History Africa Notes
April 15, 2004
Class B
v Trans-Saharan Trade
Ø Berbers
§ Controlled trade routes
· Camels
· Invented saddles
· Raiders and plunderers
· Controlled oasis towns
· Poisoned wells
· Forced people to use the Berbers as guides
§ Trade
· Gold
· Salt
¨ Preserves food
¨ Counteracts dehydration
· Slaves
§ Location
· Niger River
· Senegal River
v Ghana
Ø “War Chief”
Ø King
Ø Big Armies
§ (20,000+ men)
§ 1000 just to protect the king
Ø Social Hierarchy
§ Aristocrats
§ Merchants
§ Farmers
§ Slaves
Ø How king gets power
§ Control the gold (value)
§ Taxes/duties
· Imports and exports
· More on exports to keep goods within Ghana
§ Royal Estate
· People farm land, but pay tribute to king
§ Tributary States
· Other rulers divide country to divide rulership
§ King controls all
Ø Divided by religion (50/50)
§ Muslims
· 12 mosques
· Imam- religious head
· Muezzins- caller of prayers
§ El Ghaba
· Animism- belief in the sole of everything
· Very protection
¨ Had wall protecting them from others
Ø Soninke
Ø King likes Muslims because they bring many thing- politics, education
Ø How to become King
§ Matrilineal
· Son of the king’s sister becomes king
· Normally eldest sister’s eldest son
v Mali
Ø Sundiata
§ 1230-1255
§ Trade with Europe begun
§ Capital=Niani
Ø Mansa Musa
§ 1312-1337
§ Pilgrimage to Mecca
· Value of gold in Cairo decreases
¨ 12 years to recover
· Mali on map
¨ Everyone wanted to know who those extravagant people were
· Al-Saheli (mosque architect)
· Exposure to Mediterranean World
· Change to Muslim dress
· Timbuktu (formerly only trade center)
¨ Becomes a social/educational center
¨ Berbers no longer in control of the city
· Trade routes under royal control
¨ Mansa Musa’s people are now guides
· Expand in all directions
Ø Mansa=King
v Songhai
Ø Sunni Ali (1464- 1492)
§ Denounces Muslims
§ Leads military conquests
§ Tries to kill Muslims
§ Muslims revolt
§ Leaders of the revolt are killed
Ø Askia Muhammad (1493- 1598)
§ Muslim
§ Documents were written degrading Sunni Ali
· All good records were destroyed except about war
§ *PILGIMAGE TO MECCA*
· Good relations with Cairo caliph
· Gives gold
¨ Somewhat bad for economy
¨ Alms to the poor
· Makes a hostel for pilgrims that encourages his people to go to Mecca
· Centralized Bureaucracy
¨ Nepotism
· Control of territory
¨ Land
Ø Cavalry
§ Horses
§ Chainmail
¨ Water
Ø War Canoes
· Religion for support of people
· Standardizes weights and measures
¨ Influence on trade