Ancient Kingdoms (Kush & Aksum)
Which ancient East African kingdom was famous for ruling Egypt as the 25th Dynasty?
The Kingdom of Kush (Nubia).
What language developed on the East African coast as a blend of local Bantu and Arabic?
Swahili.
What 1884-1885 meeting in Europe led to the formal partitioning of Africa?
The Berlin Conference.
Who was the first president of independent Kenya and a leader of its nationalist movement?
Jomo Kenyatta
What is the name of the regional organization (founded in 1963) that aims to unify African nations?
The African Union (formerly the Organization of African Unity).
Why was the location of Aksum (modern Ethiopia/Eritrea) strategically important for its wealth?
Access to the Red Sea (port of Adulis) and the Upper Nile; controlled trade between Rome and India.
How did the seasonal monsoon winds dictate the patterns of trade in East Africa?
Winds blew toward India in summer and toward Africa in winter, forcing traders to stay in port for months.
What were the main economic motivations for European powers like Britain and Germany to colonize East Africa?
Raw materials (ivory, rubber, cotton) and new markets for industrial goods.
How did World War II serve as a catalyst for independence movements in East Africa?
African soldiers fought for freedom abroad and returned home demanding the same rights and self-rule.
Why did the borders drawn by European colonizers cause internal conflict after independence?
They grouped together diverse ethnic groups with historical tensions and split others apart across different nations.
Describe how the adoption of Christianity under King Ezana changed Aksum’s cultural identity.
It unified the state under one faith and created long-lasting ties with the Coptic Church in Egypt.
Explain the role of "city-states" like Kilwa and Mombasa in the global trade network of the 1300s.
They acted as middlemen, collecting gold and ivory from the interior to trade for Asian porcelain and silks.
Explain the difference between "Settler Colonies" (like Kenya) and "Colonies of Administration" (like Uganda).
Settler colonies had large European populations taking land; administrative colonies used local leaders to govern.
Describe the "Mau Mau" Uprising and its impact on British colonial policy in Kenya.
A violent revolt against land loss that eventually convinced Britain that maintaining the colony was too costly.
Explain how the legacy of the Cold War influenced politics in countries like Ethiopia or Somalia.
The US and USSR provided weapons and support to rival regimes to gain strategic influence in the Horn of Africa.
Compare the primary economic foundations of the Kingdom of Kush with those of the Kingdom of Aksum.
Kush relied on Nile agriculture and gold/iron exports; Aksum relied on maritime trade and ivory/luxury goods.
Examine how the spread of Islam influenced the social structure and architecture of Swahili coastal towns.
Led to the construction of stone mosques/houses and created a class of wealthy, literate Muslim merchants.
How did the construction of the "Lunatic Line" (Uganda Railway) change the demographics and economy of the region?
It allowed mass export of crops and brought thousands of Indian laborers who stayed and formed a new middle class.
Contrast the independence paths of Tanzania (Tanganyika) and Kenya—one peaceful, the other violent.
Tanzania gained independence through political negotiation (TANU); Kenya required a long, armed struggle.
Compare the causes and outcomes of the Rwandan Genocide with the long-term civil unrest in South Sudan.
Both involved deep ethnic divisions (Hutu/Tutsi vs. Dinka/Nuer) and struggles over political power and resources.
How did Kush and Aksum differ from the later Arab trading states?
Kush and Aksum were early African kingdoms based on land, resources, and strong rulers, while the later Arab trading states were coastal trading centers focused on sea trade and shaped by Islam.
Compare the economies of coastal city-states in East Africa to those of the kingdom of Aksum.
The coastal city-states depended mainly on sea trade, while Aksum had a mixed economy based on farming, resources, and trade.
What were some of the reasons behind European imperialism in East Africa?
Europeans imperialized East Africa to gain wealth, control trade routes, increase power, spread Christianity, and compete with other European nations.
Evaluate the "Wind of Change" speech by Harold Macmillan as a turning point in British decolonization efforts.
It was a formal admission that African nationalism was unstoppable and that colonial rule must end.
Assess the impact of "neocolonialism" (economic dependence) on the sovereignty of East African nations today.
While politically free, many nations remain tied to foreign debt and resource extraction, limiting their true independence.