Chapter 5 Early West African Societies

Section 1Geography of Africa

Learning Objective Questions•What river did early Africans settle by?•Explain the 4 climate zones of West African. •What natural resources are present in West Africa?

Landforms, Water, Climate, and Plant Life• Africa is the second-largest continent on earth• High mountain ranges such as the Atlas

Mountains, and the Drakensberg Range• Rifts: long, deep valleys formed by the

movement of the earth’s crust.• Great plateaus and wide, low plains make up

much of sub-Saharan Africa• Huge Sahara desert in the north.• Many mighty rivers crisscross the land such as

the: the Congo, the Zambezi, the Nile, and the Niger.

West Africa’s Great River• Early settlers lived along the banks of

the Niger River.• They used it as a source of food,

water, and transportation.• Animals, such as crocodiles, geese,

and hippopotamus live along the banks of the Niger River in what is called the Inland Delta.

West Africa’s Climates and Plants• Four different regions make up the area

surrounding the Niger River.• These regions run east to west and are like broad

stripes or bands across West Africa.• The entire area is warm, but rainfall varies from

north to south.• The northern band across West Africa is the southern part

of the Sahara• Largest desert in the world• Temperatures can reach above 120 degrees!!!

• The next band is the Sahel• Fairly dry but has enough vegetation to support grazing

animals.

• Third band is the savannah•Open grassland with scattered trees, tall grasses, and shrubs.

• Fourth band is rain forest.•Heavy rain and densely wooded, near the equator.

West Africa’s Resources• With its many climates, the land can

produce many different crops such as dates raised in desert oases to kola nuts; used for medicines, from the forests’ trees.• Minerals, such as salt, come from the

Sahara and gold can be found in the southern forests of West Africa.

Section 2Early Culture and Trade

Families, Religion, and Daily Life• West African societies live in extended family units: father, mother, children, and close relatives in one household.• Age-sets: men who had been born

within the same two or three years formed special bonds and had a duty to help each other.• Loyalty to family and age-sets was

important.

Families, Religion, and Daily Life• Men hunted and farmed crops such as

millet and sorghum.• Women farmed, collected firewood, ground

grain, carried water, and cared for children.• Elders taught the family’s traditions to

younger generations through songs, dances, and stories.

• Children learned about hard work and began working beside older family members as soon as they were able.

Religion and Culture• Honored the spirits of ancestors by

marking sacred places with carved statues and would gather in these places and share news and/or problems with the ancestor’s spirits.• Animism: the belief that bodies of

water, animals, trees, and other natural objects have spirits.

Technology and Change• Iron: heated certain kinds of rocks and

produced a very hard metal, which could be shaped into useful tools and weapons.•The Nok were the earliest group of people to utilize iron.•Used for farming hoes, arrows and spears, and art.•Were able to clear more land with iron tools and population began to grow.

Trade and West Africa• As communities grew, trade began to increase• Desert Trade: People began to use camels to transport

goods through the desert.• Camels could store energy and water in their bodies longer than

horses.• West Africa’s gold and salt mines became a source of great wealth.• Camels carried salt from the mines of the Sahara to the south to

trade for gold.• Traders then took the gold north, to Europe and the Islamic world.• Along with gold and salt, traders carried cloth, copper, silver, and

other items.• They also brought and sold human beings as slaves.• Timbuktu: began as a camp for traders in about 1100 and would

become a bustling city and a center of culture and learning.

Chapter 6 West African Empires

Section 1Empire of Ghana

Ghana Controls Trade• Early West Africans did not profit much from the Saharan trade because the routes were run by the Berbers.• Eventually, the empire of Ghana would gain control of these routes and would become a powerful state.

Ghana’s Beginnings• In around 300 AD, tribal farmers called the

Soninke banded together for protection from nomads.

• The society they created became known as Ghana

• Learned how to use iron tools to farm their lands and for weapons which they used against neighboring villages.

• Herded cattle for meat and milk• Because they were such effective farmers, the

Ghana population grew.

Trade in Valuable Goods• Ghana is situated in between the

Sahara Desert in the North, the Niger River in the East, the Senegal River to the West, and rain forests to the South.• This location put them in an ideal

location to trade the region’s most valuable resources, gold and salt.• Silent barter: a process in which

people exchange goods without ever contacting each other directly.

