AFRICA BANNER FREEMANPEDIA GLOBAL TAPESTRY.JPG

The Global Tapestry (1200-1450) finds Africa as the New Kid on the Block in terms of the Afro-Eurasian “Global” world. Africa is at the end of the pre-Columbian trade routes. Sub-Saharan Africa (Ghana, Mali, Hausa) are linked to the rest of the world via the Trans-Saharan Trade routes. Southern Africa is at the tail end of the Indian Ocean trade (focused in and around the Swahili Coast). Sub-Saharan Africa becomes the southwest quadrant of Dar al-Islam. You can tell from the map below that the Europeans have already begun exploring around the Western Coast with the Portuguese Voyages of Prince Henry (1415-1460). Africa was emerging as a major Global force in this period; but, as you can see from Prince Henry, they will come to be dominated by the Europeans in the next three periods.

GEOGRAPHY+BANNER+FREEMANPEDIA+WORLD+HISTORY+II.jpg
GLOBAL TAPESTRY AFRICA AP WORLD FREEMANPEDIA.JPG
PEOPLE TO KNOW 2019 BANNER FREEMANPEDIA.JPG
TERMS TO KNOW FREEMANPEDIA.JPG
clip trailer freemanpedia banner 2019.JPG

AFRICA (and Europe) from my AROUND THE AP WORLD IN 80 DAYS COUNTDOWN

SUB SAHARAN AFRICA (from CRASH COURSE WORLD HISTORY)

TIMBUKTU (from UNESCO)

WHO BUILT GREAT ZIMBABWE? (from TEDEd)

PRESERVING GREAT ZIMBABWE (from al JAZEERA)

Who was the REAL LION KING? (SPOILER: It was the Sundiata, the founding story of the Mali Empire)

MANSA MUSA (from TEDEd)

CHURCH of ST. GEORGE, the Stone Churches of Lalibela, Ethiopia

This, like the Americas, is lacking in resources. Most of Sub-Saharan Africa is pre-literate. So, some of these are accounts of travelers and/or griots or storytellers.

This, like the Americas, is lacking in resources. Most of Sub-Saharan Africa is pre-literate. So, some of these are accounts of travelers and/or griots or storytellers.

1. The Epic of Sundiata, c. 1250, Griots (Oral tradition), (TIMBUKTU, MALI)
2. A Gift to Those Who Contemplate the Wonders of Cities and the Marvels of Travelling, (This is the section on his journey to Mali & Timbuktu) 1355 CE, Ibn Battuta (MOROCCO)
3. The Book of Lessons (Kitab al-lbar), c. 1375, Ibn Khaldun (MAMLUK SULTANATE)
4. Timbuktu Manuscripts, c. 1250 (TIMBUKTU, MALI)
5. Kebra Nagast, c. 1350 CE (ETHIOPIA)

ART TO KNOW.jpg
150113091006-great-zimbabwe-9-full-169.jpg

1. GREAT ZIMBABWE, c. 1050 CE, (KINGDOM OF ZIMBABWE)

benin+bronze.jpg

2. BENIN BRONZE, c. 1400 CE (KINGDOM OF BENIN)

djing+mosque.jpg

3. DJINGUEREBER MOSQUE, 1327 CE (TIMBUKTU, MALI)

4. CHURCH OF ST. GEORGE, c. 1200 (ETHIOPIA)

tldr 2019.jpg

1. Africa joins the rest of Afro-Eurasia via two trade routes: Trans Saharan & Indian Ocean.
2. Besides local beliefs, Africa is dominated by Islam (except in Ethiopia which is Christian).
3. THE empire to know in this period is MALI founded by Sundiata Keita (basis for the Lion King).
4. Mansa Musa is globally the most famous person from Africa in this period. Knowing his story alone gets you a ton of info on Africa in this period (Islam, Trans-Saharan Trade, Wealth, Timbuktu, etc.)
5. The Swahili Coast of the Southeast connects Africa to the Indian Ocean trade and thus, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and China.