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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