Growth of Trade• As trade in gold and salt increased,

Ghana’s rulers gained power and wealth.• Over time, their military strength grew as

well.• Koumbi Saleh: Ghana’s capital, gained a

reputation as a great trading center.• Items such as wheat, sheep, cattle, honey, leather, cloth, and golden tassels were traded in the city.

Ghana Builds an Empire• By 800, Ghana had firm control over West Africa

and its trade routes.• Traders were protected from bandits and traded more

since it was now safer.• Ghana’s rulers began to force taxes on all traders.• Had to pay a tax on importing and exporting of goods.

• The people of Ghana also had to pay taxes to the rulers.

• The kings of Ghana owned the gold mines and would not allow anyone else to own a piece of gold.• Citizens could at the most own gold dust, which they used

as money.• This ensured that the king was richer than his subjects.

Expansion of the Empire• With their wealth, Ghana’s kings expanded their

military and took over neighboring territories.• Ghana’s kings knew they couldn’t govern their

huge empire efficiently so they allowed conquered kings to retain their power.• These kings then acted as governors of their territories,

answering only to the Ghana king.• Tunka Manin: the Empire of Ghana reached its

peak under this king.

Ghana’s Decline• Three factors contributed to Ghana’s demise:

• Invasion: A Muslim group called the Almoravids attacked Ghana in the 1060s.• Fought for 14 years• The Almoravids finally won and destroyed the city of Koumbi Saleh• Formed new trade routes that no longer went through the Ghana Empire.

• Overgrazing: During the war with the Almoravids, herds of animals were allowed to eat all the grass in the pastures.• This exposed the soil to the hot desert winds and made it worthless for

farming and herding.• Internal Rebellion: In about 1200 the people of a country that Ghana had

conquered rebelled.• Within a few years, the rebels had taken over the entire empire of Ghana.• Once in control, the rebels found out they could not keep order in Ghana

and the empire fell apart.

Section 2Empire of Mali

Beginnings of the Empire• Founded by Sundiata: Mali’s first ruler, was both a warrior and magician.• Son of a former king of Mali but the empire was lost before he could become king.•When older, reconquered the empire.

Improvements in Mali• Took over Ghana’s old gold and salt

mines, and improved agricultural techniques.• Introduced new crop to the empire –

Cotton.•Made clothing and began to trade

Consolidation of Power• Sundiata took power away from local leaders,

mansas.• He did this to keep order and protect his authority.• Mansas had both political and religious roles in

society, and by taking on the religious authority of the mansas, Sundiata gained even more power in Mali.

• Religious beliefs of Mali – people believed ancestors had made an agreement with the spirits of the land to provide food.

• By keeping in touch with their ancestors, the people could contact these spirits.

• Sundiata died in 1255. His successors would keep the title Mansa but most would become Muslim.

Mansa Musa•Mali’s most famous ruler•Mali reached the height of its wealth and power during his reign.•Ruled for about 25 years.•Captured Timbuktu

The World Learns About Mali• In 1324, Mansa Musa left Mali on a

pilgrimage to Mecca• He traveled with nearly 100 camels,

each loaded with 300 pounds of gold, and about 60,000 men!• Through his journey, Mansa Musa

introduced the empire of Mali to the world.

Learning and Religion in Mali• Mansa Musa supported religion and

education• Established schools to study the Qur’an

throughout the empire• Stressed the importance of reading and

writing• Hired Muslim architects to build

magnificent mosques throughout the empire.

The Fall of Mali• The reign of Maghan• Mansa Musa’s son• Was a weak ruler• Couldn’t stop invasion of Mali by desert raiders.

• Empire was too large• Government could not function effectively• Parts began to declare independence and break away.

• Invasion• In 1431, the Tuareg nomads of the Sahara attacked and

seized Timbuktu• Gradually the people living on the edges of the Mali

Empire broke away.• By 1500, nearly all of the lands the empire had once ruled

were lost.

