african kingdoms ocr a level history: introduction + rise of songhai

how might the climate influence social, political + economic change?

more densely populated areas would be nearer to the south of North Africa (i.e. closer to the coast or Niger river) because:
-greater access to resources/trade
-impacts political structure + formation of polities
-may influence any social unrest e.g. rebellions, uprisings, wars

influence of trans-saharan trade

route across the sahara desert. major trade route that traded for gold (found in forest fields) and salt (found in saharan mines), created caravan routes, economic benefit for controlling dessert, camels played a huge role in the trading.

what was traded in the trans-saharan trade route?

gold, salt, kola nuts, slaves

how many camels would berbers use to get across the sahara?

1-12000

conditions of the sahara:

freezing at night, 40 degrees during the day, 2 mths to cross

why was gold and salt expensive?

gold:
-supply and demand principle (these resources were in short supply but were high in demand)
-gold important for trade, universally recognised as having value
-use as ornaments, jewellery

salt:
-sometimes used as currency
-preserving food: was essential as there was no other way of preserving food

how did islam arrive in west africa?

-west african history intrinsically tied to islam
-first spread into africa after arab conquest of the maghreb (egypt-morocco coastline including morocco, libya, egypt, tunisia, algeria)
-pressure on berbers to join arab military, accept islam for politico-economic advantages + because of culture
-islam was accepted on a massive scale BUT arab presence resented

how did islam spread in west africa

-education e.g. scholars and madrasahs
-word of mouth
-missionaries
-trade

islam was adapted and merged with the local religion. this is known as:

syncretism

what was the impact on culture and IR of west africa

-arabic became 'the latin of africa'
-connected west africa to the arab world
-cultural exchange

therefore what were the three main factors shaping west africa in its preliminary stages?

-islam
-trans saharan trade
-geography

why was mali so powerful?

-its army, particularly the cavalry
-trade, wealth (gained through taxation) and economy (it had control of the gold and salt mines)
-line of succession was secure
-effective leadership
-good relations with neighbouring regions
-higher standard of living linked to wealth created a content population
-geography- access to resources, water
-religion: creating unity within the polity

why was mali wealthy?

-control of the gold trade
-under mansa musa's reign, mali was the source of half the gold in circulation in the mediterranean => mansa musa in 1321 undertook a famous hajj
-it was the second largest empire on earth

relationship between rise of songhai and decline of mali:

-INVERSE relationship, as songhai rose, mali declined
-1433-34 tuareg nomads seize city of timbuktu
-engaged in conflict, they both shared a border
-songhai was a vassal of mali

what does the term 'vassal' mean?

a 'vassal' is a state diplomatically subservient to a more powerful one that pays tribute to that state via taxation or service, and is fundamentally tied to the more powerful state's domestic + foreign policy

which ethnic groups were the songhai people composed of?

sorko (fishermen, boatmen), gow, (crocodile/ hippopotamus hunters) and do (farmers of the fertile lands)

what does this imply about how ethnic identity was approached in west africa?

it was incredibly fluid: lacked rigidity

however what about attitudes to clan and caste?

these were rigid and could not be changed

importance of gao for songhai

- structural cause: on a key nodal point of the trans saharan trade route => allowed them to establish themselves politically, economically and socially

importance of the collapse of mali for songhai

fundamental: provided a power vacuum that songhai took advantage of

importance of the military for songhai

-precipitating: expedition led by sonni m. da'o
-individual agency of da'o

limitations of these factors for the rise of songhai

-expansionism alienates different groups within the kingdom
-potential restive (unable to remain submissive) population due to the ethnic diversity of the region
-(early on) still depended on mali as it was a vassal state
-couldve been another tribe that rose to eminence rather than songhai had they lacked the military prowess