Society in America recognizes Africa for its exotic people, creatures and land. The first thought of Africa is dry hot savannahs and indigenous African people living in villages. It’s vast lands have more to offer than what is seen in today’s media. On a closer view, East Africa holds many achievements to become a successful society. Ibn Battuta’s journey during 1333 CE presents hardworking and generous people revealing some customs and the tropical atmosphere of the Swahili Coast.
The environment described by Battuta reveals the valuable goods that were surrounded by the Swahili city states. Even though the East Coast of Africa did not have easy access to meat such as beef and chicken, they had many tropical fruit such as bananas, lemons and citron. Since there was not really a lot of mainland because the Swahili people were next to the Indian Ocean, their diet also consisted
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The buildings described in the city of Kulwa Kilwa and island of Mambasa were wooden admirable constructions. Due to the wet or rainy environment in Kulwa Kilwa, the roofs were assembled with dis reeds which demonstrates the use of their sources around them. They also created wells near their mosques and carried out the water with containers. As for higher class people, they had buildings constructed out of stone known as corase coral. This is how these areas gain the name “stone towns.” These people took the advantage of their knowledge of constructing to create admiring outcomes. It’s clear to see that these people had great surviving skills. Just like in today’s society, this demonstrated the belongings of the different classes. There were very few elites in these urban areas, so the population was made up of mostly less fortunate people who were the common workers in society such as craftsmen or
An example of the amount of craftsmanship is when the text says, "The skilled laborers cut, polished, or carved inscriptions in the stone. " This proves that the amount of craftsmanship was a huge roll in build Verbonia. Another example would be the way they cut the stone, "When the stone was bery hard, the blade used in the saw had no teeth; sand and steel fillings were placed inder the blade and the back-and-forth motion of the saw ground away the stone. " The amount of intelligance used to saw stone like that is impressive due to how dumb most people where back
The journey of Mansa Musa was not just a religious venture, but a trek to meet new people and gain publicity for Mali. Although Mansa Musa 's journey was supposed to be a religious venture, there were other motivating factors that led to his trek through Africa. The journey of Mansa Musa was strongly enforced and targeted to get more people to travel to Mali. " He left no court emor nor holder of a royal office without the gift of a load of gold".(document e)
The achievements of the areas of the Sub-Saharan region sooner than their substantial relationship with substitute frameworks had been the satisfaction of the all inclusive community in Sub-Saharan Africa, their fine art culture, and their law and value structure. Inside the Sub-Saharan locale of African, people have been genuinely effective. They were successful for a couple of intentions like tutoring. for instance, in document 2 which was formed by Leo Africanus in the mid sixteenth century, states how in Timbuktu, there has been numerous specialists, judges, ministers and distinctive insightful men which may be exceptionally a considerable measure kept up on the ruler's cost. It similarly is going in advance to clarify
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.
The pueblo architecture, developed by the Anasazi is an improvement on the architecture that is known to be around at the time. Such buildings, most notably carved into cliff faces, were designed to be simple homes with the use of adobe to make bricks upon which the architectural feat of the buildings relied on for their structure. The use of adobe in the pueblos themselves was also an improvement in the previous version of the Anasazi style homes that included a simple kiva, an underground room
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
By having no tolerance for crime, the rulers had very successful kingdoms with complete control over them(Doc. 6). Whether it be the close proximity to other parts of the world, the barren deserts, or the rainforests, Africa’s people have been aided in their success by the continent’s natural advantages. A map showing trade routes, this document is the perfect example of Africa’s prime location. Right near Europe and Asia, trading routes in northern and eastern Africa flourished(Doc 1). Although this is another trade route map, it gives us more insight on the routes that were used to get to other parts of the world, such as Asia.
Asagai expresses that, “In my village at home it is the exceptional man who can even read a newspaper… But I will teach and work and things will happen, slowly and swiftly,” which reveals his determination to succeed no matter how long it takes. Before his visit to Africa, Asagai has never experienced the poor situation there. By taking the trip, he views the world through a different set of eyes. The condition of Asagai’s community
So Europe invaded Africa, took possession of Africa, and divided Africa into colonies of Europe. The period of invasion, lasting some twenty years, was more or less completed by 1900. There followed a longer period, between sixty and ninety years, of direct European rule, called colonial rule. This was a time of profound upheaval for all of Africa’s peoples. It brought irreversible changes” (4).
1. They used undisguised natural materials from the local environment, such as redwood, cedar, and oak, as well as brick and stone (or as Maybeck often put it, they employed “open use of natural materials, honestly stated”). 2.They combined historic motifs, such as Gothic arches or Palladian windows, and traditional craftsmanship, with modern building materials and construction methods, such as reinforced concrete, asbestos siding and plate glass windows. 3. Each building was a unique design in itself, an original work of art that fulfilled the specific needs of the client, and the community it was a part of. 4.
Africa before 1500 ce was a time where many events happened that changed the civilization of Africa forever. Africa invented trades, cultures, traditions, and so many other things that affected Africa in many ways. There is a huge timeline that explains all the events that happen in Africa, what year they happen, and why they happen in the first place. Africa along with other certain continents had major events happened before 1500 ce. Since I chose Africa I will be explaining what was Africa before 1500 ce.
In that quote you can see the true disgust and hatred for something that was not European. This is just one of many different captains and scholars who traveled to Africa and to their surprise, were stunned by the amazing towns, workmanship, craftsmanship, and art that African people had. This was first accounts of Africa that would eventually lead to Europeans conquering the land and claiming it as their own
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
Technologically, only men possessed the knowledge about the materials used and the techniques of manufacturing the stone axes. Women and children could use the axes, but were not allowed to make them. The stone axe had become an integral part of the society and was used for many activities, such as obtaining food, household purposes, building huts, cutting firewood etc. There was a certain area where the stones necessary for making these axes were found. This formed a chain of tradesmen throughout the country.
Moreover, Western civilization became the ideal civilization, and became way superior to African “civilization.” As a consequence, African tradition became perceived as primitive, outmoded, and sadly not welcomed by the rest of the world. Unfortunately, a lot of Africans experienced a trend of a dying out culture. (2) It can be implied that even the Africans’ self-perception dropped because the only lifestyle they knew was suddenly taken away from them and they were taught that it was substandard. Therefore, the indigenous inhabitants of the colonies, the Africans, had to adapt to a new, “superlative” culture and view it as more sophisticated than theirs.