Through African Eyes

Through African Eyes

        “One individual can begin a movement that turns the tide of history.” African empires, kingdoms, and cities achieved many great things before the arrival of Europeans. In the fifteenth and sixteenth century Africans had developed advanced civilizations, and also came triumphantly wealthy with the help of their location, trade, travel and also the control of territory. There were 8 documents associated with their achievements.

        For example, Aksum is centrally located between the red sea and the Gulf of Aden. This meant that they could travel by land and also by water for trade. Aksum reached its height between 325 and 360. Its location made it an important international trading center because of the convenient geographical setting. Africa’s’ second achievement was when the kingdom of Ghana reached full power between 800 and 1076. This is when they controlled the trans-Saharan gold and salt trade. There was a document written by Arab scholar Al-Bakri in 1067 about Ghana’s wealth saying, “The court of appeal is held in a domed pavilion around which stand ten horses with gold embodied trappings. Behind the king stood ten pages holding shields and swords made out of gold, and on his right are the sons of subordinate kings of his country, all wearing splendid garments and with their hair mixed with gold.” He also stated that the “dogs wearing collars of gold and silver, studded with a number of the same metals.” Al-Bakri described these evidence of wealth in his document, and also explained the political structure of the kingdom.

        Third, Ancient Ghana’s role in the gold-salt trade. The Arab traders of this region wanted gold as much as the Wangara wanted salt, but both had to pass through Ghana to trade. This gave Ghana more control. They also had military forces to maintain peace in the area and also ensure safe trade for the Arabs and the Wangara. Ancient Ghana was an extremely complex empire. It possessed many of the characteristics of powerful nations today. These characteristics include wealth based on trade, sufficient food, income derived from taxes, social organization, a strong army, and also a foreign policy that led to peace and cooperation with other people. Next we have Mansa Musa, the man who expanded the Mali Empire. By doing this he impressed the Egyptian official and also spread his generosity upon Cairo.

        The fifth document, a Moroccan traveler using the name Leo Africanus described the city of Timbuktu in West Africa. He was impressed by the well-educated men and equipment that West Africa had. They had doctors, judges, priests, and other educated men maintaining the kings’ costs. The sixth document Ibn Battuta describes his travels in Mali 1352. During his travel he was impressed by several factors. He said, “They seldom unjust, and have a greater abhorrence of injustice than any other. Their sultan shows no mercy to anyone who is guilty of the least act of it.There is complete security in their country. Neither traveler nor inhabitant in it has anything to fear from robbers.” This was briefly explaining Mali’s security and laws, and also helped keep peace and safety for their people.