West African Civilizations

Geography

Africa is the second largest continent on Earth.

Africa is kind of shaped like a soup bowl. Low in the middle with mountains around the edge. In the northwest are the Atlas Mountains.

In eastern Africa, mountains are next to deep rifts. Rifts are long, deep valleys formed by the movement of

the Earth’s crust.

Geography

The Sahara Desert in North Africa is the world’s largest desert.

sub-Saharan Africa (Africa south of the Sahara desert) is crossed by rivers (Congo, Zambezi, Niger)

Geography

Niger River started as place for great West African civilizations (4 main regions): northern band -southern part of the Sahara (sand and gravel-

world’s largest desert-over 120’F - rain rare) Sahel (divides desert from wetter areas-some animals) Savannah (grassland with scattered trees - animals common) Rain forests (near equator - heavy rains - lots of plants and

animals)

Sahel SavannahRain Forest

Geography - Resources

Traditional crops Dates Kola nuts – traditionally used in

medicine

Salt Needed addition to their diet Came from the Sahara

Gold Used for jewelry and coins Came from the southern forests

Trade and Economy

People rarely traded in the desert because horses could not go very far without water, but in the AD 200s, Romans started to use camels. Camels could carry heavy loads and water, and could cross Sahara in two months!

Dangers of trade Thieves Weather Supplies might run out They could get lost in the desert

Trade and Economy

Trade in Gold and Salt Camels carried salt from the northern mines of the Sahara to the

south to trade for gold. Silent barter

People traded without contact Salt traders would go to riverbank and leave slabs of salt Salt traders would beat a drum and then retreat Gold traders would come from the river and leave an amount of

gold they thought was appropriate Gold traders would beat drum and then retreat Salt traders would return and, if they thought the amount of

gold was fair, the deal was done…if not, then they would barter

Timbuktu and Djenne’ became major trading cities.

West African Empires

Empire of Ghana

Politics and Government Farmers banded together around 300 AD to protect

against nomadic warriors

Learned how to work with iron, made weapons. This was superior to other armies who only had wood, bone and stone weapons.

Empire of Ghana

Ghana was between the Sahara Desert and the deep forests. This location was good for trade of gold, iron and salt.

Ghana controlled the trade and became wealthy! Armies of Ghana began to take over trade from merchants

and gained wealth Other signs of wealth: sheep, cattle, honey, leather,

golden-thread tassels

Empire of Ghana

Empire of Ghana

By 800 AD Ghana was in control of West Africa’s trade routes

Ghana’s army protected the routes so it was safe to trade there – people came which made Ghana wealthier.

Traders came through Ghana and leaders started to…charge taxes on goods sold AND goods bought.

Also taxed people they conquered.

Empire of Ghana

Ghana’s own mines gave them wealth in gold Some of their gold was traded Ghana’s kings also kept huge amounts of gold

for themselves All of the gold produced in Ghana was

technically the property of the king. NO ONE besides the king could own a gold

nugget. Common people could only own gold dust which they used as money.

Empire of Ghana

Ghana’s kings could not govern such a large empire so they allowed conquered kings to keep their power and these conquered kings acted as governors of their territories.

Ghana was a mighty empire but by the end of the 1200’s it had collapsed – What happened?? Invasions – Almoravids attacked and wanted Ghana to convert

to Islam. Overgrazing – Almoravids brought lots of animals with them

and the land became overgrazed and then useless. Internal Rebellion – conquered people rose up and rebelled.

Empire of Mali

Empire of Mali

Located along the upper Niger River Fertile soil Location allowed it to control trade on the

river

First powerful leader was Sundiata (soohn-JAHT-ah) He conquered Ghana Took over the salt and gold trades Improved agriculture

Crops – beans, onions, rice. He introduced cotton to Mali

Sundiata consolidated power – he took power away from local leaders and took the title mansa for himself. Mansas were political and religious leaders

– most of the later mansas were Muslim

Empire of Mali

Empire of Mali

Mansa Musa was Mali’s most famous ruler He was a Muslim king Mali reached its height in the 1300’s Because of Mansa Musa’s influence, Islam spread throughout West Africa

spread Islam and his own wealth—hajj to Mecca and gave gold to Egyptians

One story says he arrived in Cairo, Egypt with 100 camels each carrying 300 pounds of gold and 60,000 men!

