Chapter 8 Stearns Questions HW

Sarah Campos
AP World History (5th period)
Mr. Jackson
10/8/14
Stearns Chapter 8: African Civilization and the Spread of Islam
1. There were some states whose rulers exerted authority through a network of officials but stateless societies were more common. These stateless societies were formed around kinship and other forms of commitments and were sometimes bigger and more extensive than states. There were many government types but a board of families or communities held power. However, this authority only affected a limited part of people’s life. There was also no taxing of the population to support the government or the army. The council of families were secret societies of woman and men who regulated customs and beliefs, thus reducing the power of the ruler. These secret societies resolved village disagreements and functioned to upkeep stability inside the community. There was little concentration of authority and people could leave the community and set up a new one after an internal dispute. Similar language, thought and religion connected these separate communities. The people in Africa believed in an animistic religion which included witchcraft. This led to the creation of a social level of priests or prophesier who outlined the religious rituals and helped watch over the community. The Northern part of Africa were completely consumed in the Mediterranean trade and the Arab economic world. Settled agriculture and proficient metalwork had spread and specified occupations boosted active local and regional trade. Adept and competent merchants controlled trade.

2. Many people converted to Islam and there was a certain amount of political unity given by the Abbasid Dynasty but that was soon destroyed, causing North Africa to split into several divided states and contending states. Islam preached egalitarianism which made the people acknowledge conquerors and new rulers more easily. Additionally, Islam’s practice of combining the powers of the state and religion in the ruler was attractive to some kings as a means of strengthening their power. The idea that all were equal in Allah’s eyes placed newly converted Berbers and later Africans on the same level with Arabs in terms of laws. Even still, social stratification and ethnic differentiation separated believers and were of importance in societies. Also, the punishment for killing men was doubled that of a woman. This distinction in law and practice sometimes led to idealistic revolutionizing movements. The Copts in Egypt cultivated a rich tradition in contact with the Byzantine. They managed to maintain their religion when Egypt was invaded by Arabs and converted to Islam and eventually was left as an independent state of Kush when the Muslims met with stiff resistance in Nubia. The Ethiopian kingdom in Axum kept its own set of Christian beliefs in isolation while pressured to convert to Islam by its neighboring states.

3. Internal social pressures or disagreements were solved by allowing dissenters to leave and create a new village which allowed many societies to thrive. The people also maintained strong traditions around family, villages and religious beliefs. The geography of Africa consisted of savannas and deserts. Savana areas tend to have larger populations because they received enough rainfall to support agriculture. The cultural influences of Christianity and Islam, military power, dynastic alliances as well as strong merchant communities were factors that attributed to the rise of African societies. Similarities in thought, religion and language also connected the different societies together which increased trade and interaction which led to alliances between separate societies. Trading was a big aspect of life in African societies and were the foundation of active local and regional trade as well as many large cities. This participation in global trade network with the Mediterranean and the Arab economic world increased many regions, creating powerful trading empires in Africa. Exchange of gold and salt in West Africa for goods from the Sahara and the Mediterranean North Africa was another factor that led to the growth of societies. The taxation of this trade and control of profitable trade routes also brought wealth and power to states. The fall of African societies were due to many factors. Invasion by enemies, wars and competing trading societies brought poverty, violence and danger in societies. Conflict of religion (Axum) because invaders cut off ports which led to decline in power.
"The Rise Of African Civilization." Slideshare. Rhalter, 1 Mar. 2008. Web. 7 Oct. 2014.

4. Religion gave the African people and foreign traders a connection which increased trade because people tended to be more open with someone of the same beliefs and ethical system. The religion gave them something in common which helped to foster good relationships with the outside world and allowed rulers and trading peoples to operate under the cover of a common culture. Religion also allowed for foreign intervention in wars in cases of alliances (Ethiopian Christianity) and encouraged foreigners to immigrate to Africa. Trade was a huge aspect of life and trade expanded to the Mediterranean and other parts of the world. Trade allowed cultural diffusion and influenced many different peoples to adopt foreign customs and ideas which has made many systems what it is today. Trade also expanded the views and changed the perspective of life which caused conversion of religions and birth of new religions. By trading goods not native to one’s own country, people could get the supplies they needed as well as learn more about the outside world which brought on higher level thinking skills, leading to many achievements.

5. Terms in Questions
a. Animistic religion: the belief that natural objects, natural phenomena, and the universe itself possess souls
b. Egalitarianism: equality of all people
c. Berbers: people of the pre-arab north Africans; live in scattered communities
d. Social stratification: hierarchy or division within society according to rank, caste or class

6. Key Terms
a. Stateless Societies: African societies organized around kinship or other forms of obligation and lacking the concentration of political power and authority associated with states
b. Ifriqiya: the Arabic term for eastern north Africa
c. Maghrib: the Arabic word for western north Africa
d. Copts: the Christians of Egypt; translated religious texts from Greek to Coptic; eventually splits from Byzantine; maintained their faiths when Egypt was conquered by Arabs and was converted to Islam
e. Juula: malinke merchants; formed small partnerships to carry out trade throughout Mali Empire; eventually spread throughout much of west Africa
f. Griots: professional oral historians who served as keepers of traditions and advisors to kings within the Mali Empire
g. 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
h. Askia: ruler adopted, military name for the Muslim leader for the Songhay empire after the death of Sunni Ali
i. emir: chief commander; title used by ruling families to reinforce authority
j. caliph: political and religious successor to Muhammad; title used by ruling families to reinforce authority
k. Sharia: Islamic law; defined among other things the patrilineal nature of Islamic inheritance
l. Zenj: Arabic term for the east African coast
m. Swahili: member of a Bantu people of Zanzibar and the neighboring coast of Africa; blending of African and middle eastern cultures to form a new language
n. Demography: the study of population