2D.++West+African+Political+Systems+&+Cultural+Patterns

D. Political Systems & Cultural Patterns: Sudanic Empires such as Mali, Ghana, Songhay, & Swahili Coast- Analyze the impact of art, science & technology on culture & politics. Compare to other regions (Americas, Europe, etc..)

**MALI EMPIRE:**

Overview: The civilization of Mali lies in Western Africa and emerged between 500 and 1600. It was a monarchy with elaborate court life. It emerged as a powerful empire because of its location between the forests and the desert. They acquired their wealth from trade routes that formed across the Sahara desert. As people came in and out of this area, major cities became urban and commercial centers-such as Jenne, Timbuktu, and Gao. Mali, because of these trade routes, was largly influenced by the peole of Islam. **Art:** __IMPACT __ This picture is of a Mali king and his gold. The picture itself does not show much artistic skill, which conveys that painting was not a popular thing to do in their culture. Although, the gold in the painting itself shows that the people liked gold and wanted gold. This is a cultural and a political impact because it was in a piece of art which affects culture, but it also showed that they were a wealthier empire because they had gold.

**Technology:** The civilization of Mali drew wealth from trans-Saharan trade. The rulers monopolized the import of strategic goods.

Examples: Horses and Metals, and they levied duties on salt, copper, merchandise, and gold dust.

Along with this Saharan trade, Mali developed a slave trade around years 1,100 to 1,400. For the most part, the slaves were the woman who worked as domestic slaves and concubines. Male slaves were put to work as state officials, porters, craftsmen, miners who harvest salt, and agricultural laborers on plantations. Ibn Battuta, a famous Muslim traveler, journeyed to Mali and eventually returned to Morocco with a caravan of 600 female slaves. The Mali empire was also one of the only areas with white woman slaves.

__IMPACT __ The Saharan trade routes were a technology that linked Western Africa with the Middle East. This provided a bridge for the expanding Muslim ideas and ways of life. Their religion, Islam, was adapted by many of the African people, which shows a great impact in culture. The trade routes were a large part of why these areas became such powerful empires. The people that would come in and out of the area left their money and ideas, which would impact the culture of Mali, and their political ways.

Different value of art- The Chinese people had more skilled artwork, and it focused more on the land than on money, because of their religious background. Similarly impacted by trade- The Silk Road was a trade route that linked China with the Middle East. Just like the Saharan trade routes linked Africa and the Middle East. They both boosted their economic status, and allowed for them to spread their ideas and receive ideas from other places.
 * Compared to China: **

= __ Ghana Empire: __ =

The Ghana Empire existed from around 830-1235 C.E. It was a monarchy and had its political system was based off of feudalism. Most of the people in the empire were converted to Islam. Their economy was based almost entirely off trade as the empire was able to transport goods through the Sahara Desert. The capital of the empire was Koumbi Saleh and trade ran through there. The empire began to decline as it succumbed to attacks from other empires.
 * Overview**:



The Ghana Empire gained political power through its superb trade dominated economy. The empire was used to transport goods across the Sahara Desert. Much of the information that is known about the Ghana Empire came from merchants. They allowed the empire to flourish. Gold was what gave the Ghana Empire their political might. Everyone wanted gold and Ghana had it. With this power, the empire attained wealth and power. There is even an account of a man who saw the King of the Ghana Empire saying that he was the wealthiest man he had ever seen. The higher-ups were not afraid to show their affluence, which allowed the people that met them to believe that they were quiet wealthy and worth a political friendship.
 * Political Power**:

The political order in Ghana was a sort of feudalism. There was one king, the monarch, who let the people below him use his land. The men who used these vassal states allowed others to use their land, and the process continued. The feudalism in politics allowed the people of the Ghana Empire to enjoy wealth along with their superiors. This kept the higher-ups in society happy, while keeping the people in the lower classes content and in-line.
 * Political Layout**:

These paintings show the culture in Ghana. The people in the empire were quite simple. They enjoyed physical jobs where science and technology were not important. They were a people of laborers. This is in shown in the art that is identified with the time. There is not much art from the time because the people were more focused on their duties. The art shows that in their free time, the people of the Ghana Empire enjoyed music. This is a major characteristic of the entire continent of Africa. Music was their way of relieving stress. It allowed the people of the time have a way to express themselves without the ordinary writing.
 * Culture in Art**:[[image:http://www.offinriver.com/images/ArtWorkGhana.jpg width="284" height="284" caption="This is an example of what people that lived in the Ghana empire would have done for fun."]] [[image:http://cdn.overstock.com/images/products/L10702524.jpg width="306" height="281" caption="This is a painting of what life would have been like in the Ghana Empire."]]


 * Similarities to Europe**: The Ghana Empire is similar to many civilizations in Europe because of its reliance on trade and feudalism. Many empires in Europe employed these tactics to become more powerful. They worked in both places, making them similar in this respect.



