ipl-logo

Medieval Africa Dbq Essay

612 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Impact of islam on western culture

In Medieval Africa, many kingdoms generated wealth and trade throughout Africa. They were supported by salt and gold and were connected by Islam. In Africa, medieval empires traded gold among themselves through the use of Islam, and the use of geographical features to extend their transregional networks of trade. Gold was abundant throughout Africa, which led to wealth throughout the medieval empires. Islam was the basis for the spread of gold in various regions. In West Africa, the Niger River provided gold to West Africa. The presence of gold throughout Africa contributed to abundant wealth throughout the medieval empires. Al Bakri, an Arab scholar, showed that the Ghana Empire used gold to decorate their horses, swords, and hair(Doc 1). The use of gold as decorations demonstrates that the western empires had abundant gold that could be used for other purposes besides trading. Leo Africanus, an Arab traveler, demonstrated that the Songhai Empire used “pure gold …show more content…

Mansa Musa traded with Cairo on his Hajj to Mecca(Doc 2). His Hajj showed how Mansa Musa extended Mali’s transregional trade routes by traveling across the Sahara Desert and Cairo. Africa was connected through Islam. Leo Africanus showed that the women in the Songhai Empire maintained the custom of veiling their faces(Doc 3). Islam’s presence throughout West Africa of women following the custom of Islam conveys that the influence of Islam traveled across the Arabian Peninsula to Africa. On his journey across East Africa, Ibn Battuta, a Muslim traveler from Morocco, wrote that he“went to the mosque and prayed behind the [sultan’s] screen(Doc 6).” Ibn Battuta demonstrated that the Swahili City-States followed Islam. Islam crossed over large areas of land to influence Africa. Islam in Africa showed a sense of unity and uniformity between the empires. The spread of Islam promoted trade across the Sahara Desert between West and East

Show More
Related
1328 Words | 6 Pages

Much like Buddhism that did for those along the Silk Road, conversion to Islam created a sense of community that among those involved thus helping to facilitate commercial many transactions. The Swahili civilization played an important role in the world of Indian Ocean commerce. They provided commercial A centers that would accumulate goods from the interior of sub-Saharan Africa and then would exchange them for products of the Indian Ocean trading network. They not only were A involved economically in this commerce. They also participated culturally in the larger Indian Ocean world.

Read More
61 Words | 1 Pages

The Empires of Ancient West Africa became wealthy and prosperous because of trade. They had bustling trade centers,like Timbuktu,Gao,Jenne-Jeno,kombi salah,and Niani according to Mr.Clifton. King Mansa Musa had an impact on trade every trader that stopped at amli were welcomed,fed,housed,and safe. King Mansa musa took a pilgrimage to Mecca and everyone he meet he gave them a gold nugget and he also expanded trade.

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
1012 Words | 5 Pages

In The Catalan Atlas by Abraham Cresques (c. 1375), Mansa Musa is depicted with a gold crown, holding a gold scepter and a golden egg. He is also depicted as the largest character on the map, emphasizing his importance on the global stage. And the importance of gold in his image conveys the importance of his gold to the world. The Catalan Atlas was used all over the known world. To have his influence stretch so far is remarkable.

Read More
716 Words | 3 Pages

As for salt, it was seen as a major resource for its nutritional and preservation qualities. It was a vital resource that these Mali people used. The Niger river allowed the Mali empire to trade easily, as the current would calmly drift them into other civilizations. Both empires also utilized camels as the river was not always accessible. All in all these trade routes allowed these civilizations to expand their wealth, and distance of trade.

Read More
2015 Words | 9 Pages

Traders were among the first to convert to Islam in Western Africa because of the social connection they can obtain through it. They would convert other people along the routes and bring back scholars and many well -educated people to increase their power over the people. Ibn batuta was one of the most famous of the scholars and he instituted Islam also. Overall, the trade route was mostly used for spread of wealth and power, from scholars and educated from Swahilis Bantu collection of

Read More
1185 Words | 5 Pages

Wallerstein described how Cairo’s “economic crisis was accompanied by a breakdown of its monetary system.” The dramatic drop in the value of gold, which people majorly depended on as currency, showed that the economy there had clearly declined tremendously due to Musa’s distribution of gold in Egypt. Just as Alkhateeb stated, “the effect that Mansa Musa’s visit had on Egypt clearly shows the wealth and importance of the Mali Empire, even when it encountered far-off lands.” By the end of the fourteenth century CE, the economy in Egypt experienced a depreciation due to the substantial decline of the currency system. Although Mansa Musa set out on the Hajj in order to help others in need by generously giving out bountiful amounts of gold, the results ironically turned out to have a significantly negative impact that lasted for as long as 12 years—over an entire decade—until the Egyptian economy could gradually and finally recover from the damage Mansa Musa had

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
720 Words | 3 Pages

East and West Africa from 1000 to 1500 CE had profound differences in forms of government, with West Africa being kingdom based, and East Africa city-state based. The conversion of Eastern and Western African ruling elites compacted trading between themselves and Islamic traders from Mesopotamia, China, India, and as far away as Oceania. The relatively stable political environment from 1000-1500 CE in Sub-Saharan Africa attracted displaced peoples from the Abbasid empire in Northern Africa, with West Africa utilizing Trans-Saharan trade, and East Africa utilizing mariner trade routes. The East and West developed in clearly different ways, but paralleled each other in a way in which the political, social, and economic environments facilitated stable trade in the region, as well as a distinct blend between Islamic culture and African tradition.

Read More
483 Words | 2 Pages

Mansa Musa, king of the Malian empire, in specific was a large influence on the religion of the population. Other pieces of Muslim architecture, such as the great Mosque of Djenne, are evidence of the religion’s dominance in Sub-Saharan Africa. Along the Indian Ocean trade routes, we also see Islam as a dominant religion, but there is much more of a variety. Evidence of Islam in Eastern Africa can be found in the language itself. Swahili, the dominant language of the region, is influenced heavily by Arabic.

Read More
1006 Words | 5 Pages

The Process of Elimination Temptation The darkest, most fickle and most destructive aspect of the human psyche is temptation. As the instigator of evil, it inveigles the mind into fulfilling its deepest desires while paying no heed to the longstanding consequences. It provokes lying, hurting and killing, all of which we observe Macbeth executing in William Shakespeare’s play, Macbeth. By further analysing the actions and motives of Macbeth, I questioned the most devious human aspect.

Read More
1476 Words | 6 Pages

Askia the Great, also known as Muhammad Ture, increased the importance of trading, religious, and educational centers. Muslim chroniclers remembered Askia the Great as the famous king of Songhai. He used the message of Islam to rally his followers and expanded the border of Songhai into the east of africa. He connected his empire with the Indian ocean trade

Read More
1033 Words | 5 Pages

For example, when China started using silver as currency, they traded with the British and Dutch. The Dutch would pay with pesos that had been made by African slaves using Incan and Aztec forms of labor. The silver would then eventually find its way to more places. Although, the people at the time didn’t know this, the world was interconnected because of trade, and because of the many places and people involved in trade. Why was trade so pervasive in the Islamic world prior to contact with the Portuguese?

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 Medieval Africa Dbq Essay

Related Topics

Open Document