Ancient Medieval History – Flashcards
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What is the "black thesis"?
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The belief by people that that ancient Egyptians and Africans belonged to the black race. This thesis was pioneered by the late scholar Cheikh Anta Diop.
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When did agriculture arrive in Africa?
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Agriculture and the knowledge of plant cultivation began about 5000 B.C. (the 5th millennium B.C.). By 1000 B.C. (1st millennium), settled agriculture existed in West Africa.
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What were some examples of crops grown by Africans?
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cereals, yams, bananas, sugar can, coconut plam, donkeys, pigs.
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When did the Arabs and Islams arrive in Africa?
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In the 8th century, Arabs invaded all of coastal North Africa, the people there became Muslims. From the 11th century onward,traders preached Islam to all parts of Africa.
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What does Sahara mean?
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Sahara takes its name from the Arabic word for "Tan", the color of the desert.
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What does Sahel mean?
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it is the Sahara's southern fringe.
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Who was Ibn Batttuta?
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He was an extensive traveler and exploroer who explored much of Africa.
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Who was Al Mas'udi?
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a merchant-travelor visited Oman, the SE coast of Africa, and recorded notes on the people he saw.
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What was Nubia?
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a sub-Saharan kingdom in NE Africa
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Was Nubia part of the Roman Empire?
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No, it was converted to Christianity around 600 CE
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How many states were in Nubia, and which one was the most powerful?
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3, Nobatia
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Which African society had a profound influence on Nubia?
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Ethiopia
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What was the captial of Nubia?
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Meroe
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Who were the Berbers?
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People who lived along the Mediterranean coast in North Africa. They created the saddle for a camel, controlled all sub-saharan trade, and were the main reason behind the spread of Islam throughout Africa. These people ran the trade empire in the Sahara and established many trading routes.
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What is Bantu?
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a specific language spoken by many people living south of the Congo.
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What were the Bantu migrations?
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From 2000 B.C. on, the Bantu-speaking people bean to migrate throughout the south-Sarhara regions. They mixed in with their culture and combined the habits that they practiced with those of the people they met. The Bantu did not displace anyone in their path, rather they mixed in and learned new techology.
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Where specifically did the Bantu migrate to?
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E and Southern Africa.
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What does the term "trans-Saharan trade" refer to?
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the north-south trade across the Sahara
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What one thing had the biggest impact among trans-saharan traders?
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the domestication of the camel and the introduction of the saddle to it.
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What were some advantages to using the camel?
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It could go long distances without drinking water, and were much more efficient to travel.
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When were camels originnally domesticated?
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before 200 C.E.
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What did the Berbers develop between 700 and 900 C.E.?
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4 caravan routes between the Mediterranean coast and the Sudan.
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How did people of the Western Sudan live?
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families and clans affiliated by blood kinship lived together in villages or small city-states.
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What was the basic social unit of the W. Sudan?
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the extended family.
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Describe the leadership structure of W. Sudan villages
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a chief, in consultation with a council of elders, governs a village. If a village forms into a kingdom, the village chief were responsible to regional heads, who answered to provincial governors, who then reported to a king.
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Where did leadership in the Sudan emerge from?
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the priesthood; the king's authority rested on part with the ruler's ability to the negotiate with the gods.
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What two features best described the African religions?
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they were animistic and polytheistic. polytheistic meaning they believed in one god, and animism that they believed that a supreme being created the universe and was the source of all life. This supreme being breathed spirit into all living things and the anima, or spirit, residing in everything.
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Who was likely to be the head of a family or village in Western Sudan society?
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a priest because they could communicate with the spirits and ensure success for their family.
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What years did Ghana exist?
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900-1100 CE.
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What does Ghana mean?
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Ghana means "war chief", which describes the king's major preoccupation in the 10th century. The society of Ghana was known for conquering smaller societies.
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Who were the Soinke people?
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those who occupied the Kingdom of Ghana.
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What do the terms "Aoukar" and "Awkar" refer to?
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the region north of the Senegal and Biger, the land of the Soninke
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What part of the land of the Soinke people did Ghana develop in, and why?
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The southern region of Aoukar, because it received enough rainfall
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What was the significance of the capture of the Berber town of Awadaghost by the Ghana?
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it mean that Ghana controlled the Southern portion of a major caravan route.
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How was the kingship passed on in Western Ghanian society?
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it was passed on to the son of the sister of the King.
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How did the government work?
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All authority sprang from the king, a council of ministers assisted the king in works of the government. Seperate agencies existed for the management of different things
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How was innocence or guilt determined?
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trial by ordeal
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What four ways did the King get money for the kingdom?
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1. Direct taxes from people 2. the royal estates providing revenue 3. Customs taxes 4. Gold exportation
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What were the social class levels in Ghana?
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1. aristocracy 2. merchant class 3. middle class workers 4. slaves
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What was the largest source of income for the king?
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the gold industry
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How did the muslims influence Ghanian society?
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they were the religious leaders and were seperated into a different city
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Where did the King hold his court in Ghana?
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Kumbi, the center of Ghana.
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How was Ghana divided up?
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two towns lying on a plain; one for mulsims filled with mosques and the other for everyone else.
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Why did Kumbi collapse?
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infighting, then it split into smaller societies.
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What years did Mali exist?
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1200-1450 C.E.
