peoples of the forests and plains (central africa) chapter 8 (4 of 4)
TRANSCRIPT
Peoples of the Forests and Plains (Central Africa)
Chapter 8 (4 of 4)
BY 1000, people of interior Africa mostly
farmers or herders, used iron tools and weapons
Most people preliterate, yet made great strides in
arts, building, and statecraft
People mostly lived in small villages, but some
states emerged
Village in central Nigeria
Built terra-cotta objects, demonstrates advanced art
skills
Used iron tools
Nok Ile-IfeCity in Nigeria
that was cultural center
Today, Nigeria made up of 3 large groups:Yoruba, Hausa, and Igbo
Yoruba states agricultural,
dominated by ruling family
and aristocracy
People spoke Yoruba
Terra-cotta objects and
bronze heads, used wood and
ivory too – some of finest African art of
all time
Yoruba State-Building
Kings ruled the city-states:
Divine rule but not absolute
(ex = Oyo – king who appointed princes to rule
provinces)
Yoruba highly urbanized with artisans, similar
to Italy or Germany
(though many farmed in
surrounding countryside)
Kings had royal court, with many
wives, magicians, and bodyguards of soldier-slaves
The Edo People
Edo people lived east of Yoruba and were similar to them
Benin = city-state formed in 1300s. Had big population, large roads,
and ruler was called the Oba
Benin had magnificent art in ivory and bronze (learned bronze from Ile-Ife but then created own style)
Art centered on celebrations of power, majesty and royal rule
- 1480s = Portuguese come to Benin, and are impressed with the power of the ruler
- Benin artists used images of Portuguese soldiers
Central African Kingdoms
Region south of Lake Victoria and the rainforests
Bantu had spread from Nigeria, through this area, and eventually all way to
east coast (provided common language)
The interior of Africa was mostly away from Muslims
influence
By 1000s, kingdoms emerged in interior Africa, replacing kinship-based (stateless)
societies
The 3 Major Central African Kingdoms
1) Katanga2) Kongo3) Great
Zimbabwe
KatangaState formed by the
Luba people
Set up bureaucracy to rule, but only
members of divine family held power
positions
The Central African Kingdom of KongoPolitical Economic Social
Agricultural kingdom along Congo River
Had weaving, pottery, ad blacksmithing
* Sharp division of labor b/t men and
women
Confederation of 8 provinces controlled by
king (rule through heredity)
Artisans highly esteemed, used copper, wood, and
iron
Men = cleared forests, produced palm oil and
wine, built houses, hunted, traded
Flourished by the 1400s Women = raised animals, household chores,
collected seashells as currency
Capital was Mbanza, but many lived in family-
based villages
Formed by the Shona speaking people (a Bantu
langauage)
Had most advanced stone
buildings in world
Great Zimbabwe no relation to modern day Zimbabwe
Great Zimbabwe
Rapidly expanded in the
1400s and controlled most
of southeast Africa
Had a king, whose title was Mwene Mutapa
Controlled areas with gold, so had big trade
advantage
By the 1500s, internal
divisions broke kingdom apart
By 1800s, the Shona people still controlled area, but was
smaller (interior only) and people
were mostly farmers (not like when they had
great cities)