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MODULE 12 LESSON 3
The Kingdom of Aksum
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| While migrations were taking place in the southern half of Africa, where else were they taking place? | They were also taking place along the east coast. Arab peoples crossed the Red Sea into Africa perhaps as early as 1000 BC. |
| What two groups blended to form the basis of a new and powerful trading kingdom? | Africans and Arabs |
| What more powerful kingdom arose and conquered Kush? | That kingdom was Aksum. It was located south of Kush on a rugged plateau on the Red Sea, in what are now the countries of Eritrea and Ethiopia. |
| What did Arab traders across the Red Sea establish in trading settlements? | They brought skills, textiles, and spices from eastern trade routes. The trading settlements eventually became colonies of farmers and traders. Trade with Mediterranean countries also flowed into seaports located here. |
| How did Aksum's location affect sea trade? | Aksum’s location and expansion made it a hub for caravan routes to Egypt and Meroë. Access to sea trade on the Mediterranean Sea and the Indian Ocean helped Aksum become an international trading power. |
| What did Aksumite merchants trade? | Aksumite merchants traded necessities such as salt and luxuries such as rhinoceros horns, tortoise shells, ivory, emeralds, and gold. They chose items such as cloth,glass, olive oil, wine, brass, iron, and copper in return. |
| When did Aksum reach its height? | The kingdom of Aksum reached its height between AD 325 and 360, when an extremely strong ruler, Ezana, occupied the throne. |
| How was Ezana such a powerful leader? | In 330, Ezana turned his attention to Kush, which had already begun to decline. He conquered the Kushites and burned Meroë to the ground in 350. |
| How did Aksumites have a diverse cultural heritage from the beginning? | The blend included traditions of the Arab peoples who crossed the Red Sea into Africa and those of the Kushite peoples they settled among. |
| Generally, what type of people did the port city of Adulis include? | The port city of Adulis was particularly cosmopolitan. It included people from Aksum’s widespread trading partners, such as Egypt, Arabia, Greece, Rome, Persia, India, and even Byzantium. |
| What did the Aksumites believe in? | Astar, Mahrem, Beher, and Medr. Aksumites were also animists, and worshiped the spirits of nature and honored their dead ancestors. They offered as many as a dozen oxen for sacrifice to the spirits, to Mahrem, and often to the Greek god of war, Ares. |
| What came out of Merchants exchanging many new ideas? | A new religion, Christianity, was one of these new ideas. Christianity began in Judea about AD 30, based on the teachings of Jesus and the belief in monotheism. |
| How did Ezana's rule affect the development of Christianity? | He vowed, “I will rule the people with righteousness and justice and will not oppress them, and may they preserve this Throne which I have set up for the Lord of Heaven.” |
| How did the Aksumite people blend the new beliefs and practices with traditional religious practices? | Dancing ceremonies and use of the sistrum during worship, to form a unique expression of Christianity. The establishment of Christianity was the longest lasting achievement of Aksumites. |
| Why was Aksum such an influential African Kingdom? | Aksum was the only ancient African kingdom known to have developed a written language, aside from Egypt and Meroë. It was also the first state south of the Sahara to mint its own coins. |
| How did the Aksumites adapt creatively to their environment? | In addition to cultural achievements, the Aksumites adapted creatively to their rugged hilly environment. They created a new method of agriculture, terrace farming. |
| What led to the fall of Aksum? | Aksum’s cultural and technological achievements enabled it to last for 800 years, but the kingdom finally declined under invaders who practiced the religion of Islam. |
| Who did Aksum protect during their rise to power? | Aksum protected Muhammad’s family and followers during their rise to power. As a result, initially they did not invade Aksum’s territories on the African coast of the Red Sea. Remaining control of that coastline enabled Aksum to remain a trading power. |
| How did the invaders seize footholds on the African coast? | In 710, they destroyed Adulis. This conquest cut Aksum off from the major ports along both the Red Sea and Mediterranean. |
| What was a result of the invaders spreading Islam to the lands they conquered? | Aksum became isolated from other Christian settlements. To escape the advancing wave of Islam, Aksum’s rulers moved their capital over the mountains into what is now northern Ethiopia. |
| What was one negative about Aksum's influence on ancient African civilizations? | Although the kingdom of Aksum reached tremendous heights and left a lasting legacy in its religion, architecture, and agriculture, it never expanded outside a fairly small area. |
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27efalcone