West Africa
Published on Nov 20, 2015
No Description
MORE DECKS TO EXPLORE
PRESENTATION OUTLINE
In this presentation I will be talking about three parts of west Africa. The three parts are Songhai, Mali, and Ghana
Photo by ROSS HONG KONG
SONGHAI
MAP
Empire time frame
The empire of Songhai lasted from 1375 to 1591
It is currently Nigeria
Daily lives
Woman: The women raise small gardens and make traditional pottery, mats and bread.
Man: The men are fishermen or farmers of rice and millet.
Main Religion
Islam had been introduced to the royal court of Songhai in 1019, but most people remained faithful to their traditional religion
Resources for Trading
The sources for agriculture came from the Niger River, kola trees, Palm trees.
Legacies
The Songhay are known for their generosity. When strangers arrive they are housed, well fed, and treated with great dignity—even if the hosts are poor.
Art and Crafts
Blankets and mats are signature traditional crafts of the Season. The tribes living near the Niger River have been making crafts from bronze and brass since even before the rise of the Songhai Empire.
Reasons for the Fall
In 1528, Askia Mohammed had been on the throne for thirty-five years. He was now a grand old man of eighty-five years and for the last ten years he had become increasingly blind and infirm. His children took advantage of this and deposed him sending him to exile on a small island in the Niger called Kankaka.
Photo by bebouchard
MALI
Photo by geezaweezer
MAP
Time Frame
The empire of Mali lasted from 800-1550
Photo by geezaweezer
Daily lives
Woman: As well as looking after the home and children, they also take on daily chores such as collecting wood/water and taking produce to market.
Man: young man will take three kolas to his prospective father-in-law when asking for a girl’s hand in marriage. Ten kolas might be expected to ‘seal the deal’ and a basket of nuts is presented on the marriage.
Religion
Islam as traditionally practiced in Mali was characterized as moderate, tolerant, and adapted to local conditions.
Resources for Trade
The Niger River for fish and water. Also gold mines for gold
Photo by jbdodane
Legacies
Mali is known very well from their salt mines and being apart of the silent barter
Famous Art
A form of famous art is African dance which has started before the rise of the empire
Empire Decline
Mali rose to greatness under the leadership of a legendary king named Sundiata, the "Lion King." Later, another great leader named Mansa Musa extended the empire. After his death, however, his sons could not hold the empire together. The smaller states it had conquered broke off, and the empire crumbled.
Photo by US Army Africa
GHANA
MAP
Time Period
Ghana's empire started in 1235 but sadly ended in about 1500
Photo by US Army Africa
Daily lives
Woman: looking after the home and children keeping things in order
Man: the men hunt for food and work with crops
Religion
The total population includes Roman Catholics, Baptist, Protestants, etc. The Muslim population (17.6 percent of the total) is located chiefly in the northern part of the country.
Photo by Stuck in Customs
Resources for Trade
They had rivers for the water and fish and they had gold mines for gold
Legacies
In 1957, Ghana (formerly known as the Gold Coast) became the first country in sub-Saharan Africa to gain independence. After leading the country for nine years, the nation's founding president, Kwame Nkrumah was overthrown in a coup d'etat in 1966.
Art
Artists create work by eye so usually open markets, crowded beaches, dancers, musicians,
Reason for Fall
Weakened by subsequent and frequent attacks, and cut-off from international trade of salt, gold, and other important things, the kingdom was vulnerable and unable to prevent defeat. In 1240 C.E., Ghana was conquered and absorbed/added into the growing nation of Mali, which would soon become the next great empire.
Photo by geezaweezer