He ruled for about 25 years His army captured Timbuktu, Gao, and Djenne’

Empire of Mali

Mansa Musa supported education Schools were set up for studying the Qur’an Timbuktu became famous for its schools He stressed the importance learning to read and write the

Arabic language Arabic became the main language

The Fall of Mali When Mansa Musa died his son Maghan took over the throne.

He was a weak ruler Raiders attacked and set fire to Timbuktu’s schools and

mosques. The empire was too big to control and invaders continued to

weaken it. The kingdom fell by 1500!

Empire of Songhai

Empire of Songhai

Rivals of Mali

Lived along the Niger River

Grew wealthy from trade

Sunni Ali Powerful leader in 1464 Conquered lands and helped Mali fight off invaders and

then kept it for himself! Promoted unity. He was Muslim but participated in local

religions as well.

Empire of Songhai

Sunni Ali died in 1492 and his son Sunni Baru took over. Sunni Baru was not a Muslim and the people rebelled against him

The leader of the rebellion was Muhammad Ture who took over power and became Askia the Great Strong Muslim Supported education – universities, libraries and mosques in Timbuktu.

Djenne’ became a center of learning especially for doctors Governors loyal to him and controlled his provinces throughout the

empire Created a large and powerful army He lost power to his son in 1528. He had gone blind and his son exiled

him to an island. He lived there for nine years and then was brought back to Songhai by another of his sons.

Empire of Songhai

The Fall of Songhai Morocco wanted Songhai’s salt mines in 1591 and invaded

Invaded with arquebus (early form of gun) and cannons

Slowly, African trade patterns changed. Overland trade declined and people traded more by sea.

Empire of Songhai

Religion

Some religious practices were common from village to village A traditional belief in the importance of family Many believed that the spirits of their ancestors stayed

nearby.

Animism The belief that bodies of water, animals, trees, and

other natural objects have spirits. Shows the West African dependence on the natural

world for survival.

Society and Culture

Families Typically an extended family

Included the father, mother, children, and close relatives all living in one household.

Loyalty to your extended family was expected.

Groups Sometimes people formed other types of

groups Age-sets = men or women of the

same age would form special bonds and help each other

Society and Culture

Villages worked together – everyone had specific duties Men hunted and farmed

Crops were millet and sorghum Raised goats and sheep

Women farmed, collected firewood, ground the grain, carried water and cared for the children.

The elders (older people) taught the family’s traditions and values to the younger generations through songs, dances, and stories.

Children began working as soon as they were able.

Society and Culture

Oral History None of the major early civilizations of West

Africa developed a written language.

They passed along information through oral histories – spoken records of past events Storytellers were entrusted to remember

and pass along West Africa’s history Griots were West African storytellers

Highly respected in their community Their stories were entertaining and

informative. They told of past events and of deeds of ancestors

They also recited proverbs – short sayings of wisdom or truth. Proverbs were used to teach moral

lessons.

Travelers through West Africa wrote about the traditions and history of West Africa.

Society and Culture

Art Sculpture

Made statues and carvings out of wood, brass, clay, ivory, stone and other materials

Most of the statues were made for religious rituals

Mask and cloth making Carved elaborate masks made

of wood and painted them. They would be worn during rituals

Kente cloth – a hand-woven brightly colored fabric

Society and Culture

Music and Dance Used to celebrate specific events or ceremonies

Call and Response

Science and Technology

Sometime around 500 BC West Africans discovered how to make iron They learned that by heating the iron again they

could shape it into useful things. Tools

The Nok – early people living in what is now Nigeria – made: The Hoe Arrows Spears

Iron tools allowed West Africans to live in places they couldn't live before. They used the blades to cut down trees and clear land for farming.