Mansa Musa’s Hajj• On his famous pilgrimage to Mecca, Mansa Musa passed

through several kingdoms in North Africa. From his capital of Niani on the Upper Niger River, Mansa Musa and his entourage of thousands traveled north to Walata, to modern-day Algeria, and then to Cairo, Egypt. From Egypt, Mansa Musa traveled to Mecca in Arabia.

• According to chroniclers of the time, Mansa Musa was accompanied on his journey to Mecca by some 60,000 people. Of those people: 12,000 were servants to attend to the king, 500 were servants to attend his wife, 14,000 more were slaves wearing rich fabrics such as silk, and 500 carries staffs heavily decorated with gold.

• Activity: Using your notes, calculate the worth of the gold that Mansa Musa’s caravan was carrying. Assume that a pound of gold is worth $7,000 in today’s money.

• (100 Camels) X (300 pounds per camel) X ($7,000 per pound) = value of gold• They were carrying $210,000,000 of

gold in today’s money!!

The Rule of Mansa Musa• Mali reached its height during the reign of Mansa

Musa.• With your partner and using your books, complete

the chart shown below.• Identify what actions Mansa Musa did to enhance

the Empire of Mali.Trade

ReligionEducati

on

•Captured important trade cities of Timbuktu, Djenne, and GaoTrade

•Encouraged study of Islam•Built schools for the study of the

Qur’an.•Built mosquesReligion

•Built schools•Encouraged study of Arabic for

government and trade.Education

Section 3Empire of Songhai

The Songhai Build an Empire• Rival to Mali•Was conquered by Mansa Musa•Muslim Empire• Traders with the Berbers

Growth and Conquest

• Became wealthy and expanded• Sunni Ali: ruler of Songhai in 1464•Unified, strengthened, and enlarged the empire•Took over lands once controlled by Mali•Conquered Timbuktu•Participated in both Muslim and local religious ceremonies in an effort to promote religious tolerance

Askia the Great

• Sunni Ali died in 1492 and his son, Sunni Baru became king.

• Sunni Baru didn’t support the Muslim religion and the people rebelled against him.

• The leader of the rebellion was named Muhammad Ture.•He would win the rebellion and change him name to Askia.

Askia the Great• Askia the Great took his Muslim beliefs very

seriously and like Mansa Musa, made a pilgrimage to Mecca.

• Supported education by building universities, schools, libraries, and mosques.

• The city of Djenne under Askia the Great’s rule would become a center of medicine.•Doctors there would discover the cause of malaria.

Trade and Government• In order to maintain order, Askia set up 5

provinces within Songhai.• He removed local leaders and appointed

new governors who were loyal to him and Islam.

• Also created special departments to oversee certain tasks, which worked much like the government offices of today.

• Established the first professional standing army of West Africa.

Songhai Falls to Morocco• Morocco, northern neighbor, wanted to

control the Sahara salt mines and invaded.• Had a new weapon, arquebus, early form

of a gun.• Army of Moroccans, and Portuguese and

Spanish prisoners of war.• Songhai army no match for the Moroccans.• Looted Timbuktu and the city of Gao.• Songhai Empire would never recover.

Morocco

Section 4

Historical and Artistic Traditions

Storytellers Maintain Oral History• None of the major West African societies

developed a written language.• Most work was done in Arabic• The task of remembering West Africa’s history was

entrusted to storytellers or griots.• Griots were highly respected in their communities.• Entertaining as well as informative.• Told of past events and people’s ancestors.• Recited proverbs, short sayings of wisdom.• Used proverbs to teach lessons to the people.

West African Epics• Epic: long poem about a kingdom or/and hero.• Famous epics include the Dausi and the Sundiata.

Visitors Write Histories•Muslim travelers, such as Ibn Battutah, Leo Africanus, and al-Bakri, wrote down most of what we know about the early West African empires.

West Africans Value Arts• Common West African art forms included

sculpture, mask- and cloth-making, music, and dance.

• Best known for their sculptures.• Used for religious ceremonies and rituals.• Sculptures were highly respected.

• Detailed masks of hyenas, lions, monkeys, and antelopes

• Kente: a hand-woven, brightly colored fabric.• Music and dance used to help people honor their

history and ancestors.