Africa

• Topics covered in the chapter

  • African trading kingdoms in western Africa
  • Kingdom of Mall
  • Islamic North Africa
  • Main East Africa
  • Delhi Sultanate in India
  • Indian Ocean trade networks
• Geography and Early History of Africa

  • Geography of the continent
  • Climate zones impact
  • Barriers to movement
  • Nile Kingdom of Nubia
  • Carthage
  • NA Revolution in Trade
  • Kingdom of Mall and its Precursors in Sub-Saharan Africa
• Climate zones in Africa

  Extreme north and south, Savannah zone, Transitional land, Desert zone, Import zone (the Congo)
• Deserts and rain forests are barriers to movement in Africa
• Smooth coastline in Africa means a lack of natural harbors
• Most of the interior of Africa is high plateau
• Rivers in Africa contain many rapids and waterfalls, making them unnavigable for long stretches
• Parts of Africa have many sources of important trading commodities
• The Nile Kingdom of Nubia existed from 2000 BC to 360 AD
• The Kingdom of Mall and its precursors in Sub-Saharan Africa include Ghana and Mali
• Carthage existed from 800 to 146 BC and was eventually defeated by the NA Revolution in Trade
• The NA Revolution in Trade was located along the Mediterranean Sea and became a great center of Mediterranean trade
• The Kingdom of Mall traded with the Mediterranean world for goods like salt, cloth, and weapons, as well as slaves
• Trade canals in Africa from Arabia in the 200s allowed for increased trade and travel across the desert
• Trans-Saharan trade network


  Evolved linking West Africa with The Middle East and the Mediterranean world
• Kingdoms of West Africa

  • Ghana
  • Mali
• Farming was a major occupation in the Western savanna region
• Surplus crops were traded for goods
• Gold-Salt trade - West Africans traded gold for salt from the central Sahara
• Salt was necessary for survival in hot climates
• Salt in West Africa was scarce
• Al-Bakri was an accomplished scholar, geographer, and writer
• Al-Bakri wrote history on people who lived in Ghana
• The Kingdom of Ghana existed from 700AD-1000AD
• Kings ruled and controlled the gold-salt trade in Ghana
• Muslim ideas were absorbed by the people of Ghana
• Islam slowly spread in Ghana, but not everyone followed the religion
• By the 1100s, the kingdoms were absorbed by a more powerful kingdom
• The Kingdom of Mali existed from 1200-1450
• Mali kings expanded the kingdom of Ghana and gained greater control over the gold-salt trade
• Mansa Musa was Mali's greatest emperor
• Mansa Musa expanded Mali westward to the Atlantic Ocean
• Mansa Musa converted to Islam and based his system of laws and justice on it
• Mansa Musa brought a period of peace and prosperity during his reign
• The primary source of revenue for Mali was trading
• The city of Timbuktu developed as an important trading outpost and center of learning
• Society in Mali was unique in that descent was determined by the mother, not the father
• Islamic North and the Mamluk Empire


  • Mamluks were originally non-Muslim slaves used as warriors by Islamic states
  • Mamluks were Turks from Central Asia used to bolster fighting forces in various regions
  • Mamluks were bought as children and raised to become soldiers
  • Once a soldier converted to Islam, he was free
  • Mamluks often rose through the ranks to become commanders
  • Children of mamluks were born as free Muslims but not allowed to serve in the military
• Mamluks' children were born as free Muslims but were not allowed to serve in the military
• Children of mamluks were not allowed to serve in the military