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What did Mali emerge from?
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the collapse of Ghana
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What two things made Mali successful?
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its strong agricultural and commercial base provided for a large population and wealth. its two rulers combined military success with creativity.
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Who was the first main ruler of Mali?
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Sundiata, he ruled from 1230-1255 CE
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What main things did Sundiata do?
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made Mali an empire, conquered the remnents of Ghana, set up the capital at Niani and made it a trading center. He used imperial expansion to conquer smaller societies.
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Who was the second major leader of the Mali?
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Mansa Musa, he ruled from 1312 to 1337 CE
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What does "mansa" mean?
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empeor
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Who did Mansa Musa do that was important?
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converted the major cities to Islam, appointed family members to government positions to ensure trust in the government,
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What did Mansa Musa due that led to serious inflation?
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spread gold around too much
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Where did two thirds of the worlds gold from in 14th century?
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Mali
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WWhat is Timbuktu?
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what began as a desert campsite, then became a thriving city that was larger than most large Euro cities.
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What is Timbuktu known for that still exists today?
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Its great libraries that hold thousands upon thousands of writings about everything in Islam. Today these libraries are under attack by terrorist groups who believe that go against Islam.
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What were the schools in TImbuktu known for?
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Their high intellectual content and centers of learning,
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What was one advantage of Arabic in Timbuktu?
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It was great in trading with different countries
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What one thing made TB2 great?
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Trade
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Who were the "Sankori" and what happened to them?
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They were the scholars on TB2, and they were forced to obey Sonni Ali, who ruled the Songhay Empire.
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What was the education system in TB2?
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There were several Islamic schools who sent their brightest students to the Sankori University, which was the center of learning in TB2
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What was the source of the name "Ethiopia"?
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the French word for "burnt faces"
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Describe the Ethiopian economy.
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Relied heavily on trade. Many natural resources around used to trade with other countries. The empire's prosperity relied on trade.
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Who was Frumentius?
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A trader who was kidnapped by Ethiopians and taken to Aksum. There he was responsible for introduing Christianity into Ethiopia, which became the Ethiopian state religion.
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What is Aksum?
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a kingdom in NW Ethiopia that was a huge trading state.
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What were the effects of Christianity on Ethiopians?
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it led to the production of eccelesiastical documents and royal chronicles, which made Ethiopia the first black African society that can be studied from written records.
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What were the social classes in Ethiopia?
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1. aristocracy 2. warrior nobles 3. peasant farmers 4. slaves
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What was the Kebre Negast?
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a compiliation of texts composed by 6 scribes that glorified the the line of rulers in Ethiopia.
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What were the goals of the authors of the Kebre Negast?
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to glorify the rulers of Ethiopia, arouse patriotism, and link the Ethiopian identity with Indo-Christian tradition.
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Who was Amda Siyon?
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the greatest ruler of Ethiopia's Solomonic dynasty.
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How did Amda Siyon incorporate feudalism into his ruling of Ethiopia?
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He reinforced control over his kingdom's Christian areas. He governed in a quasi-feudal fashion. This means that he assigned fiefs to his ablest warriors. In return, these warrior nobles conscripted soldiers for the king's army, were required to give crops to the king, and collected taxes for the king.
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What were the religious and economic consequences of territorial expansion by Amda Siyon?
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By trading with the Muslims, Amda Siyon flowed many outside resources into his country and the profits from this improved people lives. The religious consequencces were that many Christian monks traveled in and taught Christian values.
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What was periplus of the erythraean sea?
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the eariliest suviving literary evidence of the city-states on the E african coast. it contained acccounts of local peoples and their commercial activites.
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What was Swahili?
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the east african coastal culture
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What was Kilwa?
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the most powerful city on the East Coast of Africa.
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What was sheik?
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the rich mercantile families that controlled the coastal cities.
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What was the Portugese's reaction to the East African coastal cities as they looked up and down the coast looking for gold?
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they were astounded at the enormous wealth and prosperity.
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What was a main export for the African coast?
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slave. They were exported out of the northern Somalia Coast known as Ras Assir.
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What is Great Zimbabwe?
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a large momument in Africa and the capital of a ruined empire.
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What contributed to the rise of Great Zimbabwe?
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settled crop cultivation, cattle raising, and work in metal.
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Why did Great Zimbabwe decline and when?
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in the 15th century, b/c the area was agricultural exhausted.
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What were the rulers of Great Zimbabwe called and what was their power based on?"
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"Mwene Mutapa" and their power was bawed on the gold trade down the Zambezi River to Indian Ocean ports.
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Describe how the Islamic peole helped to educate the people of Africa.
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In the beginning, the Greek people transmitted their knowledge to the Romans. The Roman Empire split into two parts, the West and The East. Both sides had great intellectual content, but eventually the West Side collapsed and many Western Roman scholars rushed out, their writing were then picked up and translated into Arabic by the Islamic people, who then invaded N. Africa and taught all of the Africa the writings of the Greeks.
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Who were two great Eastern Roman Empire scholars?
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Plato and Aristotle
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What did they teach/write about?
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philosophy, science, drama, and literature
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Could the flourishing of knowledge have happened without the Arabic translations of Greek texts?
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No
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How did a vast majority of people live in the ancient period?
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as hunter gatherers, chieftains, or villages?
