AFRICAN ECONOMY CCOT STUDY GUIDE

Arabian Peninsula and Indian Ocean were crossroads of trade/interaction between Africa, Europe,
and Asia.

Early 600s to 1450 (Post-Classical):

Trade conducted mostly in Indian Ocean between China, India, Arabia, and Africa. Europe still in
Middle Ages.
− Arabia/China/India traded with East Africa. This trade was facilitated by the seasonal north-
and south-blowing winds.
− Arabia (and Moors in Spain) traded with Northern Africa. The bubonic plague followed
Muslim trade routes into North Africa.
− Southern Africa was mostly self-sufficient, traded with neighbors.
− Western Africa traded gold with Muslims (Berbers)
− Prince Henry the Navigator popularized exploration of Africa in late 1400s when he tried to
find a water route to India, figured out that traders could sail around Africa. Portuguese
explorers brought African slaves back to Portugal.

1450 to 1750 (Early Modern):

− Europeans (specifically, the Portuguese) reached Western Africa around 1486.
− When smallpox epidemic ravaged native populations in the Americas, Europeans turned to
African slaves to provide labor. Triangular Trade formed. Africans began to receive
weapons, ammunition, metal, liquor, and cloth from Europe in exchange for slaves to be
used in the New World.
− Guns introduced to Africa
− Some Spanish colonization on western coast of Africa

1750 to 1914 (Modern):

− Slave trade flourishing in Africa
− Zheng He sailed to East Africa around 1421, traded silver/porcelain/silk for ivory and exotic
creatures like giraffes.
− Portuguese still traded with Africa, bought slaves/gold/ivory/sugar/dye.
− “Scramble for Africa” began in 1800s. Britain, France, Germany, Belgium, and Italy
colonized almost the entire continent by 1900.
− Gold and diamonds discovered in South Africa in 1867.
− New crops/technology introduced to Africa with arrival of Europeans. Trade with
Europeans centered around gold, slaves, rubber, and ivory. Rubber became extremely
popular because of the introduction of pneumatic tires around 1890.
− Europeans exploited and abused native peoples in order to fuel their own economy.
− Slavery banned by British in early 1800s, demand dried up by 1850s.

AFRICAN EMPIRES
Aksum / Ethiopia:
~1000 BCE to 1975 CE, on northeastern coast of Africa. Big trading power; traded in
Mediterranean Sea and Indian Ocean. Traded salt, rhino horns, shells, ivory, emeralds, gold.

Ghana:
African civilization lasting from 800s – 1100s CE, in what is now western Mali. Economy based on
trade, as the Ghana civilization was centered around rivers. Wealth came from taxing traders that
passed through Ghana land. Managed gold/salt trade. The Ghana kingdom was powerful because
their warriors used iron in their weapons instead of wood or bone, and were thus able to subdue any
rival traders.

Mali:
Lasted from 1235 to 1400s, located mostly in modern Mali. Had gold and salt trade, but was also
agricultural. Sundiata made the empire safe for trade/travel. Timbuktu was great trading center
(traded gold, kola nuts, SALT, and ivory), city was destroyed in war between Morocco and
Songhai.

Songhai:
Lasted from 1400 – 1600, located in modern Mali and Niger. Had gold and salt trade that was
enforced and controlled by the army. The kingdom was destroyed by a Moroccan king that wanted
Songhai's gold.

Hausa:
500s – 1800s, located in modern Niger/Nigeria. Traded with Mali and Muslims. Exported salt,
cotton, and slaves. Most people in the Hausa empire were devout Muslims, and as we all know,
Muslims love merchants, so trade was popular.

Yoruba (aka Oyo Empire):

1100 – 1800, in modern-day southwestern Nigeria. Had grain surpluses, traded art items. Craftsmen
were sponsored by the Yoruban kings.

Benin:
1300s – 1800s. Traded pepper, leopard skin, ivory, and slaves with Portuguese. Saw the economic
advantage of trading with the Europeans, whom they recognized possessed more advanced
technology than they did.

Swahili City-States:
1300s – 1600s, traded ivory, sandalwood, ebony, gold. Powered by slaves.

Great Zimbabwe:
Around 1400 – 1450. Whoever had more cattle was considered richer and higher in society, but
they also traded gold and ivory (perhaps as far as China, Persia, and Syria) for glass beads and
porcelain. Traded on shores of Indian Ocean.

SUMMARY FOR AFRICAN EMPIRES:

Almost all traded gold, salt, and/or slaves. This shows that it was in high supply for most kingdoms,
and also in high demand by outsiders (like the Muslims/Europeans). Most empires (with the
exception of Great Zimbabwe, Aksum, and the Swahili City-States) controlled land in northwest
Africa. East Africa traded with merchants who arrived on the seasonal north-south winds. Arrival of
Portuguese in Western Africa disrupted trade networks as they conquered the African kingdoms and
monopolized trade there.

Works Cited:

Africa APPARTS (done in class Nov. 20th)

African Empires PERSIA Chart (assigned for HW Nov 23rd)

19th Century Imperialism Jigsaw (assigned for HW March 1st)

Congo Readings (assigned March 4th)

Dowling, Mike. “African History.” 10 Apr 2008. 13 Mar 2010.

<http://www.mrdowling.com/609ancafr.html>. (good site for all-around Africa history. Use
links in top-right corner to navigate pages.)

World History Text, ch. 8, 15, 27

http://africa.si.edu/exhibits/resources/mali/index.htm (Shows location of Ghana, Mali, and Songhai

empires)

http://www.uiowa.edu/~africart/toc/people/Hausa.html (Gives information about the Hausa empire)

http://www.nigerianmuse.com/20090829095954zg/nigeriawatch/the-benin-empire-and-slave-trade-
a-history-lesson-in-5-minutes-compiled-by-bolaji-aluko (All about the Benin empire)

http://www.wsu.edu/~dee/CIVAFRCA/SWAHILI.HTM (information about Swahili City-States)

http://exploringafrica.matrix.msu.edu/students/curriculum/m7a/activity4.php (info about Great

Zimbabwe)