In Africa during the Post-Classical era, 600-1450 CE, the Saharan was no longer a barren wasteland hardly suitable for travel, but, an essential part of both North African and Sub-Saharan West African societies. Camels and caravans allowed for quicker and more effective traveling. With trading becoming increasingly popular in this area, it provided the resources to build new and larger political structures. During this era, Africa’s economy began to change and the western part of Sub-Saharan was no different. With the Trans-Saharan trade routes ability to increase with the help of wealthier Islamic states, it allowed for the spread of religious and political ideas such as larger empires and the Islamic faith in which both greatly influenced …show more content…
These stateless societies had a legitimate, informal government but, had no official bureaucratic system. During the early Post-Classical era, Ghana played an important part in West African society because even though they had limited connections to outside kingdoms, they still traded with neighboring societies. Gold and salt were two of the major commodities that helped grow these small stateless societies into large and prospering empires. With trade increasing throughout the Saharan, the amount of gold and salt that was able to reach this region was able to increase, which allowed for both the resources and the incentive to build a larger empire. Between the years 700-1450 CE, elaborate court life, degrees of admission and military forces were created as a result of the increased trade through the Saharan. Another result of the Trans-Saharan trade and the increasing spread of Islam is that Mansa Musa, the king of Mali was able to become extremely wealthy and rule over a large empire. Mansa Musa was a very wealthy man who …show more content…
Not only did the Trans-Saharan trade routes bring commodities such as gold and salt but the Islamic religion as well. Before the Islam reached Sub-Saharan West Africa, Animism was the main religion of Sub-Saharan West Africa. Animism is the belief in numeral spiritual beings that are concerned with human affairs and that they are capable for either helping or harming human instincts. Additionally, kin played a crucial role in early Sub-Saharan societies since who you were related to directly influenced your role in your society. The Islamic empire conquered parts of North Africa which helped spread the influence and wealth of Islam. In North Africa the Berber merchants were one of the major groups that traded with Sub-Saharan West Africa through the Trans-Saharan trade routes. The Berber merchants played an essential part in dispersing the Islam and its traditions into Sub-Saharan West Africa since they frequently used the Sahara to trade. When Islam made its way into Sub-Saharan West Africa, it was absorbed into their society but unlike in other societies, Islam merged with the existing animistic culture. A majority of the Sub-Saharan West African population didn’t convert to Islam but remained animistic. The people who converted were merchants and elite rulers. They converted for economic reasons. The merchants converted to have access to more
1A Answer: One example of how the Islamic world contributed to other cultures was how when Islamic merchants entered West Africa, they caused new beliefs and empires to develop. Since Islamic merchants preferred trading with fellow Muslims, West Africans practiced Islam to appease them. Accordingly, the newly acquired goods from the merchants birthed a new era of West-African empires, like the Mali, and Islam became the religion of nobles and traders. 1B Question : Identify and explain ONE way that Muslim rulers demonstrated tolerance and flexibility in ruling a vast empire.
The Trans-Saharan trade network was a vital factor in the affluence of Western African civilizations. In Document A, is a map of Ibn Battuta’s journey through various trade routes spreading through multiple continents during the fourteenth century. Small pictographs are drawn on the map to display the aspects of each culture that Ibn Battuta visited (Doc A). The map illustrates the extent of the Trans-Saharan Trade Network and how it connected West Africa with other regions across the globe.
Much like Buddhism that did for those along the Silk Road, conversion to Islam created a sense of community that among those involved thus helping to facilitate commercial many transactions. The Swahili civilization played an important role in the world of Indian Ocean commerce. They provided commercial A centers that would accumulate goods from the interior of sub-Saharan Africa and then would exchange them for products of the Indian Ocean trading network. They not only were A involved economically in this commerce. They also participated culturally in the larger Indian Ocean world.
In History of Africa, Shillington focuses on many aspects of African culture and factors that made Africa to be the continent that it is today. Chapter 5 primarily focuses on the Northern region of Africa and how empires took over and spread their ideology technology, and culture all through out the region. Even today some remnants of the Roman and Greek empire live on to this day (Shillington, 69.) Despite many people getting the impression that Northern Africa is only influenced by Arabic and Islam, these empires and their conquests are best understood through topics like intricate trading routes, farming, and the spread of religion. Shillington provides an in depth analysis of how many of these conquests affected Northern Africa centuries ago and today.
Why did Islam spread Quickly? - Trade The Islamic religion spreaded quickly because of trade. Based on the fact, that Islam had trade over many empires. Corresponding to the map on Document A, “ Adding from the profits of caravans was a brisk pilgrimage trade, for Mecca was the site of Arabia 's holiest shrine.
