ipl-logo

How Did Islam Affect West Africa

607 Words3 Pages

Between 1000 AD and 1750 AD, Islam made many social, political, and economic changes to West Africa.

A new Islamic Dynasty was founded in Egypt called the Fatimid Dynasty. The Fatimid Dynasty came into power right before 1000 C.E. after the split between the Shiites and Sunnis. After the invasion of the Fatimid Dynasty into Egypt, Islam began to spread through the rest of Africa.

West Africa underwent many cultural changes under the rule of Islam. First, Africa changed when Islam’s impacts spurred a rise in education. Muslim scholars would go to Timbuktu to study and debate theology, and try to keep fellow scholars and African Muslims loyal to Islam and away from paganism. Timbuktu became a place of learning, enterprise, and culture. Education was becoming more accessible to Africans and they took advantage of the opportunity to grasp higher learning. Nearly every person in Timbuktu learned to read and write, and one of the most important books to learn was the Qur’an (the holy religious book of Islam). Islam changed the African culture forever by changing the ideals and religion through education.

Islam also made its way into African politics. The African way of thinking became more advanced and to the rest of the world, a “forward” thinking appearance. This change can be seen …show more content…

West Africa had already had a religion before Islam came into the picture. Even after Islam came, Africans took a while to stop believing in animism (the belief in the existence of spirits separable from bodies) and polytheism (the belief in or worship of more than one god). In 1000 CE, Africa saw its first very important change when Muhammad and his followers came and preached the religion of Islam. African rulers, who had begun to adopt Islam, began to take over cultures still with other religions. From 1000-1500 CE, religion saw changes influenced by foreigners, political systems, social systems, and

Show More
Related
382 Words | 2 Pages

Corn was a mainstay in the early American civilizations. They created a hardy and diverse food. It fed millions and people and was able to be used in a multitude of ways. 2. There was a change of treatment of woman when the religious belief system changed.

Read More
971 Words | 4 Pages

The Muslim world expanded tremendously during the 1300s to 1700s. The Ottoman Empire and Safavid Empire were two out of the three empires that had significant changes during these time. Though the Ottoman and Safavid Empire contrast on leaders and ways they rule, they similar on their declination and cultures. In the Ottoman Empire, multiples leaders contributed to the growth of the Empire. Ghazis were warriors for the Islam that followed strict Islamic rules.

Read More
807 Words | 4 Pages

Not only did the Trans-Saharan trade routes bring commodities such as gold and salt but the Islamic religion as well. Before the Islam reached Sub-Saharan West Africa, Animism was the main religion of Sub-Saharan West Africa. Animism is the belief in numeral spiritual beings that are concerned with human affairs and that they are capable for either helping or harming human instincts. Additionally, kin played a crucial role in early Sub-Saharan societies since who you were related to directly influenced your role in your society. The Islamic empire conquered parts of North Africa which helped spread the influence and wealth of Islam.

Read More
780 Words | 4 Pages

Medieval Africa was a continent that has been heavily influenced. One major thing that has shaped Africa's growth is its geography. One major river that has influenced Africa is the Nile river. The large amounts of Gold and Salt found in Africa have also helped Africa grow in trade. Savannas also provide a place for agriculture and a good living space.

Read More
463 Words | 2 Pages

Some people lived in larger, centralized states, while other lived in simple village communities. Islam was one of the most widespread religions in Africa before missionaries came to convert them to Christianity. This might have been a more positive influence if the Europeans hadn’t viewed the Africans as a people in need of refinement and guidance instead of understanding and respecting their culture. However, one benefit of Europe’s growing control of Africa was that the transatlantic slavery slowly came to an end, but in East Africa, slavery continued to run rampant. Although the end of much of the slavery did rid Africa of much exploitation, it continued in other ways including the harvest of copper, ivory, and other resources taken from the Congo, civilians forced into hard labor for little compensation, and little to no control of the government was given to native

Read More
947 Words | 4 Pages

The societies of West Africa, Europe, and North America exhibited similarities and differences in their religious beliefs, values, and government systems. These contrasts and similarities were further made apparent during European expansion across the Atlantic and the subsequent new cross cultural interactions that were created. One way in which the societies of West Africa, Europe, and North America diverged was in their belief systems. Unlike Europe and North America, West Africa gradually adopted Islam in addition to its traditional religions. Islam diffused through the trans-Saharan trade with North Africa and by the 1200’s was assimilated into the Mali and Songhai Empire.

