African+Societies+and+the+Spread+of+Islam

Stateless Societies

 * S** ocieties organized around kinship or other forms of obligation; **
 * lacked concentration of political power and central authority.
 * Usually larger than neighboring states
 * Government wasn't a full-time occupation
 * Other alternative were available
 * Secret societies that controlled everything about a society
 * Settled tribal disputes
 * Maintained stability
 * Stateless society were unable to advance and expand further because of inability to mobilize citizens for economic and infrastructural goals.



The Songhay Kingdom

 * People of Songhay, within Mali, dominated the Niger valley.
 * The kingdom began to form in the 7th Century, under a Berber dynasty.
 * By 1010, capital was established at Gao along the Niger River, and this became an important trade center with resident foreign merchants and some mosques.
 * Sunni Ali - Expanded Songhay even further, and developed a system of provincial administration to better rule the land.
 * Rulers follower Ali, especially Muhammad the Great, further extended Songhay's boundries to dominate central Sudan.
 * Syncretism of Islamic and pagan tradition occurred, and Islamic scholars were not content with the current situation.
 * Songhay remained a dominant power until 1591, when a Moroccan army with muskets defeated Songhay forces, causing internal division that further divided the empire as it broke it apart.
 * As the empire fell, people with culturally combined tradition still remained, such as the Hausa people of northern Nigeria
 * Were based in cities such as Kano and Katsina, and made these cities into great centers of learning.

Kongo and the Swahili Coast

 * Around the 13th century, the Kingdom on Kongo developed around the lower Congo River.
 * Built on an agricultural base; Kongan people develop a complex infrastructure; Women have a significantly larger role in society compared to other societies;
 * Kingship was hereditary, local chieftainship was not though; Kingdom was a confederation in a way; brought together under the control of a **manikongo,** or "blacksmith" king; which emphazed the importance of iron and art of working.
 * Economic industry was extremely strong and innovative
 * Weaving
 * Pottery
 * Blacksmithing
 * Carving
 * Artisans working in the crafts
 * Had a population of 60,000 to 100,000 by early 16th Century.