ISLAM’S EXPANSION INTO AFRICA

Overarching Question: How did Islam’s expansion into Africa impact the societies where it spread?

Part 1. Use page 79 in the orange atlas to complete the following mapping assignment.

Label the following cities:

Carthage

Alexandria

Cairo

Axum

Kumbi Saleh

Timbuktu

Gao

Kumasi

Ife

Benin

Malindi

Zanzibar

Kilwa

Sofala

Zimbabwe

Mombasa (pg. 83)

Create a key and lightly shade/outline the following kingdoms. Include their dates on your key.

Ghana

Mali

Songhai

Oyo

Benin

Hausa/Fulani

Egypt

Axum

Mwenemutapa (Great Zimbabwe)

Part 2. The Story of Africa: Islam.

In this activity, you will be using the BBC’s feature on Africa and its relationship with Islam. By the activity’s end, you will understand Islam’s impact on Africans all over the continent. You will also be able to fill in any blank spots in your understanding of how Islam connects Africa and the Arabs of the Middle East. Answer questions and fill in your “illustrated travel journal” as you navigate this feature.

  1. Begin by going to the class website and clicking on “Useful Links” on the menu at the left. Next, scroll down to “World History I Links,” and click on “How Big is Africa?” Look at the map that appears. Note your reaction to Africa’s size on the spectrum below:

______

Way bigger than I thought!Not surprised at all!

  1. Next, click on “African Kingdoms and Empires.” Keep this open and handy to refer to as you read.
  1. Click on “The Story of Africa: Islam.” You will be using this for the entire activity.
  1. Read the introduction. What were some reasons why Islam was able to take root in Africa fairly easily?
  1. On the menu at the right, click on “Intellectual Traditions.” This section is mostly review of what we’ve done already, so just skim through.
  1. Click on “Practices.” This is also mostly review, but pay particular attention to Ibn Battuta’s words at the bottom. Ibn Battuta is THE most famous Muslim traveler (he was a Berber from North Africa)—his travels rival those of the Italian, Marco Polo, who is better known in the West. Read what he reports about the Muslims of Mali, and then illustrate what you imagine he saw through his eyes in the space below:
  1. Click on “North Africa and Ethiopia.”
  2. Where is the Maghreb and when did Islam arrive there?
  1. What did Muslim armies face in regard to Christianity in Africa? Illustrate what Abu Salih saw in the space below and include a caption that gives an explanation.
  1. How did the Maghreb change and evolve from the time of Islam’s introduction and the arrival of the Ottomans? Be sure to mention the Almoravids and the Almohads in your response.
  1. Click on “The Berbers.” Who are the Berbers and why do they matter?
  1. Click on “East Africa.”
  2. When did Islam begin to spread into East Africa? Why did it spread there? What were the effects (be sure to include Swahiliin your response)?
  1. Imagine a situation in which an inhabitant of a trading city-state such as Kilwa is converting to Islam. Based on what you have read about conversion, illustrate a likely scenario that you might see. Include a caption below your illustration.
  1. Go back to the class website’s “Useful Links” page, and click on “Trans-Saharan Gold Trade.” As you read, take a look at the Gold-Salt Trade map in this packet to get a visual sense of the trade network.
  2. Why did the Berbers of North Africa desire gold? By what means did they travel to get it? Where/from whom did they obtain it? What role did salt play in this trading arrangement?
  1. In the space below, illustrate what you imagine that you would see if you were watching Mansa Musa arrive in Cairo. Include a caption below that explains the implications of his journey.

FINAL QUESTION: This feature was entitled “The Story of Africa.” To summarize this activity, you will need to write a response that summarizes The Story of Islam’s Spread Into Africa. This must include the following terms (at a minimum):

  1. Berber
  2. Christianity
  3. Camels
  4. Ibn Battuta
  5. Ghana
  6. Mali
  7. Mansa Musa
  8. Songhai
  9. Gold-Salt Trade
  10. Almohads
  11. Almoravids
  12. Maghreb
  13. Kilwa
  14. Swahili

Response should be typed and terms should be bold or underlined. There is no length requirement, but it must be in complete sentences/paragraphs. It will likely be 1-2 paragraphs.