WOMEN IN MEDIEVAL WEST AFRICA The history of medieval West Africa utilizes archaeological artifacts, myths, chronicles, oral traditions, and work of Arabian and European writers. Ibn Battuta, circa 14th century, wrote about his experience in Timbuktu, the major city, that “…women were treated with more respect than men…” yet he denounced the nudity of their women and their lack of seclusion. As can be expected, caution is needed when using these Muslim sources, as from the 9th c. on Muslims attempted to conquer and convert West Africans.
East and West Africa from 1000 to 1500 CE had profound differences in forms of government, with West Africa being kingdom based, and East Africa city-state based. The conversion of Eastern and Western African ruling elites compacted trading between themselves and Islamic traders from Mesopotamia, China, India, and as far away as Oceania. The relatively stable political environment from 1000-1500 CE in Sub-Saharan Africa attracted displaced peoples from the Abbasid empire in Northern Africa, with West Africa utilizing Trans-Saharan trade, and East Africa utilizing mariner trade routes. The East and West developed in clearly different ways, but paralleled each other in a way in which the political, social, and economic environments facilitated stable trade in the region, as well as a distinct blend between Islamic culture and African tradition.
Before the 1500 ce Africa had many trades, cultures, and also some encounters with Islam. In 1000 ce Islam invaded the West African State, in Dr. Mayers, 2012 study of Africa he stated that the spread of Islam revealed the power of the religion, commercial, and also the military qualities. Many civilizations were being change without being close to at least one Islamic statement. Islam had spread so much in Africa that Islamization had served to connect with Africa and connected more with the outside world through trade, religion, and
Comparison and Contrast Essay While the Indian Ocean and Trans-Saharan trade routes both encouraged and facilitated the spread of Islam, the Indian Ocean saw a more extensive diffusion of disease, and traded across water instead of land. Islam was a widespread religion amongst both trade routes, but other religions, like Buddhism, were not as popular along the Trans-Saharan route. Through the time period, we see evidence of Islam’s dominance in the form of muslim architecture and the rulers of the time period.
Some people lived in larger, centralized states, while other lived in simple village communities. Islam was one of the most widespread religions in Africa before missionaries came to convert them to Christianity. This might have been a more positive influence if the Europeans hadn’t viewed the Africans as a people in need of refinement and guidance instead of understanding and respecting their culture. However, one benefit of Europe’s growing control of Africa was that the transatlantic slavery slowly came to an end, but in East Africa, slavery continued to run rampant. Although the end of much of the slavery did rid Africa of much exploitation, it continued in other ways including the harvest of copper, ivory, and other resources taken from the Congo, civilians forced into hard labor for little compensation, and little to no control of the government was given to native
Islam is a religion that controls their follower's daily lives. It quickly spread throughout many large and small civilizations all throughout the world. Two civilizations that Islam affected were the Byzantine Empire and China. The Byzantine empire was the section of Rome that remained after the fall of Rome and was a very successful civilization in its time. During the rise of Christianity, the Byzantine empire became a Christian-based civilization and used the church to solve its political and economic problems that sprang up after the fall of Rome.
Mali and Ghana Essay Ghana and Mali were one of Africa’s greatest ancient civilizations. The Ghana kingdom was founded around the year 750, and developed between the Senegal and Niger River, while the Mali kingdom came about in 1240 after taking over Ghana. Rich in trade and supplies, their empires flourished under their rulers. The Ghana and Mali empire had a series of key similarities and differences throughout their years as a civilization, such as education, their culture, and their resource for trade.
The first reason conquest had something to do with the quick spread of Islam is when Heraclius spread the word during the Byzantine War. In the Why Islam Spread So Quickly reading it states, “When Heraclius massed his troops against the Moslems and the Moslems heard that they were coming to meet them out at al-Yarmuk, the Moslems refunded to the inhabitants of Hims.” This is saying if Heraclius didn’t mass his troops the word of Islam might not have gotten around to the Hims and areas around there. The next reason conquest helped Islam spread was through military services and ghazu raids.
The societies of West Africa, Europe, and North America exhibited similarities and differences in their religious beliefs, values, and government systems. These contrasts and similarities were further made apparent during European expansion across the Atlantic and the subsequent new cross cultural interactions that were created. One way in which the societies of West Africa, Europe, and North America diverged was in their belief systems. Unlike Europe and North America, West Africa gradually adopted Islam in addition to its traditional religions. Islam diffused through the trans-Saharan trade with North Africa and by the 1200’s was assimilated into the Mali and Songhai Empire.
The religious influences helped empires to grow more wealthy and powerful. For example in the Mali Empire. Sundiata gained more power by taking religious authority of the mansa. The rulers after Sundiata were mostly Muslims. One of the most powerful and influential Muslim ruler was Mansa Musa.