WH Unit 8: Other African Civilizations

Arab Muslims brought Islam from Southwest Asia into North Africa in the 600s CE. North Africa became a part of an Arab Muslim empire. Most North Africans converted to Islam. However, Jews and Christians continued to live in the region.

Arab Muslim merchants and religious leaders built trading centers and mosques in North Africa. Some grew into cities. Merchants spread the Arab language and Islam along caravan routes. These routes crossed the Sahara and linked North Africa to West Africa.

​Muslim
North Africa

Three great trading empires in West Africa: Ghana, Mali, and Songhai.

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Mansa Musa's Leadership

• Mali conquered Ghana in the mid-1200s, continuing the salt-gold trade.

• Mansa Musa's pilgrimage to Mecca drew Muslim scholars, artists, and teachers to Mali.

Impact of Trade and Religion

• Arab learning and Islam spread through Mali, enriching its cultural landscape.

​Western
Trading Empires

• Trade Routes and Prosperity - Ghana traded gold for salt from North African merchants, enhancing its economic power.

• Legacy of Trade Empires - Successive empires like Mali and Songhai continued the trade and cultural exchange, further solidifying West Africa's importance in global commerce and Islamic scholarship.

In what is now Ethiopia, Axum became the hub of trade. Axum traded goods from the interior of Africa, such as gold and ivory, to Europe and India. In return, it received textiles, tools, jewelry, and steel. Christianity came to Axum through trade. It became the leading religion of the kingdom by the mid-300s CE. Ethiopia today is still mostly Christian.

Between the 800s and the 1400s, Muslim traders from Southwest Asia came to East Africa. A mixed culture called Swahili developed in more than three dozen ports along the coast of East Africa. Swahili is still a major language in East Africa today. By the 1000s, city-states had developed in the region. The cities, with many stone houses, were called stonetowns. They traded African copper, ivory, and enslaved Africans for cloth from India and sugar and silk from China.

​East Africa City-States

Ancestors of the Bantu peoples lived in western Africa. By about 1000 BCE, some migrated into East and Central Africa. Later, some moved into southern Africa. They brought their ways of farming, including cattle raising. They also brought their method of making iron tools. The Bantu language developed into many different languages. These languages are spoken by millions of people today. Bantu-speaking people in southern Africa founded the city of Great Zimbabwe in the 1400s. It became a center for trade.

​Bantu Peoples in Southern Africa