1. The Mongols and Africa
Chapter 7 - Part 2

2. Mongol Empire

3. Mongol Empire
 Attacked:
 China
 Byzantium
 Russia
 Muslim Regions
 Live in steppes (grassy plains of Central Asia)
 Home to many nomadic tribes
 Food for their herds/flocks
 Largest empire in history
 More territory in 25 years than Roman Empire in 400 years

4. Ended
Well
Abbasid
organized
Dynasty &
army
Seljuk Turks
Overtook
Expert
Muslim
horsemen
states
Vicious
Conquered
all of China Mongols attacks on
villages

5. Genghis Khan “Universal Ruler”
 United all Mongols under one rule
 Believed he had divine commission to
conquer the world
 Well organized army that moved at
lightning speed
 Had lots of wives and children

7. Yuan Dynasty (1279 –
1368)
 Kublai Khan (grandson of Genghis Khan)
 Conquered all of China
 Established Yuan Dynasty in China
 Moved capital to modern day Beijing
 Built highways or trade and communication
 Invited foreign scholars, artists, missionaries,
merchants, engineers into China
 Employed them in government positions
 Excluded Chinese from government positions

8.  After death, empire breaks apart
 Chinese drive out Mongols in 1368
 Establish Ming Dynasty
 Government control back in Chinese hands
 Adopt isolationist and anti foreign attitude
 Closed China to outsiders
 Marco Polo visited China
 Lived there for 17 years
 First time Europeans learned about life in China

9. Golden Horde in Russia
 Bhatu Khan (another grandson of Genghis Khan)
 Leads Mongols into Europe (Hungary & Poland)
 Europeans call them “Tartars” (Greek word for hell)
 Ruled in Russia for 200 years
 Tribute from Russian people
 Recruits for their army
 Russian ties with Western Europe and Byzantine Empire
are weakened
 Moscow grows into powerful capital

10. Reasons for Moscow’s Growth in
Importance
 1. Center of inland waterways
 2. Location good for trade and defense
 3. Leaders of Moscow cooperated with Mongols
 Tax collectors for Mongols
 Mongols allowed them limited authority
 4. Became religious center (head of church move from Kiev)
 As Moscow grows in power, Mongol power decreases
 14th century princes openly challenge Mongol overlords
 Ivan III (1462- 1505)
 Refused to pay tribute to Mongols
 1480- throw out Mongols
 Autocratic ruler of independent state of Russia

11. Tamerlane Empire
 Late 14th century
 Claimed to be descendant of Genghis Khan (merciless & cruel)
 Wanted to rebuild Mongol Empire
 Raised army and began new wave of invasions
 Captured Damascus and Baghdad
 Defeated Ottoman Turks
 Weakened Golden Horde (*Helped Russian independence)
 Entered India 1398
 Destroyed capital – Delhi
 Killed 100,00 people
 Died while planning to invade China

12. Mughal Empire
 Babur (“The Tiger”)
 Descendant of Genghis Khan and Tamerlane
 Leader of Turkish Mongol tribes in Afghanistan
 1526- establish Mughal dynasty at Delhi, India
Increased
Indian
Unity Established
Reforms for
law and
People
order
Fostered
Muslim
achievement
Rulers
in the arts
Akbar =
Religious Mughal
greatest
Tolerance Empire
leader

13. 2nd largest continent
4 times the size of
USA
Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa

14. • contact between Sub-Saharan Africa and Eurasia limited by the Sahara
Desert.
• One major consequence = lack of access to the innovations of Southwest
Asia
• agriculture, writing, smelting, and the wheel
• Agriculture reached Africa in first centuries AD (elsewhere started 3000 BC)
• Cities developed in Middle Ages AD

15. Ancient African Kingdoms
 Kush (Northern Sudan)
 Originally part of Egyptian Empire
 Overthrew Egypt rulers 700 BC
 Took control over Egypt and made their own pharaohs
 Eventually fell to Aksum
 Aksum (Axum)
 Embraced Christianity
 Missionary from Syria  Frumentius
 Traded with Roman Empire, control Red Sea Trade
 Later becomes country of Ethiopia

16. Central Africa
Middle Ages
 Kanem Bornu (800 – 1846)
 around Lake Chad
 Part of camel caravan trade
 Strong military force

17. Western Africa
Ghana - Wealth from gold mines
Mali - Caravan trade route
- Niger River proximity
Songhai

18. Western Africa
Middle Ages
 1. Ghana- 700-1200
 Attacked by Muslims and weakened
 2. Mali- 1200 – 1500
 Mansa Musa (most famous king)
 Muslim, pilgrimage to Mecca
 Took 60,000 people with him
 10,000 pounds of gold
 Timbuktu = capital
 Africa’s most important center of trade
 3. Songhai
 Larger than Ghana and Mali
 Sought after wealth, not military power
 Moroccans invaded 1591 and ended empire

19. Eastern African City-States
 East Coast of Africa had many important trading ports
 Each port an important city state
 Since time of roman empire still thriving today
 Outlets for ivory, gold, iron and animal skins
 Shared similar culture:
 Arab
 Persian
 African
 Shared similar language: Swahili
 Prospered for centuries until pressure
from Europeans & interior tribes

20. Kilwa- “ one of most beautiful and well
constructed towns of the world”
 Flourished between 1100-1500 AD
 Received goods from inland tribes; sold them to Arab sea
traders
 Grew in wealth and culture

21. Benin- Forest Kingdom
 Southern Nigeria flourished 1300s-1800s
 Provided goods for eastern cities to sell
 Produced fine statues and relief sculptures in bronze

22. African Culture
 Family – basic social unit
 Polygamy was common
 Family Clan Tribe (Ethnic Group)
 Religion
 Areas of Christianity and Islam
 Tribal Religions = One big god, many smaller gods
 Human sacrifice to keep gods happy
 Livelihood
 Farming/herding
 Trading- gold, ivory, animal skins
 Europeans sail into port cities to trade
 Slave trade demands more slaves
 Main reason for European contact with Africa after 1500s