africa. during time of slavery during time of slavery primarily sub- saharan africa primarily sub-...
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Africa
During time of slavery Primarily sub-
Saharan Africa Africa is not a country It is a continent! Multiple nations with
diverse and varied cultures
Some similaritiesExtended families that live and work together
PolygynyHowever, these are surface
similarities the nations remained distinct in many other ways
Two basic modes of Subsistence 1. Pastoralism 2. Agriculture -------------------------------------------------------- 1. Cattle, sheep, camels in drier lands farther
from the equator and nearer the deserts 2.
a) rice, millet, sorghum. In the savannah regions north and south of equator
b) yams, Bananas, plantains heavily wooded areas near equator
But Nigerian Yam farmers, Angloan sorghum growers in different regions all used slash and burn agriculture
Africans and the ocean
Although African's did not have ocean going ships there was a significant coastal trade
Religion
Many African groups recognized a single creator figure
Often smaller lower level deities were the focus of day to day life
Linkage between humans and deities through ancestors
Christianity was almost entirely unknown But Islam was not ~1030 King of Takur
converted The trans-Saharan trade, as seen in the case of
Songahi, brought Islam to the region were it was combined with African religious practices
Although it did not spread rapidly until the nineteenth century
Extended family was the primary focus for individuals
But these could be and were on occasion spread to Clan and occasionally by force into states or empires
At the time of the first European arrival there were several such powerful states in the region
Eg. Songhai - upper Niger river Mali Benin Kongo
African states around the time of European contact
SongahiMaliBeninKongo
Songahi On the edge of the desert held authority over
thousands of miles Its primary focus was not the Atlantic but the
Sahara Involved in trans-desert trade
Mali
1324-25 emperor Mansa Musa went on a haji to Mecca
He took a huge amount of gold –possibly 100 camel loads – so much that he devalued the economy in Mecca
Mali, like Songahi, traded across the Sahara
Trading gold for goods from the east Trading posts, such as Djenni,
became important location of exchange not only for goods but also culture as evidenced by the mud mosque opposite
Edo, Capital City of Benin Described by a Dutch
visitor as being “four miles broad” Thirty straight streets Each forty yards across All meeting at right
angles Lined with fine dwellings
Bennin is and was well known for its sculpture
Late 17th C the ruler of Benin or oba could field an army of 20,000 at a days notice
Kingdom of Kongo States had been situated around
the lower Congo river for many years
The reason for this is a geographical location known as the Pool Malebo
Above the pool the Congo river was navigable for several hundred miles
But below is a impassable cascade
Therefore control of the portage allowed for the development of a powerful community
Though to have a population of approximately half a million in 1500
And had control over, and collected tribute from, several smaller states
A contemporary snapshot of Africa Al-Hassan ibn-Muhammad al
Wavvan al-Fasi Better known as Leo Africanus raised in Fez (modern Morroco) educated in Islamic law and
worked for the Sultan of Fez went on diplomatic missions twice went to Sub-Saharan
Africa Captured by Christian pirates
and taken to Rome in 1518
Presented as a slave to Pope Leo X converted to Christianity - Given name Giovani Leone (John Leo) In 1526 completed Italian version of History and
Description of Africa became known as Leo Africanus (Leo the African)
Quotes from History and Description of Africa
Mali ‘In this Kingdom there is a large and ample
village containing more than six thousand families’
‘The region itself yields great abundance of wheat meat and cotton’
‘The inhabitants are rich and have plenty of merchandise’
‘Here is a great number of temples, clergymen, and teachers’
Timbuktu ‘Here there are many shops of artisans and
merchants, especially those who weave linen and cotton, and here Barbary merchants bring European cloth.’
‘The inhabitants, and especially resident aliens, are exceedingly rich, since the present King married both of his daughters to rich merchants’
‘The rich king of Timbuktu has many plates and scepters of gold, some of which weigh 1300 pounds, and he keeps a magnificent and well furnished court’