African Kingdoms and Global Connections
West Africa flourished through its control of valuable trade goods. Mansa Musa, the emperor of Mali 1312−1337CE, made his kingdom famous through his legendary pilgrimage to Mecca. Traveling with a massive caravan carrying gold, he spent so lavishly that he caused inflation in every city he visited! His capital, Timbuktu, became a renowned center of Islamic learning.
The Bantu peoples of West Africa undertook one of history's great migrations. Starting around 2000 BCE and continuing through this period, they spread throughout East and Central Africa, adapting to new environments and introducing iron-working and agriculture to regions they settled. Their interactions with Arab traders created Swahili, a hybrid language still spoken by millions.
East Africa developed its own trading network through the Swahili city-states. Cities like Kilwa, Mombasa, and Zanzibar became wealthy ports connecting African resources with Arab and Asian traders. These cosmopolitan centers blended African, Arab, and Persian cultural influences.
Consider this: Ibn Battuta, a Moroccan scholar who traveled extensively through Africa and Asia in the 14th century, wrote detailed accounts of the sophisticated civilizations he encountered—challenging European assumptions about non-Western societies.
The interconnected trade routes also facilitated the spread of the devastating Bubonic Plague. Originating in Asia, it traveled along trade routes to Europe, where it killed up to one-third of the population. This demographic catastrophe disrupted the feudal system and caused many to question religious authorities who seemed powerless against the disease.