Read More
716 Words | 3 Pages

In the Mali Empire, education was a significant part of their culture. It started with Mansa Musa, the leader of the Mali empire who focused on spreading Islamic religion throughout Mali after his trip to Mecca. Whilst spreading Islam, Timbuktu

Read More
477 Words | 2 Pages

The Middle East is a place that was the birthplace for many cultures and religions such as Christianity and Islam. As they expanded from this region, both of these religions had good impact on history. However, Christianity and Islam have their similarities in religious beliefs and their differences in expansion between the two religions. Within the time period c. 600 CE to 1250 CE and 1st century to 1000 CE Islam and Christianity began to spread around the world. The two religions spread socially and economically similar but politically different.

Read More
771 Words | 4 Pages

Colonialism greatly impacted African and South American countries, both positively and negatively. Although it took away Senegal’s independence, gaining power for the French, it served more to unite the indigenous population, as seen through the increasing economic development and unifying role of Islam, and generally had positive effects on Senegal. French colonization helped with the initial modern development of Senegal. “During this time, the French sought to modernize its colonial empire in Africa, investing in infrastructure within and between major Senegalese cities.” Senegal used to be inhabited and occupied by ethnic groups and kingdoms; since the colonization, the French modernized Senegal’s infrastructures, strengthened the economy,

Read More
565 Words | 3 Pages

So Europe invaded Africa, took possession of Africa, and divided Africa into colonies of Europe. The period of invasion, lasting some twenty years, was more or less completed by 1900. There followed a longer period, between sixty and ninety years, of direct European rule, called colonial rule. This was a time of profound upheaval for all of Africa’s peoples. It brought irreversible changes” (4).

Read More
506 Words | 3 Pages

The biggest impact of Mansa Musa's journey was in Mali itself, which became a religious and educational place based on the amount of exceptional people Mansa Musa recruited upon his return. He instituted mosques at Timbuktu and Gao. During his reign, Timbuktu became an important trade stop for caravans in the region, and an educational center that evolved into a university where history, law and theology were supported by royal funds. His influence on his people was to instill Islam into their lives, so much that his subjects became educated in religious and secular matters.

Read More
1199 Words | 5 Pages

Before the 1500 ce Africa had many trades, cultures, and also some encounters with Islam. In 1000 ce Islam invaded the West African State, in Dr. Mayers, 2012 study of Africa he stated that the spread of Islam revealed the power of the religion, commercial, and also the military qualities. Many civilizations were being change without being close to at least one Islamic statement. Islam had spread so much in Africa that Islamization had served to connect with Africa and connected more with the outside world through trade, religion, and

Read More
873 Words | 4 Pages

Islam is the second biggest religion and fastest growing in the world today. Islam is a religion that Muslims follow and is a monotheistic faith regarded as revealed through Muhammad as the prophet of Allah. For Muslims, Muhammad is the last prophet and Abraham is the patriarch of the Qur’an, Bible and Torah. Islam is followed by over a billion people and Muslims make up approximately one quarter of the world’s population. Islam spread quickly during the 600’s trade, choice, and conquest.

Read More
618 Words | 3 Pages

The Islam religion, believed by Muslims, has spread across the globe at rapid speeds. Muhammad ibn Abdullah started the religion. The religion began in Mecca. The religion was made known in 610 CE. The two major themes of the religion are “Allah is the one God” and the importance of charity.

Read More
571 Words | 3 Pages

In History of Africa, Shillington focuses on many aspects of African culture and factors that made Africa to be the continent that it is today. Chapter 5 primarily focuses on the Northern region of Africa and how empires took over and spread their ideology technology, and culture all through out the region. Even today some remnants of the Roman and Greek empire live on to this day (Shillington, 69.) Despite many people getting the impression that Northern Africa is only influenced by Arabic and Islam, these empires and their conquests are best understood through topics like intricate trading routes, farming, and the spread of religion. Shillington provides an in depth analysis of how many of these conquests affected Northern Africa centuries ago and today.

Read More

More about How Did Islam Affect West Africa

Related Topics

Open Document