HIS111

AFRICA

I.  Background

	12 million square miles
		3x size of U.S.
		only 10% is rain forest
		much is savannah, open grassland, 

	by 1500, Africa had 30-60 million
		north africa long a part of med world
			became Muslim in 8th century
		christians in egypt and Ethiopia
			Ethiopia grew out of kingdom of Axum
				rock churches of King Lalaibela, d 1221

	human origins in east Africa?
300,000 year ago homo sapiens

	lot of interaction with other cultures
			never completely isolated from Med, but contacts were for long times intermittent

9,000-3,000 bce climactic change led to sahara desert
			desert and oases
			savanna, semi-arid grassland
			rain forest

	by 5000 bce agcriculture
		black eyed peas and cow peas
			sorghum and millet as grain, rice and yams
			later other crops filled in

	agriculture seems to have reached area from Middle East
		livestock also came from outside africa
			cattle, sheep, and horses all from other places
			camel in 1st century ce
		iron also came from west Asia (no bronze age in Africa)
			iron, blacksmith, represented power

this dispersion of things accompanied by a people movement
the Bantu, from eastern Nigeria (Bantu means the people), spread out over continent
			not certain why or how

very vast continent, very diverse societies
hard to find such a thing as African civ (Sound familiar??)
		not surprising a lack of political unity
		or religious unity for that matter

	had both states and "stateless" societies
fragmentation and a "frontier" open to new settlement, a common feature of African society

		Sahara and sub-Sahara
	can divide up into:	Northeast
					West Africa
					East Africa
					South Africa
					Central

Commonalities:
		oral tradition
		some common linguistics
		thought and religious characteristics
			animistic religion common
		power of natural forces personified as spirits appeased by rituals and dancing
			concept of good and evil common, but evil usually attributed to witchcraft
				also an idea of a central creator, with lesser deities
		lineage
clan basis allowed ancestors to act as intermediaries to gods, ancestor veneration
		most ruled by kings
			lack of developed writing systems in much of early sub-saharan societies before say 700 (plus little archeology remains)

II.  Early African civilization in NE

	A.  Axum (AKS oom), 50-650
		christian kingdom in Ethiopia around 1st century ce
			powerful sate along Red Sea
			region dominated by highlands, nice temps, good rain for agriculture
		immigrants from Arabia theorized
			there was a pre-Axum kingdom
			writing system, Ge'ez (ghee ehz), the language can be read
			early crops included coffee, tef (millet), okra and eggplant
		after fall of pre-Axum, many local chiefdoms
			around 50, several chiefdoms united under the nagashi, sometimes called the negus, an individual who led several clans who became king
			rapid expansion resulted
		the empire was always predominately agricultural
			trade via Eritrea and city port of Adulis became key
				various elite-type exports ivory, gold, obsidian, jewels, exotica
			city of Axum the capital, divine king absolute power, as son of Mahrem the god of war 
			no city walls
				nice army made fortifications unnecessary
			did have a central royal district
			burial in stela (very intricate) parks
			max population of 20,000!
in 350 converted to Christianity; process began in 330, Ezana, the king, public baptism; quick conversions of elite, slow conversion of commoners

		middle class and commoners

		flowering christianity
			monophysite form (single nature)

		decline began around 650 as trade routes shifted
				environmental problems of erosion and overuse of land and deforestation
			conquered eventually

	B.  Nubia (Kush and Meroë [MAYR oh eh])
		around 800 bce to 400 ce dominated by local states
			nubia is uper Nile (Sudan)
					key transport route down Nile into Africa via 6 cataracts
				narrow strip of cultivation only
			sometimes controlled by ancient egytian pharaohs

		Kerma, c 1800-1600 bce
			named from the key city (walled)
				trade
				deffufas (duh FOO fuhz) massize brick towers
			little known	
				some indication of human sacrfice
			recontrolled by Egypt after 1600

		Kush, 800 bce - 400 bce
				after 1100 egyptian control replaced by a power vacuum
				both Kush and Meroe heavy egytian heritage in government (divine kings traced to Egyptian ancestors with egytian burial practices) and religion
			eventually a single king emerged
			key town Napata (nah PAH tah)
				trade center
				place of king's temple
					egyptian style divine king, great power, opulaent tombs
				elite class and commoner class of workers
				monumental buildings of brick and temples
				did briefly conquer eypyt
					did copy old egyptian texts which survive to this day

		Meroe, 400-400, 100 miles south
				supplanted Kush as key city of Nubia, though kings still crowned at Napata
			still can't read writing
				not sure why the move, maybe river changes maybe better military position
big change was huge increase in trade volume (gold, ivory and slaves to Egypt)
				now joined the iron age
			evidence of a middle class in cemetaries
			rapid population growth
				developed tha saqia (SAH kee uh), ox-powered water wheel after 100 ad, which allowed for greater increase in population
			state evetually disintegrated for reasons unknown

	B.  Golden Ghana
		ome of  the first staes that we actually have recodss
			westewrn porton of Mali
			unclear early origins
in 8th century Takur, Ghana, Gao, Kanem arose as states as intermediaries in cross Saharan gold trade

		first major state was Ghana in present day Mali
			trading state  
				camels allowed caravan trade across Sahara
					heavy caravan trade led to creation of states in sahel
			Soninke people of Western Sudan
				pagans
				began rise in 3rd century ce

			began to convert to Islam in 10th century and reached peak
		gold north salt and cloth back,
			gold and salt taxes provided revenues

	by 800s huge number of people
		capital was Kumbi Saleh maybe 20,000

	attacked by Almoravids in 1076 and destrioyed

	C.  Bantu
		in interior, slash and burn agriculture

	D.  Jenne (ZHEHN eh), 200-700? in West Africa
		city in Mali Republic at edge of savanna
				rice and sheep diet
			perhaps 10,000 at peak
			no real signs of long-trade only local

