ALMORAVID The almoravid people lived next to the Mediterranean Sea in a cool and slightly humid and also in the Saharan desert hot and arid. They had access to three different rivers the Niger, Senegal and Draa meaning a fresh water supply allowed them drinking, farming and transportation. At its height the empire was around 3000 km from north to south. They had control over all of it, including the desert trade routes from 1050-1150 AD, so not a very long time considering the massive size.( New World Encyclopedia ) The main resources they traded were salts and gold which were helpful but also probably some of the very few things they could trade because all types of food perish quickly in the desert. The Almoravids were the most powerful civilization during their time. They began in Mauritania, a place in western Sahara and then moved north. They soon had control over the entire Maghreb region, which includes all of the countries bordering the Mediterranean besides Egypt, and proceeded to moved south. To be able to attain all of that you of course had to be disciplined, they were well known for punishing those who stepped out of line and every military recruit was punished for sins they had previously committed. The army was young but courageous, they had little fear and wanted a lot. The army ended up conquering all of the Ghana empire, Maghreb, the gold and salt trade in Northern Africa, and helped fight the Christian armies in Spain. This allowed them to not only own a large empire, but scare their neighbors away from try to take over, because they would have to fight that great army.( “History ) The almoravid people traded by foot, boat and camel, depending on where they were relative to where they needed to be. If they were crossing through a portion of the desert then they would use camels, if they were near any of the rivers then go by boat, and etc. They had specific routes set up for crossing the desert so they knew where to stop and how to get water, this allowed them to not die and also to have a sustainable transportation system. The parts of the empire along the coast would trade by boat with places like Persia and Italy and Greece. Most Almoravid people were sunni islam just as they are today, originating because of travelers from the middle east. One famous muslim was Ibn Yasin of the Almoravids, the first almoravid leader. ( Elkholy, Ayman Tarek. ) Rise, Success, Decline, Fall
Before the almoravids established their capital, they conquered Ghana and gained control over the gold and salt trading routes. This helped them gain power and led them to establish their empire
After the almoravids establish their capital, they move on to conquer the rest of Maghreb. This expands their empire and later results in Spain asking for help from the Almoravids.
The almoravids are successful in trading because of their control over the routes.
After the reign of Ali, Yusuf Ibn Tashfin’s son, the almoravids were failing on defending themselves against the christian kingdoms that invaded northern parts of the Al - Andalus. This was the starting point of their decline.
The Almohads threatened to invade Morocco. They succeeded in invading Morocco. They killed Ali ( the last king ) and took over the city of Marrakech. ( New World Encyclopedia )
“History - Spain's Moorish History - Almoravids and Almohads.” Festivals and Fiestas in Andalucia, Southern Spain. Accessed January 28th, 2019. www.andalucia.com/spainsmoorishhistory/almoravidsandalmohads.htm. “Almoravid Dynasty.” Ohio River - New World Encyclopedia, New World Encyclopedia, Accessed January 28th, 2019. www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Almoravid_dynasty. Elkholy, Ayman Tarek. “The Almoravids/Al-Murabitun (1040CE–1147CE) • BlackPast.” Redlining (1937- ) | The Black Past: Remembered and Reclaimed, 1 Feb. 2019, www.blackpast.org/global-african-history/almoravids-al-murabitun-1040ce-1147ce/. Guerra, Francisco. “The Rise of the Almoravid Dynasty in Morocco.” Sutori, www.sutori.com/story/the-rise-of-the-almoravid-dynasty-in-morocco--cDvdBJwATLXtk AnWQf9pfbiH. “Epic World History.” Anglo-Saxon Culture, Accessed Jan. 29th, 2018. epicworldhistory.blogspot.com/2013/10/almoravid-empire.html. Kendal, Elizabeth, and Elizabeth Kendal. “Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin.” Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin, 1 Jan. 1970, Accessed Jan. 2019. rlprayerbulletin.blogspot.com/.
