8/10/2019 Test #7 DBD

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Lori Waddington

Mr. Smith

15th

December, 2014

AP World HistoryPeriod 2

Test #7: Cultural Achievements in the civilisations Ghana, Mali, and Songhai

Prior to the arrival of Europeans after 1500 C.E., African kingdoms, empires, and

cities including the Ghanaian, Malian, and Songhai civilisations made many important

cultural achievements. Specifically, they made political and cultural achievements as well

as achievements in trade. Between 1000 and 1500 C.E., The Malian sultan helped to assure

complete security in the country; dogs wearing studded collars of gold and silver stood at

the door of the pavilion in Ghana; and multiple secure trade routes were established in

Songhai.

African kingdoms, empires, and cities including the Ghanaian, Malian, and Songhai

civilisations made achievements in trade, as evident in documents 1 and 8. Ancient African

civilisations had trade networks with access to major cities along the Nile River, such as

Thebes (1). Classical African civilisation also had the technology to travel by water, taking

voyages through the Red Sea. Merchants would travel routes in the Arabian Peninsula and

into the Gulf of Aden. Their technologies even took them across the Arabian Sea and into

India (8). However, their land routes were just as successful, taking merchants to

Zimbabwe and Zeila, Somalia. Africans traded items such as animal skins, gold, and ivory.

African kingdoms, empires, and cities including the Ghanaian, Malian, and Songhai

civilisations also made political achievements, as evident in documents 3, 4, and 6.

According to Through African Eyes,by Leon E. Clark, Ancient Ghana was an extremely

complex empire (3). Ghana had social organisation that ensured justice and efficient

political control, a strong army equipped with advanced weapons, and a foreign policy that

led to peace and cooperation with other people. Of course, Through African Eyes is a

secondary source written in 1970. Clark did not personally see the Ghana Empire for

himself, which means there is no telling that the document is accurate. Africas advanced

social organisation showed through when the Egyptian man Mansa Musa, spread his

generosity across Cairo, Egypt (4). There was not a person, officer of the court, or holder of

any office of the Sultanate who did not receive a sum of gold from him. However, it is

unlikely that Mansa Musa gave gold to every last person in Cairo, Egypt. He would have

had to of been a very wealthy man, and had some way of keeping track of every last person.

According to travellers in Mali, the Malian people are seldom unjust, having a greater

abhorrence of injustice than any other people (6). Their sultan shows no mercy to anyone

who is guilty of the least act of it. Mali has complete security and not a single traveller or

inhabitant has anything to fear of robbers.

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African kingdoms, empires, and cities including the Ghanaian, Malian, and Songhai

civilisations also made cultural achievements, as evident in documents 2, 5, and 7. The

Kings court is elaborately structured (2). The court appealis held in a domed pavilion

surrounded by ten horses with gold trappings. Behind the king stood ten pages holdingshields and swords decorated with gold. To the right of the king were the sons of the

subordinate kings of his country, all of which wore elegant clothing and had hair mixed

with gold. At the door of the pavilion are dogs bearing collars of gold and silver. In the city

of Timbuktu, there were many doctors, judges, priests, and other learned men that are well-

maintained at the kings costs (5). Multiple manuscripts and written books were bought

there and sold for more money than other merchandise. Ancient Africans also had a knack

for creating waxed figures (7). The work was done with clay, was, red metal, solder, lead,

and fire. It was then set aside to cool and the outside covering was broken off. What was

left was an articulate figurine.

Prior to the arrival of Europeans after 1500 C.E., African kingdoms, empires, andcities including the Ghanaian, Malian, and Songhai civilisations made many important

cultural achievements. Specifically, these ancient African kingdoms, empires, and cities

made political and cultural achievements, as well as achievements in trade. Additional

documents that would be helpful for more completely answering this question include an in

depth description of what was traded along the trade routes, because you could better

explain why the achievement was so significant.