3C.+Major+Empires+&+Political+Units+Social+Systems

One can see the political and gender characteristics of the African Kingdoms: Kongo, Benin, Oyo, Dahomey, Ashanti and Songhay.
 * African Kingdoms **

** KonKongo ** Government · The government was based on slave trade. · Many small-scale kinship-based societies. · Lacked the protection of a strong state - Fragmentation o Government sometimes became overwhelmed by more powerful governments · Leaders chosen by open election · Kongo became partially Christianized. - The Pope and Roman Catholic church have a role in the government - Church and state come together - The Christian Church plays a role in how the government is run. o Instilled values · Nzinga Mbemba - Monarch. His Christian name is Alfonso the 1 - Allowed Portuguese traders in hopes of strengthening regime. - Royal family converted to Christianity and encouraged the importation of European guns, cattle, and horses. - People were sent to Portugal for education - Kongo fell apart, claimed the Portuguese undermined the Vassals. · Vassals - Below the monarch - Selected by the monarch - Ran certain areas of the Kingdom. - They made sure everything was going smoothly.

Gender Roles · Very Patriarchal society - Men are the Elders of the community - Looked to as the leaders · Women played powerful roles as well - Inside and outside of the home they were very important - Actively involved in growing and harvesting food - Markets where the food is sold mostly dominated by women - Chopping wood, hauling wood, and basic household chores were women’s responsibilities. - Clothes, cooking, and childcare were also a woman’s responsibility. - Were not able to own land. - Could not do a lot of things without their husband.

** BenBenin ** Government · Small · Highly centralized territorial state · One of the oldest and most highly developed states · The Monarch - Was a wealthy elite - Held a lavish court - Was also called oba - Strictly controlled the country’s trade - Kept Benin out of the slave trade. · Was ruled by a warrior king Ewuare - Said to have conquered 201 towns and villages in the process of founding Benin. - The ruler sponsored extensive trading missions

· Administrative chiefs replaced the heads of kinship groups as major political authorities.

Gender Roles · Women as soldiers - Female soldier corps o Called Ahosi or “our mothers” o Known as Amazons by the Europeans · Women were not active in the government · Women are responsible for all household activities - Water fetching - Firewood gathering - Food processing - Food preparation · Women worked with the men in the fields - Planting, weeding, and harvesting - Women are sometimes responsible for harvesting the entire family plot - Responsible for post harvesting storage

** Oy Oyo ** Government · Highly centralized territorial state · Ruled by kings (known as oba) · Oba’s were also preformed religious functions

Gender Roles · Women could also be obas · Some were involved in administrative matters

** DahDahomey **

Government · arose in the 18th century · unique, highly authoritarian state · commoners and chiefs were responsible directly to king · power of lineage and secret societies weakened due to social organization of authoritarianism · government became dependent on slave trade for revenue · army conducted annual slave raids under royal control

Gender Roles  · Women were also used in the militia (women warriors of Dahomey, originally the king’s wives trained as body guards)

** AshAshanti **



Government · Complex bureaucracy · Controlled by men - Exceptions o Elections: Senior female of the chiefly lineage nominated eligible candidates o Elders: Made up of both respected women and men of community · System of checks and balances · Had oligarchic tendency - Council of elders involved in most political decisions · Separate ministries delegated to different issues - EX: Foreign Office. Made arrangements with powers such as French, British, Dutch and Arabs · Asantehene (KING OF ASHANTI) - Crowned on the Golden Stool (said to be sacred) - Appointed based on merit rather than birth (started by Osei Kwadwo) - Shared powers with bureaucracy - Only one w/power to invoke death sentence - Supreme commander of army - Could be impeached · Obirempon (BELOW ASANTEHENE) - Local power - Personally selected by Asantehene - Tended to be of noble lineage (sometimes related to Asantehene) - Handled regional affairs