Almohads The Almohads started off in the berber city of Tinmel which is in present day Morocco. Their leader Ibn Tumart established himself in the city and taught his teachings to the berber tribe masmuda. They soon became the Almohads and went on to conquer the city of Marrakech. At the peak of the civilization the size was similar in comparison to the Almoravids before except the Almohads made their way into spain and controlled for a while there. In the year 1121 Ibn Tūmart overthrew the almoravids because the almoravids were not strictly religious and he believed that they should be, sort of similar to radical terrorism in the middle east today. Soon after in 1159, they gained power throughout all of the Maghreb just as the Almoravids had done beforehand giving them all of the same benefits as previously stated. They went on to kill other people who weren’t strictly muslim as well. After the Almohads conquered Marrakech, christian churches were destroyed and jews were killed. Because of the government, many christians and jews emigrated. Many of the people who left fled north to the growing Christian kingdoms. In Tunisia, jews were forced to choose between death or conversion into islam. The almohads strongly believed everyone's religion in their empire should be islam. Along with christians and jews, muslims who didn't believe in the almohads strictly religious beliefs were killed as well. ( Roth, Norman, )After the Almohads overruled the almoravids they gained control over Sijilmassa. They gained control over trading routes in the desert after conquering most of Maghreb. Traded salt and gold just like the civilization before them. Salt was used to preserve food and give their food flavor. Gold was used to make jewelry and art. Almohads were known for building mosques, towers, and palaces. They constructed buildings with pillars and horseshoe-shaped arches, which are known as great tour spots that are still visited today. They may have been because of the force in religion around the empire, causing many people harm and deaths but they were still beautiful pieces of art and should be remembered. They built towers in islamic spain, marrakech and many other places. Rise, success, Decline, fall
The almohads rose in power after they conquered the almoravids.
The almohads continued to have one of the most powerful empires until 1215.
In 1215, In wester Maghreb, tribes revolted against the Almohads, which soon led to their most effective enemy, the Marinids revolting against them as well.
In Al - Andalus, the almohads were conquered by the Spanish and portuguese
After the death of the last ruler, Idris al-Wathiq, Marrakech was conquered by the Marinids. This was the marking point of the fall of the Almohads. ( New World Encyclopedia )
“Almohad Dynasty.” Ohio River - New World Encyclopedia, New World Encyclopedia, www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Almohad_Dynasty. Roth, Norman, and Norman Roth. “The Almohads.” My Jewish Learning, My Jewish Learning, 27 May 2003, Accessed January 29th, 2019 www.myjewishlearning.com/article/the-almohads/. “Antiquity to Nationalist Movement.” www.Fanack.com Accessed January 29th, 2019. fanack.com/algeria/history-past-to-present/antiquity-to-nationalist-movement/. Ermengem, Kristiaan Van. “Giralda, Seville.” A View On Cities, Accessed January 29th, 2019
Kush Kush was connected to many other regions for example, Egypt, the Mediterranean, the Red Sea, and Africa. The annual flooding of the Nile River created silt which helped the Kush’s fertile land prosper. There were nomads who traveled around looking for grazing fields for their livestock, so the Kushites were able to trade their food and goods for livestock. The Egyptians dominated the Nubian kingdom of Kush for about a thousand years between 2000 and 1000 b.c. In this time period, the Nubians and the Egyptians were sort of rivals because the Egyptians would raid and even occupy Kush for short periods of time. The close proximity allowed them to do this because they did not have to extent their army very far at all. As Egypt started to fall under the Hyksos’ attacks however, they lost their ability to protect their borders, which allowed the Nubians conquer and expand their empire north where there was better farming along the Nile(world history). Kush is located south of the Third Cataract of the Nile River (present-day Sudan). This allowed them to trade easily with the regions of the Mediterranean. Because of this trading, the influx of goods from many other regions enriched their wealth