State Building in Africa
Driving Question: How was the process of state formation similar and different in various regions of Africa from c. 1200 to 1450 CE?
As in Eurasia and the Americas, state systems in Africa instilled order through a variety of administrative institutions, policies, and procedures. They also varied by region, implementation, and purpose.
Learning Objectives:
- Explain how and why states in Africa developed and changed over time.
- Explain a historical concept, development, or process.
Vocab Terms:
- bureaucracy
- caliphate
- matrilineal
- state
This is the first comparison activity in the course. If you need to brush up on your understanding of historical comparison, check out the Comparison Tool and the Feedback Form, two OER Project supports. You can also find some tips and tricks for teaching this skill in our quick one-pager.
You have the opportunity for a free trip in a time machine traveling to 1200 CE. Are you hopping in or not?
Helpful tips for how to use audio: Allow students to listen to the article for the first and/or second read; have them follow along with the associated article while listening; or tell them to use a pencil or pen to help track the speaker, pausing at ideas or words they aren’t sure of.
Communities are often organized along some hierarchical line—but how does one reach the top? In Africa c. 1200–1450, the path to the top was paved with tribal loyalty, trade, and religion.
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Guiding Questions
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Before you read
Preview the questions below, and then skim the article. Be sure to look at the section headings and any images
While you read
Look for answers to these questions:
- What are some different ways of organizing communities that Africans used in the period 1200–1450?
- What group of people were particularly influential in the governing of Swahili city-states?
- What kinds of factors helped individuals to elevate themselves to be chiefs and then kings in the southern African region that included Great Zimbabwe?
- Tyo was a confederation. Kongo was an empire. What was the difference between the two? What were the similarities?
After you read
Respond to the following questions:
- To what extent does this article explain how and why states in Africa developed and changed over time?
- What factors stand out to you as particularly distinct and important in the way communities were organized in Africa in this period? How do these seem similar or different to other parts of the world you have studied in this period?
Help your students locate the states in their assigned regions by sharing the 1200, 1300, and 1450 CE Political Maps with them. Have them use the deep zoom feature (the + button in the magnifying glass in the top-left corner) to focus on the states they’ll be comparing.
Give students guidance on improving their comparison skills by using the Comparison Feedback Form.
Ready to add a few stamps to your time-travel passport? It’s time to dig into a comparison of how different regions governed their people, managed resources, and created communities between 1200 and 1450.
Not all states and empires are the same. Factors such as geography, culture, and even climate may dictate how governments are instituted and run. In West Africa during the period c. 1200–1450, if you could manage farmers, you could manage an empire.
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Guiding Questions
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Before you read
Preview the questions below, and then skim the article. Be sure to look at the section headings and any images.
While you read
Look for answers to these questions:
- Who was Mansa Musa, and why might he have had a problem with his portrayal in the first photo?
- Examine the map shown in the article. What does it tell us about settlements of communities in the Sahel?
- What is the Sahelian state model? What is its significance?
- What is religious pluralism? How does it relate to studying West African communities?
- What are some of the arguments for and against considering Mali an empire?
After you read
Respond to the following questions:
- Describe the extent to which this article explains how and why states in Africa developed and changed over time.
- Based on the evidence in this article, what was unique about the states of West Africa in this period, and what features did they share with states in other regions?
- How does this article support, extend, or challenge your understanding of the “state” when viewed through the filter of the governance theme?
Refresh your students’ memories by showing them the Spread of Buddhism and Christianity Thematic Map before they start working on this SAQ activity.
The Short Answer Question (SAQ for short) on the Advanced Placement exam can be stressful; however, you will be an ACE at answering them once you learn how to Answer, Cite, and Explain!
