Societies and Empires

1
QUIT
Societies and Empires of Africa, 8001500
Chapter Overview
Time Line
North and Central African Societies
1
SECTION
West African Empires and Civilizations
2
SECTION
MAP
Eastern City-States and Southern Empires
3
SECTION
GRAPH
Visual Summary
2
HOME
Societies and Empires of Africa, 8001500
Africans develop different types of societies,
including hunting-gathering and stateless
societies south of the Sahara and in Muslim
states in North Africa. Other African peoples
form powerful empires and states in West, East,
and southern Africa, growing rich through trade
with Muslim merchants, who spread Islam.
3
HOME
Societies and Empires of Africa, 8001500
Time Line
800 Empire of Ghana thrives on trade.
1076 Muslim Almoravids conquer Ghana.
1235 Sundiata founds Mali Empire.
1464 Sunni Ali begins Songhai Empire.
1000 Hausa city-states begin to emerge.
1100 Ife established as a Yoruba kingdom.
1324 Mali king Mansa Musa goes on hajj to Mecca.
4
HOME
North and Central African Societies
Key Idea
South of the Sahara, African peoples form
hunting-gathering societies and stateless
societies. In North Africa groups of Muslim
reformers form two successive Muslim states, the
Almoravid and Almohad empires.
Overview
Assessment
5
HOME
North and Central African Societies
Overview
lineage stateless societies patrilineal
matrilineal Maghrib Almoravids Alm
ohads
WHY IT MATTERS NOW
North and central Africa developed
hunting-gathering societies, stateless societies,
and Muslim states.
Modern African nations often must find ways to
include these various peoples and traditions in
one society.
Assessment
6
HOME
North and Central African Societies
1. Look at the graphic to help organize your
thoughts. List characteristics of stateless
societies.
Lineages share power
Elders negotiate conflict
No centralized authority
Age-set system
continued . . .
7
HOME
North and Central African Societies
1
Section
Assessment
2. In what ways are hunting-gathering societies
and stateless societies similar? THINK ABOUT
family structures
social structures
methods of handling conflict
ANSWER
Both are based on extended family systems.
Neither has a chief or centralized authority.
Both try to talk out conflicts.

Possible Responses
End of Section 1
8
HOME
West African Empires and Civilizations
MAP
Key Idea
In West Africa three empiresGhana, Mali, and
Songhaithrive by controlling the trade of gold
and salt. Muslim merchants and teachers bring
Islam to West Africa. Other major states develop
there, including the Hausa city-states, the
Yoruba kingdoms of Ife and Oyo, and Benin.
Overview
Assessment
9
HOME
West African Empires and Civilizations
MAP
Overview
Ghana Mali Sundiata Mansa Musa I
bn Battuta Songhai Hausa Yoruba Ben
in
WHY IT MATTERS NOW
West Africa contained several powerful empires
and states, including Ghana, Mali, and Songhai.
These empires demonstrate the richness of African
culture before European colonization.
Assessment
10
HOME
West African Empires and Civilizations
MAP
1. Look at the graphic to help organize your
thoughts. Compare the Mali Empire and the Songha
i Empire.
Both
Broke away from Mali had war canoes, mobile
horseback fighters, and strong centralized
government
Revived salt/gold trade, had strict judicial
system, built mosques, visited by Ibn Battuta
Controlled Timbuktu, had strong leaders, created
Muslim empires, dominated trade
continued . . .
11
HOME
West African Empires and Civilizations
MAP
2
Section
Assessment
2.  Which of the twothe Yoruba people or the
people of Beninhad more influence on the other?
Explain.
THINK ABOUT
when the kingdoms flourished
political traditions of each
artistic traditions of each
ANSWER
The Yoruba people had more influencetheir
kingdoms flourished earlier. Benins kings cl
aimed descent from a Yoruba king.
Benins artists claimed to have learned from
Yoruba artists.
Possible Responses
continued . . .
12
HOME
West African Empires and Civilizations
MAP
2
Section
Assessment
3.  What do you think was the most effective
method Ghana used to regulate its economy?
Explain. THINK ABOUT
trade routes
ownership of gold
taxes
ANSWER
Controlling trade routes, because Ghanas
rulers could grow rich by taxing traders.
The law that only the king could own gold
nuggets, because it kept inflation down.
Laws and practices ensuring fair trade and
deterring bandits, because they helped trade
thrive.
Possible Responses
End of Section 2
13
HOME
Eastern City-States and Southern Empires
GRAPH
Key Idea
Cities on Africas east coast thrive on trade
with Asia, using Swahili as a trade language.
Muslim traders bring Islam to East Africa. The
Shona states, Great Zimbabwe and Mutapa in
southern Africa, control the gold trade from the
interior to the east coast.
Overview
Assessment
14
HOME
Eastern City-States and Southern Empires
GRAPH
Overview
Swahili Great Zimbabwe Mutapa
WHY IT MATTERS NOW
From 1000 to 1500, East African city-states and
southern African empires gained wealth and power
through trade.
The country of Zimbabwe and cities such as
Mogadishu and Mombasa have their roots in this
time period.
Assessment
15
HOME
Eastern City-States and Southern Empires
GRAPH
3
Section
Assessment
1. Explain three examples of cultural interaction
brought about by trade on the coast of East
Africa. Indicate whether the interaction had a
positive or negative effect.
Create Swahili positive effect
Bring Islam to East Africa positive effect
Portuguese interfere in Mutapa politics,
influence ruler negative effect
16
HOME
Eastern City-States and Southern Empires
GRAPH
3
Section
Assessment
2. Compare the Portuguese who arrived in East
Africa with the rulers of the Mutapa Empire.
THINK ABOUT
how they treated other groups of people
what motivated their actions
ANSWER
Both were conquerors. Both were interested in
dominating trade and acquiring wealth.
Both tried to force other groups to do what
they wanted.
Possible Responses
End of Section 3