North+Africa

Spread of Islam in North Africa 

__**How Did Islam Spread?: **__ Between 640 and 700 C.E., the followers of Muhammad swept across Africa from Suez to Morocco’s Atlantic shore. By 670, Muslims ruled Tunisia, what the Romans called Africa. By 711, Arab and Berber armiea had crossed into Spain. Their defeat in 732 in France by Charles Martel at Poitiers brought Muslim advance to a stop. The message of Islam found fertile ground among the populations of North Africa. With political unity provided by the Abbasid dynasty, conversion took place rapidly. When this unity collapses, north Africa divided into several separate, competing states. Though divided, Islam appealed to the African kings, because of its promises of equality, as well as unification of church and state.

__**Reactions to Islam: **__ The first African converts to Islam were Sudanese merchants, followed by a few rulers and courtiers. In eleventh century, these rulers and courtiers were from Ghana, and in the thirteenth century, they were from Mali. Peasants had not converted at this time, and it wasn’t until the Almoravid intervention of the eleventh century that the conversion process gained momentum. At this time, they launched a jihad into Spain. Islam’s spread through Africa had not been uniform, but adaptive. Berbers established their own states in Sijilmasa and other territories in opposition to Arabic governed territories.

__**Architecture throughout the Islamic world: **__ Islamic influence in some cities involved the establishment of mosques in cities like Ghana and Gao, due to the presence of Muslim merchants. Islamic influences affected the architecture of Africa, for ex. Malian king Mansa Musa brought the architect al-Sahili from his pilgrimage to Mecca. This architect is accredited for the creation of the Sudano-Sahelian building style. These buildings were often constructed of clay and utilized wood (for decoration), such as the Sankore Mosque. Islam also incorporated writing into African intellect, as well as techniques of weighing. On the eastern coast, Arabic vocabulary was absorbed into Bantu languages to form Swahili.

__**Urbanization and Islam: **__ Muslim cities in north Africa were linked to centers of trade and religion that sprung up at the time. One such city is Timbuktu, Mali, which, in the 1400 and 1500s, was a vital center of Islamic intellect. Many cities also exhibited an integration of native Africans with Arab merchants, ie. Jenne-jeno, established in 800 A.D.

__**Examples of Syncretism and Islam: **__ An example of syncretism in the spread of Islam in Africa is the mix of Islam in African aeshetics. The nature of Islam’s interaction with visual arts in Africa was adapted because of its resistance to the representation of people and animals. Muslim clerics’ literacy and esoteric powers attracted many converts to Islam. Islam also strengthened African fondness of geometric design and repetition of patterns in decorating the surface of textiles and crafted objects. Muslim weaving may have been transform with the importation of North African techniques. Many African artforms and forms of expression collided with Islam, such as representational traditions such as masquerading. This practice has been viewed as supplemental to Islam, rather than oppositional.

__**Growth of Trade within the Islamic world: **__ Slave trading took place during Islam's spread to Africa, between Lake Chad and the Mediterranean. For many sub-Saharan Africans, converting to Islam was a way to protect themselves against being sold into slavery. Traders in the Islamic empire controlled a prosperous trade route from India to Egypt by way of the Arabian Peninsula. They traveled by sea and used monsoon wind patterns to sail their ships. These traders brought gold, glass, and ivory from Mediterranean and Africa and brought these items to India in exchange for cinnamon, frankincense, black pepper, and other spices for oranges. In 1400's A.D., Portuguese explorers discovered a route around Africa, which allowed them to bypass the entrepot fees of the Islamic empire. As a result of this discovery, trade between China, India, and Europe went around Africa rather than the Silk Road. Islam regulated trade in Africa by establishing contract law, credit and information networks, and other tools to merchants.

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Slideshow on Islam's spread to North Africa. The first picture represents equality. Equality and unification of church and state are prime factors in the conversion of many African kings. The second picture depicts a man with broken chains. This picture relates to African appeal, because it prevented many from being enslaved and traded across the Mediterranean and Lake Chad. Picture 3 is of the game Halo, in which the soldiers are equipped for war. This is relative to the conversions that took place in Africa; first were the Sudanese merchants and the peasants did not convert, but led to the launching of jihads/ holy wars. The fourth picture is the Sankore mosque, which serves as an example of Islamic influence in Africa. In the fifth picture, an African art sample is shown. This is an example of syncretism, in which many African art forms collided with Islam, such as masquerading. The next picture is a scene from the show, Electric Company, where two people are sounding out a word, through vowels, endings, etc. This serves as the integration of Arabic vocabulary into Bantu languages to form Swahili. The final picture is a dhow, a ship that was used to navigate through the oceans and serve as a mechanism for the spread of Islam. Islamic traders would transport African goods, such as gold, glass, and ivory to India, in exchange for cinnamon, frankincense, oranges, and other goods.

The wordle above shows Islam and Africa in the largest font. This is because Islam's spread into Africa influenced many aspects, such as economy, culture, and intellect. Merchants were the first, in Sudan, to convert and accept the Islamic faith. Later, these converts were rulers and courtiers from Mali and Ghana. Islam affected cities, which were interconnected to major trade cities of the Arab world. Merchants were able travel from these regions via sea. They would gather goods, such as gold and glass, in exchange for Indian goods, such as frankincense and oranges. The Slik Road was used less frequently, as many merchants were able to access China, India, and Europe by sailing around Africa. Islamic influence is also prevalent in the establishment of mosques. Cities in Africa served as major centers of Arab intellect, such as Timbuktu, Mali, in the 1400-1500s. Slave trade was also a factor in the conversions of many Africans to Islam. Conversion served as an outlet of escape from slavery.

__**Sources:**__ 1.)http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/tsis/hd_tsis.htm 2).http://www.historyforkids.org/ learn/islam/economy/ 3.)http://spice.stanford.edu/ docs/the_spread_of_islam_in_ west_africa_containment_ mixing_and_reform_from_the_ eighth_to_the_twentieth_ century/ 4.)http://www.jiffynotes.com/a_ study_guides/book_notes/aes_ 01/aes_01_00087.html 5.)http://www.p12.nysed.gov/ciai/socst/ghgonline/units/2/u2e.html 6.) World Civilizations: The Global Experience 5th Edition