Describe the common elements in African societies'

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Chapter 8
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• Describe the common elements in African
  societies.

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• They shared a Bantu linguistic base, animistic
  religion, and belief in a creator deity.

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• Trace how Islam entered Africa.

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• Islam originally entered Africa by expansion.
  This led to wandering mystics, Muslim warriors,
  traders carrying the faith into Africa. This took
  place between the 10th and 14th centuries, as a
  result of political fragmentation, political
  conquest, and more enduring peaceful conversion.

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• Describe the Sudanic states and how were they
  organized.

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• They were kingdoms that developed during the
  height of Ghanas power in the region. They were
  based at Takrur on the Senegal River to the west
  and Gao on the Niger River. They included Mali
  and Songhay. The lineages that established
  control were led by a patriarch, or council of
  elders, from a particular family or group.

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• How did Islam and the beliefs of indigenous
  societies fuse among African peoples?

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• Much of the populations failed to convert and
  Islamic ruling families also drew on traditional
  powers to fortify their rule. Simply, Islam
  allows for non-Muslims to live within their
  regions. However, as was the case in Africa,
  Muslims had very limited contacts with
  non-Muslims.

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• Describe the connection between east Africa and
  Islam.

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• The connection between east Africa and Islam was
  through trade in the trading ports on the coast.
  Additionally, the hajj of Mansa Musa did much to
  solidify the Islamic faith in this region.

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• Where did cultures in Africa develop that were
  NOT affected by Islam? Describe the nature of
  their organization.

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• In Ethiopia, the people were not affected by
  Islam, but instead Christianity. There were
  attempts to convert to Islam in this region, but
  they did manage to stay independent. The southern
  half of the African continent remained virtually
  unaffected by Islam as well. This region was
  considered insignificant by most of the
  non-indigenous peoples.

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• Compare the Islamic effect on India and southeast
  Asia with that on sub-Saharan Africa.

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• There were great similarities. Muslims arrived as
  traders and began a peaceful conversion process.
  Political systems remained under the control of
  indigenous rulers. The process made possible an
  accommodation between Islam and indigenous
  religions that made long-term conversion to Islam
  easier. Islam spread from cities to the
  countryside. The arrival of Muslims brought
  Africa into the Islamic world network southeast
  Asia and India expanded earlier contacts.

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• Map the spread of Islam into Africa and its
  cultural effect.

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• Islam naturally spread into regions that had
  contacts with Islamic societies the savanna
  south of the Sahara and the Indian Ocean
  coastline. The cultures with the heaviest initial
  effect were the Sudanic kingdoms and the east
  African city-states. Islam brought to the various
  African peoples a universal religion and legal
  system. Its adoption strengthened the power of
  local rulers and provided contact with the wider
  commercial world of Islam. Trade went to the
  Mediterranean and the Middle East through the
  Sahara, and across the Indian Ocean to Arabia,
  Persia, and India. Africa exported raw materials
  in return for manufactured imports.