Describes the various kingdoms in ancient African civilizations.

1. Ancient African Kingdoms
Subtitle

2. Did you know?
• Africa is one of the earth’s seven
continents. It is the second largest
continent. Africa is a land of great beauty
and resources.
• The earliest evidence of human beings
comes from Africa. Many great cultures
developed here.

3. How did other nations become rich?
• What made America such a powerful nation?
• Resources in Africa
• Africa is a land of great beauty and resources. Some of the
resources that come from Africa are; rubber, gold, wheat, copper
and cotton

4. Early Africa
• Few written records of early
African people
• Historians learn about early
African people through oral
traditions = legends &
history passed by word of
mouth through generations
• We also learn about them
through art and artifacts that
have been left behind

5. Geography & Environment
• African continent is 3 times
larger than the U.S.
• Contains deserts, mountains,
grasslands, river valleys,
rainforests, etc.
• 5 regions (N, S, E, W, and
Central)

6. Geography & Environment
• As a result of Africa’s size
and environmental variations,
many separate societies,
cultures, and civilizations
grew throughout Africa

7. Western African Civilizations:
Ghana, Mali, & Songhai

8. Bantu
• Group of people who originally
live in West Africa
• Migrated in search of fertile land
• Spread their knowledge of
farming, ironworking, &
LANGAUGE across the continent
• Today almost 1/3 of Africans
speak a language derived from the
Bantu

9. Ghana
• The first of the West African trading kingdoms
• Through weapon making technology (iron smelting), Ghanaian warriors
expanded boundaries
• Gained control over trade routes

10. Ghana
• Gold Salt Trade
• Location! Location! Location!
• Ghana was located in the midway between Saharan salt mines and tropical gold
mines
• Caravans of Muslim merchants brought goods, which Ghanaian people
exchanged for gold
• Trade conducted via the silent trade
• Muslims brought their religion to the people of Ghana

11. Mali
• Mansa Musa
• Devout Muslim king
• Bases legal and justice system on the Qur’an
• Makes hajj to Mecca, but stops in Egypt first
• Gives Egypt so much gold that the value of gold declines for 10 straight years
• Traveled with 12,000 servants each wearing silk & carrying gold bars, which were
given to the poor

12. Mali
• Mansa Musa
• Brings back Islamic
scholars and architects to
Mali
• Has Timbuktu built
• Timbuktu
• Center of learning and art
• Increased Islamic
influence in West Africa
• Use of credit
• Written contracts
• Education for many
classes

13. Ibn Battuta
• Moroccan born traveler and explorer
• Travel the Islamic world from North Africa to China
• Spent 30 years traveling
• His primary source writings inform historians about the Muslim world in
Africa

14. Songhai
• The largest of the 3 major West African
kingdoms
• Took control of Timbuktu
• Expanded trade to Europe and Asia
• Time of great cultural diffusion
• Askia Muhammad sets up high functioning
bureaucracy
• 5 provinces each with
• A governor
• Tax collector
• Judges (Like Mansa Musa, had laws based on
Qur’an)
• Trade inspectors

16. The East African Kingdoms: The Shona
of Great Zimbabwe & Swahili City states

17. The Shona of Great Zimbabwe
• Rise to Power
• Originally derived wealth from
herds of cattle
• Then found gold in central part of
kingdom
• Location, Location, Location
• Like Ghana located between
trading posts, but on Indian
Ocean
• Evidence of trade with Syria, and
Persia

18. The Shona of Great Zimbabwe
• The Great Enclosure
• Massive wall 4-stories high
and 15 feet thick
• Protected the king
• Stonework so precise that no
mortar was needed

21. The Shona of Great Zimbabwe
• Cities
• Consisted of two parts
• Residences for the elite
• Homes made of
stone
• Residences for the
commoners
• Homes made of mud
and thatch

22. The Shona & Great Zimbabwe
• Disappearance
• Left the Great Enclosure for reasons unknown
• Historians best guess…
• Cattle overgrazed and the Shona need to find new land to feed it’s people

23. Swahili City States
• Swahili City States were trading states along the east coast of
Africa, from Kenya to Mozambique. The Swahili City States
provided and connected african raw material to the rest of the
Indian Ocean world--Arabia, India, Persia, China and vice-
versa.
• What is a city-state?
• A city, wealthy and powerful enough to control a large territory.
• City-states had their own governments and even ARMIES!!

24. Swahili City States
• The earliest Swahili culture
developed in the Tana Valley
and the Lamu Islands, from
indigenous Bantu speaking
population, around the sixth
century. By the 10th century,
Islam was beginning to take root
as it was reported that Kanbalu
was run by muslims. Trading
opportunities saw the arrival of
Arab, Persian, and Indian
merchants.