from palm tree trunks.

MarketplaceDjenne’s wealth was based

on trade which included items such as gold, salt,

and ivory.

F. IslamIslam had a far-reaching impact on Africa.

G. The SwahiliSwahili culture and language are a blend of EastEast African and MuslimMuslim elements.

H. Islam also encouraged learninglearning. Muslim schools taughttaught Arabic. Islam also influenced artart and architecturearchitecture.

Objective 2: Identify the role Identify the role of Islam in medieval Africaof Islam in medieval Africa

Islam became the dominant Islam became the dominant religion in the kingdoms of religion in the kingdoms of West and East AfricaWest and East Africa

Objective 3:

Explain how the growth of Explain how the growth of West African empires led to West African empires led to the growth of governments the growth of governments ruled by kingsruled by kings

III. GovernmentGovernment and SocietySociety (pages 227-229)

A. Early African kings were powerful. They settled argumentsarguments, managed tradetrade, and protectedprotected the empire. Merchants paid taxestaxes to the king and received favorsfavors from him. Local rulers had some power and were loyal to the king. This system allowed empires to prosperprosper and growgrow.

B. Ghana’s government included a councilcouncil of ministersministers, who advised the king. The empire was divided into provincesprovinces, ruled by lesser kings or conquered leaders. Below them, locallocal leaders ruled over a district that included the leader’s clanclan – a group of people descended from the same ancestorancestor. The throne of Ghana was passed on to the sonson of the king’s sistersister.

C. Mali’sMali’s royal officials had more responsibilityresponsibility than Ghana’s officials did. Mali’s empire was also divided into provincesprovinces, and generalsgenerals governed the provinces. The generals protected the people from invadersinvaders and often came from the province they ruled.

D. Although Sunni Ali began dividing SonghaiSonghai into provinces for government, he dieddied before he could finish. In 1493, Muhammad Ture seized control of Songhai. He was a faithful MuslimMuslim, and his religious ideas affected the Songhai government.

Objective 3: Explain how the Explain how the growth of West African empires led growth of West African empires led to the growth of governments ruled to the growth of governments ruled by kingsby kings

The empires of West Africa were The empires of West Africa were ruled by kings who closely ruled by kings who closely controlled trade and divided controlled trade and divided their lands among lesser chiefs their lands among lesser chiefs to aid in governingto aid in governing