Africa During the Fifteen Century Essay Example

region from the 135th to the 14th century. The Great Zimbabwe consisted of massive stone walls, called Imba Buru or the great enclosure, which were built without mortar.

1324 - 1325

The dominant ruler of Mali was Mansa Musa (1312-1337) who extended Mali's control over the major cities of Timbuctu, Gao, and Djenne in Niger. Mansa Musa, a deeply religious Muslim, constructed impressive mosques throughout Mali's sphere of power.

Mansa Musa's reign saw the flourishing of Timbuctu as a significant cultural hub in Africa and globally. Under Mansa Musa, extensive libraries were built and Islamic universities called madrasas were established. Consequently, Timbuctu became a magnet for esteemed poets, scholars, and artists from Africa and the Middle East. Despite Mali's declining influence, Timbuctu remained prosperous as the main Islamic center in sub-Saharan Africa.

1400 and Beyond

The Songhai Empire reached great heights in the late 1400s under the rule of Sunni Ali, incorporating most of the territories that were once part of the Ghanaian and Mali Empires.

Under the leadership of Sunni Ali, the Songhai Empire achieved several remarkable feats. Notably, Sunni Ali conquered Timbuktu along with its esteemed University of Sankore, which served as a global hub for students. Moreover, he introduced innovative farming methods and formed a proficient navy to further strengthen the empire.

Between Lakes Victoria and Edward, complex and advanced lake states emerged. These included the Bachwezi, Luo, Bunyoro, Ankole, Buganda, and Karagwe kingdoms. Nonetheless, the early history of these kingdoms remains mostly unknown.

The town of Engaruka in Tanzania, consisting of 6,000 stone houses, had a significant influence on the rise of Central

African empires. Bunyoro, which was a powerful state until the latter half of the 18th century, had a highly organized central bureaucracy where the kabaka (or "king") appointed most of the district and subdistrict chiefs.

A pastoral aristocracy called Bututsi or Bahima, founded by the Bachwezi, ruled over settled Bantu peoples in Rwanda from the 16th century onwards.

WORKS CITED

The history of Great Zimbabwe, written by Ampim Manu in 2004, is an often overlooked piece of African history. This book, titled "GREAT ZIMBABWE: A History Almost Forgotten," is a valuable resource for Africana Studies. The information was retrieved on 24 September 2007.

The website http://www.manuampim.com/ZIMBABWE.html is contained within a paragraph element with a style attribute set to "text-align: justify;".The spread of civilization in Africa is discussed by Guisepi, R.A in his article titled "Africa, The Spread Of Civilization In Africa" published in International World History in 2001.

Richard Hooker's "Civilizations in Africa" is a publication from Washington State University in 1999.

The Songhai Empire's brief history is documented by Honore, Juanda in the article titled "A Brief History of the Songhai Empire" published in 1998 by Global African Presence, edited by Runoko Rashidi.

The website "Mali Ancient Crossroads of Africa" is referenced by Virginia Department of Education Prince William County Schools in 2002. The website was retrieved on 24 September 2007 from http://mali.pwnet.org/history/.

The webpage history_songhai_empire.htm is justified.The source of the information is an article written by Mutere, Malaika titled "Introduction to African History and Cultural Life" from the website "History and Cultural Profiles" by The Kennedy Center. The article can be accessed at http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/aoi/history/.The content of ao-guide.html should be

justified.

The book "Sundiata: An Epic of Old Mali" by D. T. Niane was translated by G. D. Pickett and published by Longman Drumbeat in Harlow, England in 1965 and revised in 1982. It is cited as a source in a publication from West Chester University of Pennsylvania in 2003, specifically on page 96.