Standard:
16.Describe the decline of Egypt and rise of other African cultures:– Kush, Ghana, Mali, Songhai, including
trade, products, slavery, learning,– Beginnings and spread of Judaism and
Islam
Ancient Africa
Aksum, Ghana, Mali, Songhai, and Great Zimbabwe
Aksum
• Major force for 800 years
• Oldest Christian country
• Outstanding achievements
• Rich trading center
Christianity• Around A.D. 300 Aksum’s people
became Christian
• Among first Christians in the world
• Followed a leader called the Patriarch
King Ezana• Ruler from A.D. 325 –
360– Conquered part of
Arabian Peninsula– Named “King of Kings”
Achievements• Architecture
• Writing System
• Mint Coins
• Trade Center
Unique Architecture
• Used stone instead of brick
• Perfect fit, no mortar
Writing System
• The first sub Saharan kingdom to develop its own writing system.
Mint Coins
First country south of the Sahara to mint its own coins.
Printed with the saying: “May the country be satisfied.”
• Traders came from Egypt, India, Arabia and the Roman Empire – African trade goods
Ivory Cloth
Rhinoceros horns
Trade Center
Gold
Aksum’s Decline
• 700 A.D. Bagdad took over control of shipping– Aksum lost its importance
• 900 A.D. Aksum overthrown by local nobels and was gone
West African Empires
• Ghana
• Mali
• Songhai
• Gold
• Salt
Empire of Ghana
• A major power in Africa from 700’s
• Major source of gold
• Trade Center
Gold
• Rulers of Ghana “masters of the gold”
• Traded gold for salt– Needed to preserve food– Equal in value
Trade Center
• Located along the major trade routes in North Africa
• Kings of Ghana controlled the gold-for-salt trade
Supply and Demand• Kings kept gold
scarce • Supply –
goods or resources people are willing to sell
• Demand – people’s willingness to buy an item.
Ghana’s Decline
• Ghana’s wealth created envy– Rival kingdoms wanted to control the gold
trade– In 1000’s neighbors attacked– By 1230 Ghana was gone
Mali
• Sunjata
• Timbuktu
• Mansa Musa
Sunjata
• Legend: the king of Ghana murdered every prince except Sunjata, he was disabled
• Sunjata conquered his enemies and by 1230 became leader of Mali
Sunjata
• Set up an organized government
• Made salt-for-gold trade more profitable
• Sunjata was Muslim but let his people practice their own religion
Timbuktu
• Center of Culture
Famous University
Large Mosques
Mansa Musa• Great ruler of Mali
– Extended the borders and power of Mali
• Muslim– Went on a pilgrimage
to Mecca
• Respected education– Brought Muslim
scholars to Timbuktu
Mali’s Decline
• When Mansa Musa died in 1337, Mali rulers grew weak
• Mali was replaced by the Songhai Empire
Songhai Empire• Sunnai Ali
• Askia Muhammad
• Griots
Sunni Ali
• Took control of salt and gold trade
• Had well trained foot soldiers and a cavalry
• Was a brilliant military leader
• Expanded Songhai’s borders
Askia Muhammad
• Sanghai reached its greatest power under Sunnai’s successor, Askia Muhammad
Griots• People who tell stories
and sing songs
– Historic events
– Important traditions
• Helps people to learn about their past
• Still exist today
Songhai’s Decline• Songhai grew too large to rule
• Army was weaker than conquerors
• Morocco warriors armed with gunpowder and cannons defeated the Songhai in 1591
South Africa
• Great Zimbabwe– Developed
between 1000 and 1400
Great Zimbabwe
• Called “City of Stone”
– Largest stone town in South Africa
• Located on a major trade route
• The city sat on a gold mine– Allowed them to
control the gold trade
• By the late 1400’s Great Zimbabwe was abandoned
Why?
Some Suggestions:• Too much cattle grazing?• Natural disaster (famine)?
• Evaluation– Geography of Africa map activity– Chapter test