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9. Africa 600-1450
Ap World History - Summerville High School
Term | Definition |
---|---|
stateless societies | African societies organized around kinship or other forms of social obligation and lacking the concentration of political power and authority associated with states. |
Ifriqiya | Arabic term for eastern north Africa |
Maghrib | Arabic term for western north Africa. |
Almohadis | a reformist movement among the Islamic Berbers of northern Africa; later than the Almoravids; penetrated into sub-Saharan Africa. |
juula | Malinke merchants; formed small partnerships to carry out trade throughout Mali Empire; eventually spread throughout much of west Africa. |
Sundiata | The "Lion Prince"; a member of the Keita clan; created a unified state that became the Mali empire; died about 1260. |
griots | professional oral historians who served as keepers of traditions and advisors to kings within the Mali Empire. |
Ibn Batuta | Arab traveler who described African societies and cultures in his travel records. |
Timbuktu | Port city of Mali; located just off the flood plain on the great bend in the Niger River; population of 50,000; contained a library and university. |
Songhay | successor state to Mali; dominated middle reaches of the Niger valley; formed as independent kingdom under a Berber dynasty; capital at Gao; reached imperial status under Sunni Ali (r.1464-1492) |
Hausa | peoples of northern Nigeria, formed states following the demise of Songhay Empire that combined Muslim and pagan traditions. |
Muhammad the Great | extended the boundaries of Songhay Empire; Islamic ruler of the mid-16th century. |
Sharia | Islamic law, defined among other things the patrilineal nature of Islamic inheritance. |
Zenj | Arabic term for the east African coast. |
Benin | powerful city-state (in present-day Nigeria) that came into contact with the Portuguese in 1485 but remained relatively free of European influence; important commercial and political entity until the 19th century. |
demography | the study of population. |
demographic transition | shift to low birth rate, low infant death rate, stable population, first emerged in western Europe and United States in late 19th century. |
Kongo | Kingdom, based on agriculture, formed on lower Congo River by late 15th century; capital at Mbanza Congo ruled by hereditary monarchy. |
Great Zimbabwe | Bantu confederation of Shona-speaking peoples located between Zambezi and Limpopo rivers; developed after 9th century; featured royal courts buildt of stone; created centralized state by 15th century; king took title of Mwene Mutapa. |