Non - Western Cultures: Unit 3 - Module 2.1: Ancient African Kingdoms

Sahel Region

- Arabic for Coast / Shore

- Semi - arid region in Africa stretching East to West, just south of the Sahara

- Separates desert in north from Humid Savanna / Tropics to the South

- Goldilocks Zone

Ancient African Kingdoms

- The Ghana, Mali, and Songhai Empires all developed along the Sahel

- Why?

- Geography Rules!

- Trade Route and Transitional Zone

Empire of Ghana

- Advances in Trans - Saharan Trade

1) Before: Too Dangerous to travel the Sahara

a) Nature: Heat, Lack of Water

b) Human: Bandits and Tribes

2) Advances: Made Desert Travel Possible

a) Camels

1) "Ships of the Desert"

b) Caravans

1) Large groups traveling together

2) Mapped out oases for rest & water

3) Provided security and protection

What is the Trans Saharan Trade

Trade across the Sahara Desert

Who were the Berbers?

- A tribe Indigenous to North America

- Later converted to Islam

- Mined Salt deposits

What was the Impact of Salt?

- Plentiful in Northern Africa

- Extremely scarce south of the Sahara

- Needed for Survival

What was the solution to gain more Salt?

Gold for Salt

- Ghana always had tons of gold

- With advances in desert travel, Ghana began trading Gold for Salt

- Sell Salt to Sub - Saharan Africa, especially the tropics

- High price to supply/demand

Powerful Kings in the Ghana Empire:

- Kings of Ghana taxed the salt trade

- Only Kings could own gold, this gave them exclusive rights to trade gold with the Islamic world

- Unimaginable wealth

- Built armies to protect trade routes

What was the time Period of the Ghana Empire?

800 CE - 1100 CE

What was the time period of the Mali Empire?

1200 CE - 1400

Who was the leader of the Mali Empire?

Mansa Musa

What did Mansa Musa do as a leader?

- Expanded Territory

- Population grew to 40 million

- Large army to protect Trans - Saharan Trade

Who was Mansa Musa?

The wealthiest man who ever lived. He taxed gold and the salt trade. He is worth 400 billion dollars

Mansa Musa's Pilgrimage:

- Islamic Practice called Hajj

- Hajj - Pilgrimage to Mecca

- 60,000 person entourage

- Gave away gold as they went, around 20 million to 1 billion dollars. This destabilized local economies, like Cairo.

- He returned to Mali with Islamic experts in:

- Architecture

- Arts

- Academics

- Religion

What is Timbuktu?

- Capital City of the Mali Empire

- Islamic experts from hajj built:

- Mosques

- Universities

- Libraries

- Timbuktu became center of learning and culture in Western Africa

What was the side effect of Mansa Musa's Pilgrimage and Timbuktu's fame?

Europe's attention

What time period did the Songhai Empire take place in?

1400 CE - 1600 CE

Who was Sonni Ali?

- First King

- Conquered Timbuktu

What was the Songhai Empire's Superpower?

They had a strong Military

Why was Sonni Ali a smart leader?

Replaced local leaders with those loyal to him. This reduced Rebellions.

Re - established Trade:

The later rulers of the Songhai Empire Re-established Trans - Saharan Trade. This caused Islam to spread along trade route. (an example of Cultural Diffusion). They established the largest trade network in African History, connecting: North Africa, Western Africa, and Southern Africa