Societies and Empires of Africa, 800–1500

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Chapter OverviewChapter Overview

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SECTION North and Central African Societies 1

SECTION West African Empires and Civilizations 2

SECTION Eastern City-States and Southern Empires 3

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Chapter Overview

Africans develop different types of societies, including hunting-gathering and stateless societies south of the Sahara and in Muslim states in North Africa. Other African peoples form powerful empires and states in West, East, and southern Africa, growing rich through trade with Muslim merchants, who spread Islam.

15CHAPTER Societies and Empires

of Africa, 800–1500

800 Empire of Ghana thrives on trade.

1000 Hausa city-states begin to emerge.

1076 Muslim Almoravids conquer Ghana.

1100 Ife established as a Yoruba kingdom.

1235 Sundiata founds Mali Empire.

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Time Line

800 1500

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1324 Mali king Mansa Musa goes on hajj to Mecca.

1464 Sunni Ali begins Songhai Empire.

Societies and Empires of Africa, 800–1500

South of the Sahara, African peoples form hunting-gathering societies and stateless societies. In North Africa groups of Muslim reformers form two successive Muslim states, the Almoravid and Almohad empires.

OverviewOverview AssessmentAssessment

Key Idea

North and Central African Societies

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MAIN IDEA WHY IT MATTERS NOW

North and central Africa developed hunting-gathering societies, stateless societies, and Muslim states.

Modern African nations often must find ways to include these various peoples and traditions in one society.

Overview

North and Central African Societies

1

AssessmentAssessment

• lineage

• stateless societies

• patrilineal

• matrilineal

• Maghrib

• Almoravids

• Almohads

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1. Look at the graphic to help organize your thoughts. List characteristics of stateless societies.

North and Central African Societies

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Section 1 Assessment

continued . . .

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Stateless Societies

Lineages share power

No centralized authority

Elders negotiate conflict

Age-set system

2. In what ways are hunting-gathering societies and stateless societies similar? THINK ABOUT

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North and Central African Societies

1

1 Assessment

• family structures • social structures • methods of handling conflict

ANSWERANSWER

• Both are based on extended family systems.

• Neither has a chief or centralized authority.

• Both try to talk out conflicts.

Possible Responses:

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End of Section 1

In West Africa three empires—Ghana, Mali, and Songhai—thrive by controlling the trade of gold and salt. Muslim merchants and teachers bring Islam to West Africa. Other major states develop there, including the Hausa city-states, the Yoruba kingdoms of Ife and Oyo, and Benin.

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Key Idea

West African Empires and Civilizations

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West African Empires and Civilizations

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West Africa contained several powerful empires and states, including Ghana, Mali, and Songhai.

These empires demonstrate the richness of African culture before European colonization.

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AssessmentAssessment

• Ghana

• Mali

• Sundiata

• Mansa Musa

• Ibn Battuta

• Songhai

• Hausa

• Yoruba

• Benin

MAIN IDEA WHY IT MATTERS NOW

TERMS & NAMES

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West African Empires and Civilizations

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1. Look at the graphic to help organize your thoughts. Compare the Mali Empire and the Songhai Empire.

Section 2 Assessment

continued . . .

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Mali SonghaiBoth

Revived salt/gold trade, had strict judicial system, built mosques, visited by Ibn Battuta

Controlled Timbuktu, had strong leaders,

created Muslim empires, dominated trade

Broke away from Mali; had war canoes, mobile horseback fighters, and strong centralized government

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West African Empires and Civilizations

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2.  Which of the two—the Yoruba people or the people of Benin—had more influence on the other? Explain.THINK ABOUT

Section 2 Assessment

• when the kingdoms flourished • political traditions of each • artistic traditions of each

ANSWERANSWER

continued . . .

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• The Yoruba people had more influence—their kingdoms flourished earlier.

• Benin’s kings claimed descent from a Yoruba king.

• Benin’s artists claimed to have learned from Yoruba artists.

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Possible Responses:

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West African Empires and Civilizations

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2 Assessment

ANSWERANSWER

• Controlling trade routes, because Ghana’s rulers could grow rich by taxing traders.

• The law that only the king could own gold nuggets, because it kept inflation down.

• Laws and practices ensuring fair trade and deterring bandits, because they helped trade thrive.

Possible Responses:

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End of Section 2

3.  What do you think was the most effective method Ghana used to regulate its economy? Explain. THINK ABOUT

• trade routes• ownership of gold • taxes

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Cities on Africa’s east coast thrive on trade with Asia, using Swahili as a trade language. Muslim traders bring Islam to East Africa. The Shona states, Great Zimbabwe and Mutapa in southern Africa, control the gold trade from the interior to the east coast.

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Key Idea

Eastern City-States and Southern Empires

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From 1000 to 1500, East African city-states and southern African empires gained wealth and power through trade.

The country of Zimbabwe and cities such as Mogadishu and Mombasa have their roots in this time period.

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• Swahili

• Great Zimbabwe

• Mutapa

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MAIN IDEA WHY IT MATTERS NOW

TERMS & NAMES

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Eastern City-States and Southern Empires

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1. Explain three examples of cultural interaction brought about by trade on the coast of East Africa. Indicate whether the interaction had a positive or negative effect.

Section 3 Assessment

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Eastern City-States and Southern Empires

Muslim traders East Africans

Bring Islam to East Africa; positive effect

Cultural Group Cultural Group

Resulting Interaction

Portuguese Mutapa Empire

Portuguese interfere in Mutapa politics, influence ruler; negative effect

Bantu speakers Arabs

Create Swahili; positive effect

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Section 3 Assessment

ANSWERANSWER

• Both were conquerors.

• Both were interested in dominating trade and acquiring wealth.

• Both tried to force other groups to do what they wanted.

Possible Responses:

2. Compare the Portuguese who arrived in East Africa with the rulers of the Mutapa Empire. THINK ABOUT

• how they treated other groups of people • what motivated their actions

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Eastern City-States and Southern Empires

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