World

World History:
History: Connection
Connection to
to Today
Chapter 12, Section
Today

Chapter 12
Kingdoms and Trading States
of Africa
(750 B.C–A.D. 1586)

Copyright © 2003 by Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
 World
World History:
History: Connection
Connection to
to Today
Chapter 12, Section
Today

Chapter 12: Kingdoms and Trading States of Africa

(750 B.C.–A.D. 1586)

ction 1: Early Civilizations of Africa

ction 2: Kingdoms of West Africa

ction 3: Trade Routes of East Africa

ction 4: Many Peoples, Many Traditions

Copyright © 2003 by Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
Chapter 12, Section 1

Early Civilizations of Africa

• How did geography affect cultural development

and the migration of peoples?

• What were the achievements of the kingdom of

Nubia?

• How did outside influences lead to change in

North Africa?
Chapter 12, Section 1

Geography and Climates of Africa

Africa’s many
climate zones and
landforms have
encouraged the
development of a
wide variety of
cultures.
Chapter 12, Section 1

The Bantu Migrations

About 2500 B.C., the Sahara

began to dry out.

Through the process of

desertification, the land became dry
and the desert spread. Desertification
encouraged migration, as people were
forced to seek new places to live.

Over thousands of years, migration has

contributed to the rich diversity of
people and cultures in Africa.
Chapter 12, Section 1

The Kingdom of Nubia

Rulers adopted many

Egyptian traditions.

Nubians worshiped their own god. Artistic styles reflected a sense of

freedom.

The Nubian capital, Meroë,

commanded important north-
south & east-west trade routes.

Nubians created their own system of Meroë had a booming iron industry.
writing.
Chapter 12, Section 1

North Africa

Through warfare and trade, many outside influences

helped to shape North Africa.

• Under Roman rule, Christianity spread to the

cities of North Africa. The Romans also built
roads, dams, aqueducts, and cities across the
region.

• Camels brought from Asia revolutionized trade

across the Sahara.

• In the 600s, Arab armies carried Islam to North

Africa. Islam replaced Christianity as the dominant
religion of the region, and Arabic became the
primary language.
Chapter 12, Section 1

Section 1 Assessment

Northern Africa has primarily which climate?

a) savanna
b) dry woodland
c) desert
d) Mediterranean

Which industry thrived in Nubia?

a) fishing
b) iron-working
c) cattle raising
d) shipbuilding

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Chapter 12, Section 1

Section 1 Assessment

Northern Africa has primarily which climate?

a) savanna
b) dry woodland
c) desert
d) Mediterranean

Which industry thrived in Nubia?

a) fishing
b) iron-working
c) cattle raising
d) shipbuilding

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Chapter 12, Section 2

Kingdoms of West Africa

• Why were gold and salt important in early Africa?

• How did the rulers of Ghana, Mali, and Songhai

build strong kingdoms?

• How did other West African kingdoms develop?

Chapter 12, Section 2

West African Kingdoms and Trading States

Chapter 12, Section 2

Trading Gold and Salt

Two products, gold and salt, dominated the Sahara trade

route.

• Gold was plentiful in the West African savanna.

• Salt, which people need in their diet, was scarce in
the savanna but abundant in the Sahara.
• West Africans sent gold across the Sahara to
markets in North Africa and Europe. In return for
gold, they received salt.
Chapter 12, Section 2

Ghana, Mali, and Songhai

As farming and trade prospered, several strong monarchs gained

control of the most profitable trade routes and built powerful
kingdoms.

GHANA MALI SONGHAI

Strong rulers united many Mansas, or kings, expanded Sonni Ali forged the largest
farming villages to create their influence over gold- state that had ever existed
the kingdom of Ghana. mining regions and salt in West Africa.
supplies. The kingdom gained control
The king controlled gold-salt Mansa Musa pushed Mali’s of trade routes and wealthy
trade routes across West borders westward and cities like Timbuktu.
Africa and collected tolls on northward.
all goods entering and
leaving Ghana.
Chapter 12, Section 2

Other Kingdoms of West Africa

In the period from 500 to 1500, other kingdoms

flourished in various parts of West Africa.

THE HAUSA BENIN

Built a number of clay-walled Built farming villages in the

cities, which expanded into rain forests
thriving commercial centers
Traded pepper, ivory, and
Traded with merchants as
far away as North Africa and slaves to their neighbors in
southern Europe the savanna

Developed a written Created unique sculptures

language based on Arabic out of bronze and brass

Had many women rulers

Chapter 12, Section 2

Section 2 Assessment

Which of the following statements describes the basis of the gold-salt

trade?
a) Gold was plentiful in the savanna, but scarce in the Sahara.
b) Gold was plentiful in the Sahara, but scarce in the savanna.
c) Salt was plentiful in the savanna, but scarce in the Sahara.
d) Salt was scarce in both the savanna and the Sahara.

Which kingdom was made up of clay-walled cities?

a) Benin
b) Hausa
c) Songhai
d) Ghana

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Chapter 12, Section 2

Section 2 Assessment

Which of the following statements describes the basis of the gold-salt

trade?
a) Gold was plentiful in the savanna, but scarce in the Sahara.
b) Gold was plentiful in the Sahara, but scarce in the savanna.
c) Salt was plentiful in the savanna, but scarce in the Sahara.
d) Salt was scarce in both the savanna and the Sahara.

