1.4 I
Explain how and why states in Africa developed and changed over time.
Thematic Focus: Governance
3.2 IDi
In the Africa, as in Eurasia, and the Americas, state systems demonstrated continuity, innovation, and diversity, and expanded in scope and reach.
Many African societies adapted Islam into their culture Some parts resisted Islam Southern parts of Africa did not have much contact with Islam during this time period shaped by Bantu-speaking people outward from west-central Africa government: kin-based networks, communities of families governed themselves chief - a male head of the network that was the “leader” dealt with neighboring groups groups of villages were districts groups of chiefs met to solve district problems kin-based networks became harder to govern because of growing population, leading to growth of larger kingdoms The Hausa Kingdoms:
formed sometime before 1000 in present-day Nigeria people of Hausa ethnic group formed these states loosely connected through kinship ties each state had a specialty (i.e. Kano grew cotton bc they were situated in the plains, Gobir defended states against attack bc they were located at the edge) benefitted from trans-Saharan network the states had no central authority so they were vulnerable to outside attackers kind of like how northern India and the Rajput kingdoms - they also had no central authority West Africa:
Kingdoms and empires of West Africa: Ghana:
not related to modern-day Ghana Ghana sold ivory and gold ⇆ Muslim traders sold salt, copper, cloth, and tools centralized government with an army equipped with iron weapons became the center of African gold trade, but this wasn’t from their region; it was imported: imported gold from south of Ghana imported ivory and slaves from south of Ghana the capital of Ghana: Kolumbi Saleh significant trading, military, and cultural center How did the kingdom of Ghana fall?
Wars with neighboring societies weakened Ghana Expansion northward made them vulnerable to attacks from nomads in Sahara portions of the kingdom began to be conquered When and how did Islam reach West Africa?
North African merchants brought it with them West African rulers and merchants: first converts rulers because they wanted support from Muslim states merchants because they wanted a cultural link to their trading partners Islamic beliefs were blended into African culture Mali:
Mali emerged after the fall of Ghana during the first half of the 13th century founding ruler was Sundiata, who was Muslim vast kingdom included Ghana and parts of other kingdoms thrived off of trans-Saharan trade cities of Timbuktu and Gao were the most wealthy and became centers of learning like Baghdad’s House of Wisdom Who was Mansa Musa and why was he so important?
he was the grandnephew of Sundiata and a devout Muslim brought camels, slaves, and gold that was given away as freebies so much that gold literally depreciated in value he was important to the spread of Islam in Africa supported Muslim scholars A continuity of the kingdoms of Ghana and Mali were their sources of wealth. Both kingdoms depended on trans-Saharan gold trade to bring them prosperity.
East Africa:
Swahili City-States:
city-states are like mini kingdoms, but too little to be a full-size kingdom theoretically they could combine but they like their autonomy so they don’t started with Bantu peoples that founded settlements on coasts and off-shore islands in the 8th century maritime was revived by Islamic merchants Swahili is an Arabic term referred to East African peoples trading with Islamic merchants Swahili language is a Bantu language combined with words and ideas borrowed from Arabic Swahili peoples traded in goods that they got from interior African regions (gold, slaves, ivory, exotic local goods) Muslim merchants brought with them pottery, glass, textiles, and Muslim merchants also brought Islam to the city-states. East Africa became wealthy from trade Swahili city-states developed from the cities and ports that trade later became concentrated in architecture, instead of wood/mud → coral and stone basically they were prosperous from East African trade, and the cities that thrived the most became the Swahili city-states Who was Ibn Battuta?
he was Muslim traveler that went all over the place he wrote about Muslim society in the city-state of Mogadishu so he’s important because his contribution to history Zimbabwe:
Indian Ocean trade also reached east and central Africa—this is where Zimbabwe started it was the best known of the kingdoms that formed through this a zimbabwe is a house or dwelling constructed with stone this is NOT a kingdom/empire/state this is a stone complex where kings and people close to him resided with super tall and strong wall kings controlled and taxed trade that came between the interior and coastal regions How did Zimbabwe prosper?
agriculture, grazing, trade, gold they had gold fields, and they also taxed the transport of gold depended on trade with coastal city-states What factors led to Zimbabwe’s fall/decline?
What are griots? How were they important to Sub-Saharan African society?
they were important because they kept the history of a village/community through oral traditions and storytelling was a continuation of the Bantu tradition of oral storytelling sang and used music for story-telling they could “sing your success or sing your downfall” so they were both venerated and feared they provided counsel to kings/people a griot was like a library of history—they preserved a person’s/family’s history that was passed on through generations both women and men were griots Slavery in Sub-Saharan Africa:
most people were war captives. some were debtors, criminals they mostly did agricultural and domestic labor slavery wasn’t hereditary! slavery showed one’s wealth and social status since it was basically illegal to enslave Christians, Jews, and other Muslims, Muslims looked to Central Asia/eastern Europe for slaves. But since it's not very populous, they turn to Africa. other villages IN AFRICA attacked other villages to enslave the people there for the slave trade (slave raiding) What was the Zanj Revolt? How was it important?
slaves from the Swahili coast that were exported to work in Mesopotamia were called zanj Ali Ibn Muhammad organized a revolt of about 15000 slaves Zanj captured the city of Basra and held for about 10 years until they were defeated
1.5 - State Building in Africa