15.1 - North and Central African Societies

• The group leader is usually a respected elder person, such as a father, uncle, or father-in-law.

  • Despite the fact that members of the organization respect and value this man's views, he does not issue commands or serve as the group's leader.

• The way a civilization traces lineage impacts how assets and property are passed down and which groups individuals belong to in African societies.

• Through the age-set system, young people in many African civilizations build intimate bonds with those beyond their lineage.

  • A region's age group is made up of young individuals born during a specific time period.

• Each age group progresses through distinct life stages, such as warrior or elder.

• Following the law is a religious requirement in Islam.

  • Muslims do not separate their personal and religious lives, and Islamic law governs nearly every aspect of human life.

  • Islamic law aided in the establishment of order in Muslim governments.

15.2 - West African Civilizations

• Ghana had grown into an empire by the year 800. Ghana's king could demand taxes and gifts from the leaders of neighboring regions because he controlled trade and commanded a huge army.

  • The monarch left the chiefs alone to lead their own people as long as they paid their debts.

• While Islam spread through conquering in North Africa, it spread through trade south of the Sahara.

  • Muslim merchants and lecturers established themselves in the countries south of the Sahara and spread their faith.

• Both of the Songhai's monarchs were Muslims, and they were both extraordinary.

  • Sunni Ali, for example, founded a great empire by armed conquest.

  • Sunni Ali ruled for about 30 years, beginning in 1464.

• Sunni Ali's son succeeded him as King after his death in 1492. Almost immediately, the son suffered a tremendous backlash from Muslims who were enraged that he did not follow their religion to the letter.

  • Askia Muhammad, a devoted Muslim, was the revolt's leader. Sunni Ali's son was deposed and replaced by him.

• The inhabitants of Benin, like the Yoruba people of Ife and Oyo, made their homes in the forest.

• Benin's earliest rulers reigned in the 1200s. The oba, or monarch, of Benin, like the Yoruba rulers, founded his claim to govern on claims of genealogy from the first king of Ife.

15.3 - Eastern City-States and Southern Empires

• Ibn Battuta paid a visit to Kilwa in 1331. He adored the lifestyles of the country's Muslim kings and merchants.

  • Rich folks dwelt in magnificent coral and stone mansions.

  • Their meals were served on porcelain and they slept in ivory-inlaid beds.

  • Silk robes and gold and silver bracelets were worn by wealthy Muslim women.

• The first Portuguese ships rounded the southern tip of Africa in 1488.

• Sailing north from the tip of Africa, they were looking for a maritime path to India.

  • They desired to increase their wealth.

• profited from the Asian spice, perfume, and silk trade. When the Portuguese arrived in the United States,

• They decided to conquer the East African city-states because of their richness.

• and seize control of the industry.

• Along with luxurious products, Arab Muslim traders from the East African coast also exported enslaved people.

• Traders dispatched Africans kidnapped to marketplaces in Arabia, Persia, and Iraq.

• By the year 1000, the Shona people had established in modern-day Zimbabwe's rich, well-watered plateau between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers.

  • The land was ideal for farming and cattle ranching. Its location also provided economic benefits.

  • Great Zimbabwe was located near a major commercial route that connected the goldfields to the seaside trading city of Sofala.