Civilizations/Empires? African Kingdoms , in West Africa [not including Egypt], rose up around 500 A.D. & subsided around 1700 A.D.
African Kingdoms
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Ghana [300 --> 1150 A.D.]
Prominent Figure: Kannasai [Ghanaian King] who's wealth rivalled that of the Pharaohs of Egypt
Key States within Ghanaian [also known as Wagadugu Kingdom]:
Dierra, Agada, Ghana, Silla
Reason for falling: Arab attacks , & internal politics. Arab attacks lead by Abdullah ibn Yassin
Mali [1200 A.D --> 1500 A.D]
Prominent Figure: Timbuktu Scholars , who around the time, were the most learned scholars IN THE WORLD. So much so that EUROPEANS came to learn from them. At this time, Black African scholars of mali were studying
Mathematics
Literature
Astronomy
Music
Ethnography
Logic
At a time when Europe was in it's Dark Ages & engaged in perpetual wars
Key Figure: Sundierra [a warrior & politician]
Reason for falling: King, Mansa Musa, was replaced by a less accomplished son who ineptitude & bad luck caused the downfall of his kingdom
Songhay [1500 --> 1650 {right before Europeans set out to "discover' the new World} ]
Prominent Figure: Gao [escapee from the Mali kingdom who founded the Songhay Empire]
Reason for falling: Attacks by Spanish & Arab invaders who had found gun powder, a technology that the Songhay people were unaware of
African Kingdoms
_______________________
Ghana [300 --> 1150 A.D.]
Prominent Figure: Kannasai [Ghanaian King] who's wealth rivalled that of the Pharaohs of Egypt
Key States within Ghanaian [also known as Wagadugu Kingdom]:
Dierra, Agada, Ghana, Silla
Reason for falling: Arab attacks , & internal politics. Arab attacks lead by Abdullah ibn Yassin
Mali [1200 A.D --> 1500 A.D]
Prominent Figure: Timbuktu Scholars , who around the time, were the most learned scholars IN THE WORLD. So much so that EUROPEANS came to learn from them. At this time, Black African scholars of mali were studying
Mathematics
Literature
Astronomy
Music
Ethnography
Logic
At a time when Europe was in it's Dark Ages & engaged in perpetual wars
Key Figure: Sundierra [a warrior & politician]
Reason for falling: King, Mansa Musa, was replaced by a less accomplished son who ineptitude & bad luck caused the downfall of his kingdom
Songhay [1500 --> 1650 {right before Europeans set out to "discover' the new World} ]
Prominent Figure: Gao [escapee from the Mali kingdom who founded the Songhay Empire]
Reason for falling: Attacks by Spanish & Arab invaders who had found gun powder, a technology that the Songhay people were unaware of