= __Songhai Empire__ =

Overview:
The Songhai Empire was, historically, the largest empire to emerge in Africa. Its boundaries stretched to a size that is similar to the nations that make up Western Europe. The Songhai Empire existed in the western Sahara desert and the bend of the Niger river, so it controlled various key trade routes, notably the Niger river and the city of Timbuktu, which was also a trade point for Saharan routes. Trade was very established throughout the empire, credited to the nearly 200,000 soldiers stationed in the various regions. The empire held its strength for nearly 200 years, during the 15th and 16th centuries A.D. It was known as an Islamic empire, which was enforced and implemented into law by the king, but the lower classes primarily maintained traditional practices. The empire began its decline of power when a civil war weakened it in the late 16th century A.D.



**Economy:**
The primary source of wealth and impetus behind the Songhai Empire's emergence was the gold fields in the Niger river basin. Since gold was considered as valuable as slaves and salt, the abundance near the Niger River anchored the empire in its place as the center of trade in the western Sahara desert. The empire made trade more efficient by establishing levels of a bureaucracy to manage many government sectors, generalizing a form of measurement and weighing, and the creation of a recognized currency.



**Government:**
The empire recognized a central ruler as its king, or Dia. Two dynasties, the Sunni and the Askia, ruled the Songhai empire during its peak in the 15th and 16th centuries A.D. The empire was Islamic, and governed following many principles of Islam. It became an Islamic state in the 11th century A.D., credited to Dia Kossoi in 1010 A.D. The government held a strong military force, allowing it to conquer the remnants of the Mali empire, and many smaller tribal regions on its borders. Due to the large military, the empire was able to sanction soldiers throughout the towns in its regions. This allowed for a very stable trade system, which was only strengthened by the bureaucracy.

**Relations:**
The Songhai empire did not have any strong trade relationships outside of Africa, and it mostly influenced the Saharan kingdoms up to Africa's Mediterranean coast. Its most valuable long-distance trade materials were gold and salt, which it had an abundance of. This empire was probably most similar to the Mayan or Aztec empires in the Americas, because most of the trade occurred within the empire itself. Technologically, they fell behind as a people and were eventually conquered by forces wielding gunpowder weapons. The most influential idea that was foreign to the empire and did not originate within the African continent was the religion of Islam. Islam served as a cornerstone to the empire, and the laws and hierarchy were largely based on Islamic principles.



=__Swahili Coastline__=

Overview:
The East African civilizations of the Swahili Coastline emerged in the 8th century C.E. as a group of independent commercial city-states along the coast of eastern Africa, stretching from present day Somalia to Mozambique.

Early in their history these people lived in small farming and fishing communities and spoke Bantu. - They traded with Arabian, Greek, and Roman merchants who occasionally came to the coast during the classical era. - With the rise of Islam came the stimulated growth of Swahili cities was the far more extensive commercial life of the Western Indian Ocean. - Swahili was a merging of Bantu and Arabic beliefs. - Just like in Southeast Asia local people and aspiring rulers found opportunity for wealth and power in the growing demand for East African products. - Ivory, gold, quartz, leopard skins, slaves, iron, and processed timber found there way to markets in Arabia, Persia, and India.


 * Stimulated economy = merchant class development = villages turn to towns = clan chiefs become kings**

From 1000-1500 the coastline flourished. Cities had 15,000 to 18,000 people in them and were more urban. Major cities included, Lamu, Mombasa, Kilwa, and Sofala

These cities were like the ancient **city states** of Greece in that they were each politically independent, being governed by their own king and in fierce competition with each other. The states of Swahili were never unified by larger territorial states or imperial systems.Swahili cities were commercial centers that accumulated goods from the interior and exchanged them for products from distant civilizations, such as Chinese porcelain and silk, Persian rugs, and Indian cottons. The Swahili civilization participated in the Indian Ocean World economically and culturally.


 * Art:** A small bronze lion was found in the Swahili city of Shanga that dates back to about 1100. The lion depicted was clearly African, but it was created in a distinctly Indian artistic style and was made from melted-down Chinese copper coins.

Like Buddhism in Southeast Asia, Islam linked Swahili cities to the rest of the Indian Ocean world. Mosques dotted East African cities. Islam separated Swahili from the rest of Africa to the west, neither Swahili culture or Islam was shared.
 * Culture-** Swahili quickly became Islamic. Islam was introduced by Arab traders ans was voluntarily adopted in the Swahili world.


 * Economically**- the coastal city acted as intermediaries between inner Africa (the producers of valuable goods) and the Arab merchants (who took them away to distant markets)

“The rulers, scholars, officials, and bug merchants as well as the port workers, farmers, craftsmen, and slaves, were dark-skinned people speaking African tongues in everyday life” – Ibn Battuta

=**Sources**= Strayer, Robert W. //Ways// //of the World: A Brief Global History with Sources//. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2011. Print.