and culture. The history of Kush can be traced back more than 1,000 years, from around 1000 BCE to 350 CE. This is divided into two periods, the Napatan period (1000-310 BCE) and the Meroitic period ( 275 BCE-350 CE) (Egyptian Chronology). The Kush government was a monarchy often ruled by a queen. The high priest was the one in the government who made all of the laws, with some help and guidance from the nobles. Much like England today, the group of nobles elected other government officials which alon was very advanced of them considering their time and area. As I have stated previously(See Kush pg. 1)the nubians were very skilled archers. It was recorded that when they fought the Muslims, it was noted how well the Nubian archers were able to fight and be accurate with their shots (The Oriental Institute, 2012). The Nubian military system was believed to be very similar to that of Egypts because the two places were so close. This would mean that the pharaoh would be in charge, under him would be two generals, and each of these generals would be in charge of a different part of their empire. The Egyptian army was split into three main categories: infantry (foot soldiers), archers, and charioteers (Ducksters). Ancient Kush had a pretty good economy because Kush’s capital Meroe was located around the Nile River which connects to the Mediterranean. The Mediterranean was an important place for trading because it was connected to many other regions like ancient Rome. Meroe had a sufficient amount of rainfall and substantial amounts of iron. The people of Meroe traded their iron, tools, and spearheads on the Red Sea for jewelry, cotton, and other supplies. Since the Kingdom of Kush was located around the first cataract of the Nile River, they could also trade easily with the many Nubian Kingdoms. It brought in supplies from Egypt, the Mediterranean, the Red Sea, and parts of Africa. Kush’s golden age happened right after the fall of the New Kingdom of Egypt. They were able to prosper because Egypt no longer held rule over them. The Kush practiced the ancient Egyptian religion. The Nubian religion was independent from the Egyptians until 1450 BCE when the mountain of Gebel Barkal, the home of Amon, and a great temple was built to worship him here. They formed their own language from Egyptian hieroglyphics, it is almost the same thing, just like Spanish and Portuguese, with slight variations. The Nubians and the Egyptians had a very complicated relationship because they were seen as allies and enemies. Sometimes they would influence each other and live in peace, but other times they were at war with each other (Ancient History Encyclopedia). This was very important because it affected both of each other's cultures greatly, intertwining, but it ruined their economies because they both spend so much time fighting they could have used the time to create and innovate. The cause for the fall of Kush is not completely understood. Towards the end of their empire, some people formed an independent kingdom that was ruled by locals. The Kushite’s let their cattle overgraze which led to their fields wasting away and this caused their grassy fields to turn into dust; this led to why most of this region today is mostly desert land. Also, since there wasn’t as much food being produced, starvation began to spread throughout Kush. Because there wasn’t enough food, the people became weak and could no longer mine for gold and iron which led to less and trading and infiltration (weebly). Another contributing factor was the fall of their trading partner, Egypt. Since they could no longer trade as a widely with Egypt, they lost their sources of bronze, cedar, and acacia. The loss of trading and decline in food eventually caused the Kingdom of Kush to fall (Weebly).
Furian, Peter Hermes. Ancient Egypt Map. www.123rf.com/ photo_20609691_map-of-egypt.html?fromid=ZGljYU5iZUhVTEROR0Fpd3dyOFhodz09. Accessed 12 Feb. 2019.
The Egyptian Empire. sco.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Egypt_1450_BC.svg. Accessed 12 Feb. 2019.
Civilization of Kush. Weebly, christianhwh.weebly.com/civilization-of-kush.html. Accessed 8 Feb. 2019.
Aksum: Land of the Queen of Sheba. Ethiopian Tourism Organization, www.ethiopia.travel/attractions/aksum-land-queen-sheba. Accessed 8 Feb. 2019.
"Kingdom of Kush." New World Encyclopedia, www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/ Kingdom_of_Kush. Accessed 1 Feb. 2019.
Mark, Joshua. "The Kingdom of Kush." Ancient History Encyclopedia, www.ancient.eu/Kush/. Accessed 1 Feb. 2019.
