African+Civilizations+and+the+Spread+of+Islam

== =1) Notes on The Spread of Islam in Africa Stateless societies, Songhay Kingdom, Congo society, Swahili Coast=

Stateless Societies
-Were organized kingships or other forms of obligation -Lacked a concentration of political power -Government rarely affected the lives of the people in the society -Secret societies controlled the customs, beliefs, and could limit the authority of rulers -Found it hard to resist external preassure -Spoke the language of Bantu -Originally believed in a animistic religion -Religious ceramonies often included dancing, drumming, and sacrafice -Priest guarded religious practices -Religion, economics, and history were very connected with one another -Skilled ironworks and agrictulture in specific subSaharan areas -Possibly had 30-60 million people present -Islam arrived in 640- 700 C.E -Islam allowed acceptance of new rulers easy

Songhay Kingdom
-Was built along the Niger River -Patriarchal society -Political leaders were often men or there was a counsel of elders who were also men -Leaders were considered to be spiritual and hoyl and therefore were separated from their normal subjects -When Islam arrived, royal family members began to convert to Islam -although leaders converted, most people in the society didn't convert -Territorial states -In Mali Islam helped to reinforce kingship -Mali's economics were based off of agriculture -Towns had craftsmen much like north Africa -Trade helped protect the power of the military -Timbuktu florurished near the flood rejjiong of the iger river making it a great trade city -Sankore mosque contained many books helpful to scholars -Grew rice, fruits, wheat, and vegtables -Polygamy was an accepted practice -Men who practiced polygamy often got more work done than those who didn't -Sonhay consisted of farmers, and fisherman -Sonhay had strong leaders who expanded its borders

=Swahili Coast= -Africian trading cities became hubs for Islam -Trades with Arabia, Persia and China, thorough the Indian Ocean --Bantu Speakers -People settled on the island of Madagascar -Small coastal villiges specialized in trading, farming, and fishing -Made rough pottery and iron tools -Muslim ruling families governed them -Developed mosques, and tombs -Coastal commerce kept cities intact with each other -Trade ivory, gold, and rare woods -Goods from China, came from Arabia and Indian traders -Islam promoted long distance commerce -Islam provided law and facilitated trade -The Muslim world ruled over the cities -People retained their own beliefs -Developed the language of Swahili -Fused Islamic ideas with their own

=Congo society= -Based on varied agriculture -Attempted to unite under one government -Passed traditions orally -Absence of writting -Made great advancements in art -Highly urbanized despite no wrritting -Agriculture using iron tools -Art made of sculptures -Dominated by an airostocracey -Bronze used -Similar cities to medival Europe -Along the Congo River -Weaving, pottery, blacksmithing, and carving for art -Division between labor or women and men -Women took charge of cultivation -Men cleared forest -Women created salt from the sea shore -Kingship was hereditery -Great Zimbabwe was the central city -Controlled portions of southeast Africa -Dominated sources of gold --Rebellion split the people -Bought Indian textiles and iron tools