Chapter 13 Part 1: The Rise of African Civilizations
Chapter 13 Part 1: The Rise of African Civilizations
I. Africa’s Geography
-Second-largest continent in the world.
-Contains rain forests, savannas, and deserts.
-Sahara and Kalahari Desert-Sahara is the largest desert in the world.
-Almost all of Africa rests on a plateau.
-Nile River-Africa’s longest river. Congo River- 2700 miles long.
-Grand Rift Valley-formed when parts of the plateau’s surface dropped.
II. West African Empires
-Berbers-first known people to settle in North Africa.
-Trade prospered after the introduction of the camel.
-Ghana-first large empire to rise from trading wealth.
-Ghana fell in the 1200s.
-Kingdom of Mali replaced Ghana.
-Mansa Musa-last strong ruler of Mali. Died in 1332.
-Sunni Ali-leader of the Songhai and drove the Berbers out of Timbuktu.
III. Kingdoms of the Rain Forest
-People in rain forests built their own empires, such as Kongo and Benin.
-King Ewuare founded the empire of Benin around 1440.
-Rain forests provided a climate and soil suitable for farming.
-Empires traded surplus food to neighboring people for copper, salt, and leather goods.
IV. East Africa
-Ethiopia traces its origins to Queen Makeda.
-Glory of Kings-Ethiopia’s oldest written history.
-Axum –powerful city-state located on the Red Sea.
-Axum fought with Kush to control trade routes. King Ezana defeats Kush.
Ezana converts to Christianity and makes it the official religion in A.D. 334.
-Zimbabwe-two kings-Mutota and Matope made Zimbabwe into a large empire.
Chapter 13 Part 2: Africa’s Government and Religion
I. Government and Society
-Early African Kings were powerful.
-Ghana’s government included a council of ministers. The empire was divided into
provinces.
-Mali’s royal officials had more responsibility than Ghana’s officials did.
-Mali’s empire was also divided into provinces.
-Sunni Ali died before he finished dividing Songhai into provinces.
-In 1492, Muhammad Ture seized control of Songhai.
II. Traditional African Religions
-Most believed in one supreme god.
-Religious practices vary from place to place, but beliefs served similar purposes.
-Many believed the spirits of dead relatives stayed with them when they died and
that spirits could talk to the supreme god.
III. Islam in Africa
-Islam was popular in West African cities where they traded with Muslim Arabs.
-Not all accepted Islam.
-Mansa Musa worked to spread Islam, though he allowed different religions.
-Sunni Ali practiced the traditional religion of the Songhai but called himself a Muslim
-Muhammad Ture declared himself king and drove Ali’s family from Songhai. He
took the name Askia Muhammad.
-In East Africa, the culture blended African and Muslim traditions.
-Northern and eastern African people adopted Islamic laws and ideas.
-Islam encouraged learning.
Chapter 13 Part 3: African Society and Culture
I. Life in Medieval Africa
-Bantu people-traveled through southern Africa spreading their language and culture
-Africans often lived with extended families.
-Children were valued in African culture. Considered link between past and future.
-Families and villages taught children the history of their people and the skills they
would need as adults.
-Women’s roles were mainly as wives and mothers. Men had more rights than women
did, and they controlled what women did.
-Dahia al-Kahina-queen led the fight against a Muslim invasion.
-Nzinga—queen who battled Portuguese slave traders for nearly 40 years.
II. Slavery
-Existed in Africa before the arrival of the Europeans. Enslaved criminals and enemies
captured in war.
-The slave trade grew as trade with Muslim merchants increased.
-The Portuguese brought enslaved Africans to Europe in 1441.
-In the late 1400s, Europeans established sugar plantations in the Americas and
brought enslaved Africans to work the fields.
III. African Culture
-Artistic expression was an important part of African culture.
-Enslaved Africans took their culture with them when they were traded.
-Early African cave paintings showed daily life, told stories, and had some religious
meaning or use.
-Music was an important aspect of almost every part of African life.
-Africans used dance in important events because they felt that dance allowed
the spirits to express themselves.
-Storytelling is a strong African tradition.
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