Famous African Kingdoms
Africa was Home to many Cultures which Centered on Gold and Slaves
Many aspects of African culture are similar throughout the different kingdoms. Gold was a primary source of revenue along with the slave trade.
As the African people found fertile lands near rivers, they began to utilize agriculture. This helped to centralize parts of the cultures into the cities that would form the African kingdoms. Each of the western African cultures thrived with the use of the trans-Sahara trade routes and each attempted, with success, to control them. Religion was limited to the different tribes and was not extensively organized through Africa until the influence of Islam and Christianity. Western religions also brought writing, but until then only oral histories existed, resulting in little knowledge of earlier peoples. Listed below are some random points concerning African kingdoms.
Kush Kingdom
The Kush Kingdom was located in the southern Egyptian region. Early on these people had conquered Egypt and considered themselves to be Egyptian. The Kush controlled Egypt until they were driven south by the Hittites and Persians. The Kush had an early Christian exposure from Christianized Egypt.
Axum Kingdom
The Axum Kingdom was located in present day Ethiopia. Located on and near the Red Sea, Axum was able to control Red Sea trade for several centuries. Trade resulted in Axum cities becoming melting pots of mixed cultures and religions, with Christian, Nubian, Buddhist, and Jewish influences and inhabitants. Axum conquered the Kush and converted to Christianity, becoming the first Christian state in the history of the world. To this day, the Ethiopian Christianity Ethiopic Church claims to be in possession of the famous Hebrew chest, The Ark of the Covenant.
Ghana
The Kingdom of Ghana is located in the western African handle. This early kingdom operated successful trade in gold, salt, and slaves. The camel became a primary logistical tool for the Ghanaians, as with other kingdoms in the region. Ghana may have been, or at least was a great part of, the start of the Bantu migrations throughout sub-Sahara Africa. This was only enhanced by the Berber intrusions that eventually saw the fall of this kingdom.
Mali
The Kingdom of Mali formed from a Ghanaian ruling class, family group, called the Keita. Mali would continue the tradition of trade, dominated by gold, salt, and slaves, along the trans-Sahara trade routes. Mali ruler Mansa Musa converted to Islam and helped to educate the world about the riches of Mali. He would use Islamic administration and Islamic advisors to the benefit of his kingdom.
Songhai
This kingdom was to be the successor of Ghana and Mali. A small Songhai state had been in existence since the 9th century, but did not reach its high point until the 15th and 16th centuries. Along with Mali, the Songhai would make Timbuktu a thriving cultural and education center. It might very have been the largest kingdom in African history. Eventually, Songhai wealth would surpass that of Mali. The kingdom center was located along the bend in the Niger River and fishing, along with agriculture, would become important to Songhai people; eighty percent of which lived in small family owned farm houses. Invasion from Moroccan forces, equipped with firearms, doomed the numerically superior Songhai Kingdom.
Swahili
Swahili, located along the African east coast, was more of a collection of city-states similar in linguistics than a kingdom. These city-states specialized in trade with other Africans, Muslim nations, and the Indian people.
Zimbabwe
Not much is known of the Great Zimbabwe other than impressive ruins left behind.
Sources:
Met Museum - Empires of the Western Sudan
Minnesota State University - Songhai
Washington State University - African Civilizations