III.  Islam also penetrated sub-Saharan africa

		arabs reached west and central africa n 700s
			could use camel
				came to get the cola nut (a mild stimualnt) from west africa for Mulsim use
			also came to get gold
				islam also spread rapidly (merhcants were always the frst to convert

Mali and Songhay in West really a result of military power
			these sudanic states often led by a council of elders from a specific lineage
		conquest states
		rulers were sacred
			islam used by a ruling family
		life in the savanna
			Islam fused with existing society and pagan intercession with spirits
		women in many places remained matrilineal and unclothed

		slave trade developed in this period

	city states along east coast

	15th century arrival of europeans

		A.  Gao (Kawkaw) on the Niger River to the East of where Ghana was

	B.  Takrur on the Senegal River to the West

	D.  Mali
			between Senegal and Niger Rivers, Malinke people, who broke from Ghana in 13th century
				centered on city of Niani (nee AHN ee) in territory of old ghana empire
		ruler muslim
Islam used to reinforce power of king
		agricultural and gold
		a true military empire

		Sundiata (Sunjata), key king who began expansion
			also the subject of oral historical epics
			Keita clan, set up a unified state
				divided society into 16 clans of freemen to bear arms, 5 clans for religion, 4 clans of artisans and merchants
			garrisons in regions to make secure
			died c 1260

			the mansa, emperor, supreme judge and leader, and lawgiver

		very wealthy trade empire continued

Mansa Kankan Musa (1312-1337?) Muslim who made the Hajj in 1324
			his wealth created a sensation
			began to build stone mosques on return

		these cities very cosmopolitan trade centers
			by 14th century Timbuktu may have numbered 50,000
			but still overwhelmingly village
				most farms small, multiple wives common
		Muslim kingdom disappeared in 1488

	C.  Songhai (SOHNG HY)
			benefitted from break up of Mali empire in 1300s
		to east of Mali
			middle reaches of Niger River
		began to form in 7th century under a Berber dynasty
		by 1010 capital of Gao on Niger
		rulers Muslim
		Sunni Ali (1464-1492) dynamic leader
			ruthless military leader
			used cavalry
		following rulers took title of askia, the great,
		at its height in early 16th century, the largest state in africa
		dominant power until 1591 when Moroccan army victorious

	E.  Swahili coast in East
		coast and interior much different societies
		coastal zone fo tenmiles or so nice climate and trade
			very thin coastal veneer
			also under Islamic influence
			trading cities
				arab shipping on east coast of africa
				nice seasonal wind patterns
				thus much inter-trade
				elite on coast became very wealthy traders (ivory, gold, incense, amber, iron, slaves)
		mixture of Bantu and Swahili cultures
Swahili a Bantu language with Arabic words mixed in
for example, Kilwa, visited by Ibn Battuta, who thought it very beautiful and wealth, gold trade, one of the three largest communities in 16th century

		mosque in Mogadishu built in 1238

		Easte Africa interior
			village life
			small scale herding or agriculture

another confederation in east, zimbabwe, the exception, 1150-1600
			stone house, sites by 9th century
				Great Zimbabwe very impressive center of kingdom, 11-15th century
consisted of several massive circular buildings of stone
				huge size wall of 800 feet, 15 feet deep and 31 feet high
			maybe 12,000 people
			othe smaller settlements known
			no documents survive
				controlled gold
				little know of gov or society
			Mwene Mutapa, king, very large in 15th century 				golds

	Southwest Africa (mostly angola)
		mch changed today from earlier environment
		"lords of the land" leaders of kinship groups

			A.  kingdom of Luba, allegedly founded by Kongolo, 1000-1100
		
		B.  Kongo around 1200-1600 on southern coast of angola
			best known because of portuguese accounts
				kingship passed from father to male (chosen by electors)
			not absolute power as overseen by a council
			each province had own governor
				capital was Banza where court held and where king's fortress located
			trade controlled by king
				the cowrie, nzimbu (NZIHM boo), official currency

	F.  Interior
		own civs developed
		small village communities practicing ag

in central Nigeria, near Nok, 500 bce to 200 ce, mysterious (not much evidence left)

Yoruba speaking peoples of Nigeria at city of Ile-Ife, circa 1200, great terra cotta craftsmen
			obscure Yoruba origins
			small city states each about 100 miles diameter
				divine regional kings
			large royal court, but not absolute rule
the state of Oyo in 14th century, the king, the alafin, controlled provinces through princes, council advised ruler

		Edo peoples east of Yoruba similar
in 14th century large city state of Benin under Ewuare the great 1440-1473
the oba, or ruler, lived in large palace
			bronze figure making

		Central Africa
			again savannah kingdoms, 
Kongo on Congo River, began in 13th century, flourished in 15th
men cleared the forests, built houses, and trade, women cultivated
				capital of Mbanza Kongo, maybe 60,000
				hereditary kingship
confederation of small states under control of manikongo, king