Spread of Islam in W. Africa
Religion, Gov., Law
Education, Language
Architecture
Decorative Arts
100
Which two groups first brought Islam to Ghana in the 8th century?
Traders and Missionaries
100
Ibn Battuta was not happy to see West Africans practicing certain parts of their traditional way of life. Name one of these ways.
1. women went undressed in public 2. people three dust over their heads when the king approached
100
Who was allowed to wear a turban and why?
Anyone who was highly educated could wear a turban. It was a symbol of divine light, wisdom, knowledge, and excellent moral character.
100
What was the West Africans traditional form of religious architecture?
Traditionally, West Africans had built small shrines to honor the forces of nature.
100
Africans began to use this decorative form to write and decorate.
Calligraphy
200
What is the definition of a missionary?
A person who travels to another place to teach about their religion.
200
What does the festival of Eid al-Fitr commemorate?
It marks the end of the holy month called Ramadan.
200
Who taught at Muslim universities and private schools?
Imams (scholars)
200
What type of buildings did Muslim West Africans built to practice their faith?
As they converted to Islam, they began to build mosques.
200
Rather than drawing animals or people in their art, Africans began using this traditional art form.
Geometric design (especially on textiles)
300
Under what two West African empires did Islam spread and prosper the most?
Mali and Songhai
300
West Africans changed the method of inheriting the line of succession to match that of Islamic ways. In what ways did it change?
It went from Matrilineal succession to Patrilineal.
300
What language was education now practiced in?
Arabic
300
What two materials were most available on the savanna to build mosques and other structures?
Mud and Wood
300
How dis Islam influence the African way of dress? Describe it.
The Arabic robe has wide, long sleeves and a long skirt. Muslims used calligraphy to personalize and decorate their robes.
400
Who was the first West African ruler to practice Islam devoutly?
Mansa Musa
400
How did the West African structure of government change?
The system became more CENTRALISED. Kings exercised more control over local rulers. (became known as sultans, emirs)
400
Name one way that the Islamic love of learning influenced West Africa?
1. Hand written books 2. Built universities 3. Quranic schools were set up for school aged children 4. Large libraries were built
400
What were traditional homes like in West Africa?
Traditional homes were round with cone-shaped, thatched roofs.
500
On his hajj, each of Mansa Musa's 500 slaves carried something? Exactly what was this?
A six pound staff of gold.
500
How did their law system change?
They adopted shari'ah instead of using traditional Customary law, which was known to all but not formally written down.
500
True or False? West Africans continued to use their native languages in everyday speech.
TRUE
500
After the influence of Islam, how did homes change?
They were rectangular houses made out of brick with flat roofs. The outside walls were very plain and had no windows. Only a single wooden door, decorated with a geometric design, interrupted the rows of bricks. They also had clay drain pipes.
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