"Kush Timeline." Ancient History Encyclopedia, www.ancient.eu/timeline/kush/. Accessed 5 Feb. 2019.
Beck, Roger B., et al. World History Partners of Interaction. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, 2012 Accessed 1 Feb. 2019.
Ancient Egypt Ancient Egypt is located all around the Nile River. It borders the Mediterranean and the Red Sea, meaning they have access to two of the most important water routes in most of history but the Egyptians didn't do a lot of sailing because they were so ancient there were not enough people to trade with. All of Egypt is a dry, arid, desert climate, except along the Nile river. With little weather changes, a constant water source, it makes it a great place to farm and in the fall when the Nile recedes, it leaves behind silt that makes one of the greatest building blocks you can find naturally. (Macdonald.) The Egyptians were farmers, they didn't like to fight wars, or try to expand, they stayed where they were because where they were was great. Things they planted included wheat and barleys, grapes, beans, and common vegetables(Albadry.) This was extremely helpful for Egypt and was one of the main reasons they were able to survive for so long. The Nile provided them with everything that they needed and it was always there meaning there was never a need for them to go anywhere either. The Egyptian government is probably the most famous aspect of the state. The first things you think of when Egypt is brought up are all of the famous pyramids and Kings, which were related to the government. Originally Egypt was 2, Upper and Lower and they worked independently but had no real government set up at all. Around 3000 BC they came together to form Egypt, a civilization that would last almost 3000 years. Egypt went through 31 different dynasties through that had about 170 Pharaohs, the Egyptian word for their king. A pharaoh was seen as more than human, he had a connection with God and he ruled all of the land, making sure there was justice and peace throughout the land. Generally, historians categorize Egypt into 3 main time periods, because so much changed over Old Kingdom (2686 - 2134 BC) Strong, wealthy, and powerful government. Middle Kingdom (2080 - 1640 BC) Increased trade by making a canal from Nile River to the Red Sea. New Kingdom (1570 - 1075 BC) Strongest empire in the history of Egypt. Each of the time periods has distinct things about them similar to the way China is described because their history is just as old if not older.(Mark) Although they didn't completely rely on it, the Egyptians were great traders. They traded everything they could up and down the Nile, out the Mediterranean and Red Sea as well making them rich and allowing them access to many new ideas and cultures. Many merchants were highly respected in Egyptian culture because they were seen as important and high status, going all of the place buying and selling goods. (Donn) Much of the Egyptian economy and culture varied throughout the times, from King to King. They all had their own ways of going about things but some standout and are prevalent through many different time periods. The period of time where the pyramids were being built was a noticeable one. The pyramids were used to store the dead bodies of pharaohs believe that they would have eternal life and live in the beautiful pyramid forever. The Egyptians were also famous for hieroglyphics, a writing system written on papyrus that used symbols and pictures. Originally they used stone or clay mush like the mesopotamians did but they realized papyrus was much more practical for them, they could easily grow it and there was a lot of it. The Egyptians did not have a caste system like that can be seen in India, but there was a social ranking based on wealth and job. People like priests and large landowners were at the top, merchants and artisans next, then the farmers and laborers at the bottom. Moving up in the rankings what difficult but not impossible, finding a profession that was well paying and respected, or marrying, are two examples of how someone could move up or down. The Egyptian economy was always well off and worked well. Like any other civilization, the largest amount of people were poor. They did the hard labor, built the bridges and worked in the crop fields. The Egyptians also traded a lot with many of the civilizations around them, Hatshepsut was one on the queens who was most famous for trading and many expeditions occurred during her reign in search of gold and ivory. Some of their trading partners were the Kush, the Middle Eastern countries and the Mediterranean. Trading was important for Egypt not because it was necessary for them but it allowed them to remain where they were, continue to grow and advance along, or ahead of the rest of the world.(Holt McDougal)