Chap 10.2 Slides Flashcards
(38 cards)
What society grew in East Africa?
Around what time?
In East Africa, Aksum began to grow in power around the first century AD.
Geographically, where was Aksum?
Aksum lay south of Egypt and Kush and alongside the Red Sea
Where did Aksum come from?
What arose by the Aksum?
What was the capital and port?
- Migrants from Middle East
- By AD 100, Aksum was wealthy trading kingdom
- Two main cities: Aksum, capital; Adulis, thriving Red Sea port
How was the geography advantageous?
- Geography: well suited for agriculture;
- Red Sea proximity ideal for trade, access to Indian Ocean
What did the seaport attract?
•Seaport attracted merchants from Africa, Mediterranean, Arabia, Persia, India
The powerful king of Aksum was _________
When was his reign?
•Reached height under King Ezana, whose reign began about 320AD
How was Aksum strong?
•Aksum wealthy trading kingdom, also strong military power
Where did King Ezana hold power?
•Ezana held direct power only in capital city; outside, collected only tribute from local rulers
What was the military victory achieved by Ezana for Aksum? When?
•Under Ezana’s rule, Aksum defeated rival trading kingdom of Kush, about 350AD
What resulted from Aksum’s military victory over Kush?
- Victory gave Aksum control of trade in region
- Aksum soon became greatest power in East Africa
What did trade bring to Aksum?
- African-Arab heritage, trades gave Aksum diverse culture
- Merchants brought new ideas as well as goods
What were the new ideas brought to Aksum?
Who supported this?
- Among new ideas, Christianity 300AD
- King Ezana made Christianity official religion of Aksum
- Recorded that he would “rule the people with righteousness and justice…”
How was Aksum’s language recorded?
•inscribed on stone monument, called a stelae
Aksum’s language was called _______
•Inscriptions provide examples of Ge’ez, Aksum’s language
The first written language in Africa was _______.
This was basis of language used in ________ today
•Ge’ez one of first written languages developed in Africa, basis of written language used in Ethiopia today
Aksum was the first to do this _____________
•Aksum also first African kingdom south of Sahara to mint own coins
What lead to decline of Aksum in the 600s?
•600s, Aksum began to decline, partly because of arrival of Muslim invaders
–600s, 700s invaders conquered parts of East, North Africa
–Aksum itself was never conquered
What did the Muslim invaders do to Aksum’s trade?
What was the result?
–Muslims destroyed Aksum’s port city, Adulis, took over Red Sea trade
–Cut off from trade, Aksum lost main source of wealth
What happened to the Aksum people?
Where did they move to?
- Nearby areas became Muslim; Christian Aksum isolated
–Aksum people eventually retreated inland, settled in what is now northern Ethiopia
The Aksum people referred to themselves as __________
The people of Aksum sometimes referred to their kingdom as Ethiopia, and this name came to apply to the region where they lived
By __________, descendants of Aksum established ____________
•By 1100s, descendants of Aksum established new kingdom in Ethiopia
By 1150, kingdom grew under _____________
•1150, kingdom grew under Zagwe dynasty
Most famous king was __________
When did he rule?
What did he build?
•Most famous king, Lalibela
–Ruled during 1200s
–Known for building 11 stone Christian churches
–Impressive works of architecture; many still stand
What was Christianity like in Ethiopia?
- Lalibela churches also showed continued importance of Christianity in Ethiopia
- Ethiopian Christianity developed own unique characteristics, including elements of local African customs
