African Kingdoms

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African Kingdoms
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Essential Understanding

• States and empires flourished in Africa during
  the medieval period, including
• West Africa Ghana, Mali, Songhai
• East Africa Axum
• South Africa Zimbabwe

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East African Kingdoms

• Axum
• Location
• Near the Nile River
• Near the Ethiopian Highlands
• Christian Kingdom
• History King Azana of Axum conquered Kush
  (Nubia) grew wealthy from controlling trade
  between Africa the Red Sea (spices, carpets,
  dyes, gold, ivory)

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East African Kingdoms

• Zimbabwe
• Location
• Near Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers
• On the coast of the Indian Ocean.
• City of Great Zimbabwe is capital of this rich
  empire.
• Reached its peak of power in the 1400s remnants
  destroyed by the Portuguese in the 1500s

Zambezi River Limpopo River
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West African Kingdoms

• Ghana, Mali, Songhai
• Location
• Next to or on the Niger River.
• Near and part of the Sahara Desert

Sahara Desert
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West African Kingdoms

• Ghana, Mali, Songhai
• Mansa Musa
• A king of Mali
• Increased wealth by opening trade routes
  exchanging gold for salt
• Pilgrimage to Mecca
• Society
• Usually Islamic, also believed in animal worship
  (animism)
• City of Timbuktu is a center of learning and
  trade.
• Grew rich taxing the salt gold trade.

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West African Kingdoms

• Ghana, Mali, Songhai
• Songhai broke away from Mali and replaced it as
  the most powerful kingdom in West Africa
• Askia Mohammad was the greatest ruler of Songhai
• Divided land into provinces
• Zealous Muslim
• Legal system based on the Quran
• Defeated by Moroccan troops in 1591

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Timbuktu

• Capital of Mali
• Home of Mansa Musa
• A Muslim/Islamic City
• Muslims from all of West Africa came to the city
  to study at the universities.

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Gold Salt Trade

• Ghana, Mali Songhai have lots of gold.
• They need salt to preserve food, add flavors,
  etc.
• North Africans (above Sahara) have salt, want
  gold to use as money.
• This means people cross the Sahara Desert to
  trade salt and gold.

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Gold and Salt Trade