Key Ideas

Think about the following questions as you watch the video

1. 01:22 John Green points out that most sub-Saharan African histories were preserved by oral tradition rather than written down. He also says there is a prejudice against oral tradition. What evidence does he use to argue that oral tradition is in fact important?
2. 03:13 Who was Mansa Musa, and why was his hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca) so significant?
3. 05:13 What was Mali like when Mansa Musa ruled it, in terms of both politics and religion?
4. 07:49 What kinds of states were built along the eastern coast of Africa at this time, and how were they linked?
5. 08:10 For a long time, scholars incorrectly believed the Swahili city-states in east Africa must have been founded by Arabs, rather than local Africans. Why did they believe that, according to John Green?
6. 09:13 What kinds of goods were traded through the Swahili city-states?