African Developments 1.5: History and Trade

African Developments – 1.5

• North Africa (Maghreb): Originally part of Dar al-Islam, conquered by Berber tribes, ruled by successive Berber dynasties (Almoravid and Almohad) under Islamic rule.
• Sufi Islam emphasized personal connection with Allah—not rigid adherence to rules. Trans-Saharan trade connected North Africa to West Africa and the Mediterranean.
• Kingdom of Axum (Ethiopia): Founded in the 1st century CE, a major trading hub connecting Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. Christianity spread from the Roman Empire into Egypt and south. It was a powerful kingdom but declined with the rise of Dar al-Islam. Later became the Abyssinian Empire (12th-16th centuries), remaining Christian.
• East Africa (Zanj/Swahili City-States): A network of independent city-states, thriving due to Indian Ocean trade with South Asia and Dar al-Islam. Collected interior African goods (gold, ivory, iron, slaves). Mix of African, Arab, Persian, and Indian cultures. Swahili language blended Bantu and Arabic. Voluntary Islamization.
• Great Zimbabwe: Inland East African kingdom, founded by Bantu peoples, known for massive walled cities built without mortar, superior agriculture and iron-metallurgy techniques. Traded with Swahili city-states, linked to Indian Ocean trade routes (South Asia, SE Asia). Practiced Shona religion, a blend of monotheism and ancestor veneration.
• West Africa (Hausa Kingdoms): Seven independent city-states with specialized crafts (textiles, leatherworking, gold, salt). Traded across the Sahara with North Africa. Islamization was largely among elites, while rural areas retained traditional faiths.
• Benin Kingdom: Skillful brass, wood, and ivory workers, known for bas-relief sculptures. Highly involved in West African trade, later the slave trade. Polytheistic religion, with the Oba as a divine descendant.
• Mali: Founded by Sundiata, who used Islam to expand trade with North African/Arab merchants. Mixture of Islam and indigenous African religion (syncretism). Mansa Musa promoted the Islamic faith through the Hajj and the development of learning centers (Timbuktu).
• Songhai: Conquered Mali, established a centralized government with a bureaucracy. Mansa Askiam Muhammad fully converted to Islam, imposed Sharia, promoted Islamic learning. Rural communities maintained traditional beliefs.
• Central Africa (Kongo Kingdom): Bantu-speaking, highly centralized, ruled by a monarch (nkani) with a council. Focused on regional trade (copper, ivory, slaves—along the Congo River).
• Kongo and Portuguese interaction: Increased wealth due to Portuguese traders in the 15th century. Elite conversion to Christianity due to European contact. Rural communities maintained traditional practices.
• Gender Roles:
• Rigid roles throughout Africa (though African women had more freedom than in Dar al-Islam).
• Men dominated government and commerce.
• Women focused on agriculture, weaving, and domestic tasks. Notable freedom of movement compared to other Islamic societies—no requirement for veils. Griots/Griottes (oral storytellers) were highly valued for their knowledge and power.