1.7 African Kingdoms: Ethiopia, Hausa, and Ghana

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms, dynasties, titles, geographic features, and cultural concepts from notes on Ethiopia, the Hausa Kingdoms, and the Kingdom of Ghana.

Zagwe Dynasty

An Ethiopian dynasty ruling from 900-1270 CE under centralized monarchs who used Christianity as a unifying ideology to legitimize rule and demonstrated power through architecture.

Solomonic Dynasty

An Ethiopian dynasty ruling from 1270-1974 CE whose elites shaped social hierarchy by linking themselves to legendary descent from King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba.

Solomonic Lineage

A legendary descent from King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba used by Ethiopian elites to shape social hierarchy.

Hausa Kingdom

A group of states flourishing from 1000-1600 CE in the savanna and Sahel zone positioned near trans-Saharan trade routes, where pre-Islamic and Islamic practices coexisted.

Sarki

The title of the king who ruled each individual Hausa State, such as Kano, Katsina, and Zaria.

Kingdom of Ghana

A West African kingdom existing from 700-1240 CE, strategically located between Sahara Desert salt mines and West African forest gold fields.

Ghana (Title)

A title meaning warcheif, referring to the monarch of the Kingdom of Ghana who held absolute authority and was regarded as a divine figure.

Kumbi Saleh

The capital city of the Kingdom of Ghana, divided into two sections to showcase dual governance: one for the royal court and animist citizens, and one for Muslim merchants and scholars.

Animism

A traditional religion centered on ancestor worship and nature spirits, retained by the majority of the population in the Kingdom of Ghana.

Griots

West African storytellers and historians (gnot-m, griotte-F) who maintained oral traditions and recorded the histories of empire leaders and military victories.

Berber Saddle

A North African camel saddle innovation that enabled efficient trans-Saharan transport and allowed Ghana to dominate desert trade routes.

Syncretic Culture

A culture that developed in West Africa by blending traditional African customs with Islamic practices.