Which kingdom was made up of clay-walled cities?

a) Benin
b) Hausa
c) Songhai
d) Ghana

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Chapter 12, Section 3

Trade Routes of East Africa

• How did religion influence the development of

Axum and Ethiopia?

• What effects did trade have on city-states in East

Africa?

• What have archaeologists discovered about Great

Zimbabwe?
Chapter 12, Section 3

East African Kingdoms and Trading States

Chapter 12, Section 3

East African Kingdoms and Trading States

Religion played an important role in the development of Axum

and Ethiopia.

In the 300s, Christianity took hold in Axum. After Islam began

spreading across Africa in the 600s, Axum became isolated.

Ethiopians were descendents of the Axumites.

Despite their isolation, Ethiopian Christians kept ties with the

Holy Land.

The kings of Ethiopia claimed to be descendents of Israelites.

One group of Ethiopians, known as Falasha, practiced Judaism.
Chapter 12, Section 3

East African City-States

When Axum declined, a string of commercial cities gradually

rose along the East African coast.

• Trade helped local rulers build strong states.

• Under the protection of local rulers, Arab and

Persian merchants set up Muslim
communities in East Africa.

• International trade created a rich and varied

mix of cultures in East Africa.
Chapter 12, Section 3

Great Zimbabwe

Massive stone ruins discovered in the south testify that a powerful and
prosperous empire once existed there. Today, these impressive ruins are
known as Great Zimbabwe, which means “great stone buildings.”
Little is known about how this early civilization developed. Scholars
believe:

• The people were Bantu-speaking peoples who settled in the

region between 900 and 1500.
• They brought improved farming skills, iron, and mining
methods.
• They raised cattle and produced enough food to support a
growing population.
• Great Zimbabwe was part of a trade network that reached
across the Atlantic Ocean.
Chapter 12, Section 3

Section 3 Assessment

What religion was practiced by the Falasha?

a) Christianity
b) Judaism
c) Islam
d) Their religion is unknown

According to scholars, which of the following is not true of the

people of Great Zimbabwe?
a) They built great stone buildings.
b) They were a Bantu-speaking people.
c) They were successful farmers.
d) They relied on hunting and gathering for survival.

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Chapter 12, Section 3

Section 3 Assessment

What religion was practiced by the Falasha?

a) Christianity
b) Judaism
c) Islam
d) Their religion is unknown

According to scholars, which of the following is not true of the

people of Great Zimbabwe?
a) They built great stone buildings.
b) They were a Bantu-speaking people.
c) They were successful farmers.
d) They relied on hunting and gathering for survival.

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Chapter 12, Section 4

Many Peoples, Many Traditions

• How did the interaction of people and the

environment lead to diverse societies?

• How did government, family, and religion

hold African societies together?

• How did artistic and literary traditions reflect

the values of African societies?
Chapter 12, Section 4

People and Environment

Over thousands of years, Bantu-speaking people migrated across

Africa. Wherever they settled, they adapted to local environments.
As a result, the ways of life varied greatly from place to place.

The Khoisan people adapted to harsh conditions of the Kalahari

Desert by gathering roots and herbs and hunting small game.
Along coasts and rivers, people learned to fish with nets. They
traded surplus fish for other things they needed.
In the savanna, some peoples were nomads, raising herds of cattle. To
protect their herds against raiders, these peoples became skilled warriors.

In fertile areas, farming peoples practiced slash and burn

agriculture. They produced a variety of crops.
Chapter 12, Section 4

Government, religion, and family held African societies together.

GOVERNMENT RELIGION FAMILY

Villages were tight knit Religious beliefs were varied The family was the basic unit
communities. and complex. of society.
In most villages, power was People identified the forces of Some families were
shared among a group of elders.
nature with divine spirits. matrilineal, while others
A village made decisions by
were patrilineal.
consensus. Many Africans believed in a
Villages within a kingdom had to single supreme being, above Each family belonged to a
pay taxes and provide soldiers all other gods. lineage. Several lineages
to the central government. formed a clan.
Christianity and Islam
influenced people in some One’s place in society was
parts of Africa. determined by age grades.
Chapter 12, Section 4

Art and Literature

Artistic and literary traditions reflected the values of

African societies.

ART LITERATURE
Art strengthened bonds African societies preserved
within the community. their histories and values
through oral and written
literature.
Decorative patterns often
identified a piece of art as Griots, or professional poets,
the work of a particular clan. recited ancient stories.

Artwork was closely tied to Histories and folk tales

religion. encouraged a sense of
community and common
values.
Chapter 12, Section 4

Section 4 Assessment

How did the Khoisan people adapt to their environment?

a) They learned to fish with nets.
b) They learned to raise cattle.
c) They gathered nuts and berries.
d) They learned to grow a variety of crops.

In African society, each family

a) belonged to a lineage.
b) was matrilineal.
c) was patrilineal.
d) lived in isolation from other families.

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Chapter 12, Section 4

Section 4 Assessment

How did the Khoisan people adapt to their environment?

a) They learned to fish with nets.
b) They learned to raise cattle.
c) They gathered nuts and berries.
d) They learned to grow a variety of crops.

In African society, each family

a) belonged to a lineage.
b) was matrilineal.
c) was patrilineal.
d) lived in isolation from other families.

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