Gender Roles · Men - Provided “ntoro” or spirit to children, along with character and personality - Cared for children after birth - Teaching of sons from fathers was relatively private · Women - Allowed women to divorce due to impotence, adultery, laziness, witchcraft, desertion or for taking a wife without her permission (if she is senior wife) - Clothing production designated to women - Female blood line determined land rights, inheritance, status and title - Considered a woman’s menstruation impure o Public rites of passage (announced to village) o Had many restrictions § Seen as ritually unclean § Could not cook for a man or eat food cooked for a man § Entering ancestral house was punishable by death § Lived in special houses (could not enter a man’s) § Not allowed to participate in ceremonies

** Son ** ** Songhay **



Government · Eventually govt. expanded into complex system - Governors and mayors in charge of tributary states - Still had chiefs with authority in their own territories - Each town had a representative · Increase centralization and improved economy with Askia Muhammad · Tax imposed on chiefdoms around area (insured dominance) · Mixed religion (Islam) in with power - Sermons highlighted on being obedient to the king’s rule

Gender Roles · Women and men led separate lives - Different work responsblities - Ate separately - Often talk only to their own sex · Women still associates with her family after marriage · Islamic contract binding husband to wife during marriage · Men initiate formal divorce while women cannot formally declare a divorce · Male traits - Respectful to women - Dominant · Female traits - Shy around men - Modest

**Comparing African Kingdoms** || Located in the region known as the Gold Coast (modern day Ghana) || || *Known for its Calvary, used horses in war || *Strong military that performed annual slave raids. *Army consisted of female soldiers (Amazons). ||  ||   || *Matrilineal Society || Patriarchal Society || Great respect for their ancestors. || Islam amongst urban elites || *The ruler limited participation in the slave trade. || * Kingdom of Dahomey: had to pay tribute *Traded salt, leather, kola nuts, ivory, cloth and slaves with European merchants *Middle man in Trans-Saharan and Tans-Atlantic slave trade || *Heavy involvement in slave trade under strict government control || *Involvement in the slave trade *Also traded gold and ivory || *Middle man of the trans-Saharan trade routes *Earned revenue through taxation *Trading ||
 * || ** Kongo ** || ** Benin ** || ** Oyo ** || ** Dahomey ** || ** Ashanti ** || ** Songhay ** ||
 * ** Art ** ||  || Artists produced wood, ivory, and brass sculptures. They were notorious for the brass sculptures. ||   ||   ||   ||   ||
 * ** Geography ** || [[image:file:///C:/Users/Flower/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtml1/01/clip_image002.gif width="125" height="94"]] || [[image:file:///C:/Users/Flower/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtml1/01/clip_image004.jpg width="130" height="122"]] || [[image:file:///C:/Users/Flower/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtml1/01/clip_image006.jpg width="129" height="109"]] || Located in what is now referred to as the Republic of Benin in Africa.
 * ** Military ** ||  ||   || *Funded by trading
 * ** Social ** || Patriarchal society || Patriarchal Society || Patriarchal Society || *Patriarchal Society *However, more equality amongst men and women (female soldiers) || *Patriarchal Society
 * ** Political ** ||  || *A highly centralized state ruled by a warrior king. *Administrative chiefs replaced the heads of the kinship groups as major political authorities. || *Ruled by a central figure called an oba. || *Highly authoritarian state || Several tribes united together to form the Ashanti Empire. || Highly centralized, ruled by an emperor ||
 * ** Religion ** || Kings converted to Christianity || Polytheistic || Polytheistic || Polytheistic || Polytheistic
 * ** Intelligence ** || Several Kongolese were sent to Portugal for education. ||  ||   ||   ||   || Major center for Islamic Learning ||
 * ** Technology ** ||  ||   ||   ||   ||   ||   ||
 * ** Economy ** || Traded with Portugal || *Trading

**Sources**

PHOTO [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] http://www.enotes.com/topic/Dahomey_Amazons

INFO [] [] [] [] "The Africans." //Department of Black Studies, University of California,// //Santa Barbara.// Web. 04 Feb. 2011. http://www.blackstudies.ucsb. edu/antillians/africans.html.  "Oyo | The Black Past: Remembered and Reclaimed." //| The Black Past: Remembered and Reclaimed//. Web. 04 Feb. 2011. http://www.blackpast.org/?q= gah/oyo.