African Empires (Italicized bullet points will not be on the quiz, feel free to learn them)

Mali ● Won the Battle of Kirina against the Sosso empire under Sumanguru ○ Victory is cited as the beginning of the Mali ● Founder Sundiata Keita ○ His story is told in the Epic of Sundiata, the national epic of the Mali ○ His mother was a “buffalo woman” (Basically she was ugly and a hunchback) ● Capital at Niana ● Territories known as the “Twelve Doors” ● Legislature called the Gbara ● Conquered Takrur ● Trading center at Timbuktu ○ Landmarks at Timbuktu: ■ Sankore Madrasah (University of Sankore) ■ Djinguereber Mosque ○ Many buildings designed by Abu Ishaq es Saheli ● Kings known as “mansa” ● Musa I ○ Famous for his his hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca) ■ His trip was so lavish that a stop in Cairo depressed the Gold prices in Egypt ■ Brought a lot of gold which he just handed out to various people during his trip, sometimes in exchange for souvenirs ○ His brother was Sulayman and son was Magha ○ Commissioned Abu Ishaq es Sahel ○ Senior wife was Inari Kunate ● Wolof Empire succeeded from them ● Other mansas: ○ Sakura ○ Mahmud III ■ Under his reign, Niani was sacked ■ Moved the capital to Kangaba ● Other landmarks include the Great Mosque of Djenne and the Hall of Audience

Zulus ● Most important ruler was Shaka ○ Brought upon the rise and expansion of the Zulu Kingdom ○ Mother was Nandi ○ Half­brother Dingane ■ Assassinated Shaka ■ Set up his capital at Umgungundlovu ○ Allowed Europeans to settle at Port Natal (Now Durban) ○ Henry F. Fynn wrote an account of him ○ mentored by Dingiswayo ● Military Innovations ○ Warriors called Impi ■ Spears called Assegai ■ Cowhide shields called Isihlangu ○ “Buffalo horns” attack formation created by Shaka ● Fought the Matabele, Mfengu, and Makololo tribes during the Mfecane period ○ Occured in between the Tugela and Pongola Rivers ● Battles fought ○ Anglo­Zulu War ■ Battle of Isandlwana ● Won against the British led by Lord Chelmsford ■ Battle of Rorke’s Drift ● Defeated by the 24th foot ○ Battle of Blood River ■ Lost against the Boers and 3,000 zulus were killed ● Capital at Ulundi ● Given an ultimatum by Sir Henry Bartle Frere ● Other notable ruler was King Cetshwayo

Songhai ● Conquered the Mali Empire ● Founded by Sonni Ali ○ Son Sonni Baru ○ Drowned in the Niger River according to the Tarikh al­Sudan ● Capital at Gao ○ Established by Dia Kossoi in the 11th century ● Conquered by the Moroccan eunuch Judar Pasha ○ Destroyed their salt mines at Taghaza ○ Defeated them at the Battle of Tondibi ■ Songhai forces under Ishaq II lost ● Askia Mohammad I ○ Most notable ruler, led the empire to its zenith ○ Defeated Sonni Baru, while he was known as General Ture, to gain control of the empire ○ Won the Battle of Anfao ○ Declared a jihad against the neighboring Mossi

Ashanti ● Established by Osei Tutu ○ Killed by the Akyem people on the River Pra ○ Aided by Okomfo Anokye ○ Defeated the Denkyira at the Battle of Feyiase ● Sacred throne known as the “Golden Stool” ○ Never allowed to touch the ground ○ Believed to have descended from the sky ○ Houses the spirit of the empire or some bullshit ○ War of the Golden Stool ■ Sir Frederick Hodgson, Governor of the Gold Coast (present­day Ghana), wanted to sit on it, obviously that’s not happening ■ Prompted a whole war that ended with the annexation of the Ashanti empire by the British ■ Ashanti led by Queen Yaa and Prempeh I ● Capital at Kumasi ● Fought British Army officers Charles MacCarthy and Garnet Wolseley ● Fought the Fante people ○ defeated them under King Osei Bonsu ■ known as “the whale”

Ethiopia (1889­1974) ● Menelik II (1889­1913) ○ Succeeded Yohannes IV ○ Helped by Ras Gobena ○ Won the Battle of Adwa ■ Defeated Oreste Baratieri ○ Had good relations with Russia, went on a diplomatic and military mission there ○ Successor Lij Iyasu who was never crowned emperor ● Zewditu I (1916­1930) ○ Eldest daughter of Menelik II ○ Defeated the supporters of Lij Iyasu at the Battle of Segale ○ Enacted the reforms of Tafari Makonnen ○ First female head of state in Africa in the 19th/20th centuries ○ Married to Araya Selassie Yohannes and Gugsa Welle ● Haile Selassie (1930­1974) ○ Emperor of Ethiopia ○ Married to Empress Menen ○ Claimed to be descendant to King Solomon and Queen of Sheba ○ Revered to as the Messiah by the Rastafarians ■ Comes from Selassie’s previous title of Ras Tafari Makonnen ○ Fought the Italians under Mussolini ■ launched “Christmas Offensive” against them ○ Fought the Battle of Anchem to determine his rule ○ Exiled to Bath, England ○ The Gideon Force helped him regain power ○ Imprisoned in Kerchele in Addis Ababa ○ Wollo Famine in his later rule

Ghana ● Founders where the Soninke people ○ Specifically a man known as Dinga ○ Called it Wagadu ○ Spoke a Mande language ● Grew rich from the salt and gold trade ● Capital at Kumbi Saleh ○ Al­Ghaba section ● Last notable ruler was Tunka Manin ○ Fought the Almoravids, who later sacked the capital ■ Almoravids led by Abu Bakr ibn Umar ● After their demise, their kingdom was expanded by the Sosso people ○ Period known as Kaniaga occupation

Dahomey ● Existed in modern­day Benin from 1600 to 1900 ● Established by the Fon People ○ Founded considered to be Houegbadja ● Capital at Abomey ○ Built Royal Palaces there that are now a UNESCO World Heritage Site ● All­female military regiment known as the namesake Amazons ○ Also called the Mino ● King Agaja ○ Conquered Allada, the capital of Ajaland and the Kingdom of Whydah ○ created the Yovogan and the Mehu ○ son Tegbessou ● Fought many conflicts against the Oyo Empire ○ Forced the Dahomey to pay tribute to them ● King Gezo ○ replaced his brother Andadozan as king through a coup with the assistance of Francisco Félix de Sousa ○ son Glele ○ Ended the tributary status of his empire to the Oyo ● Annual Customs ○ Yearly celebration that saw human sacrifice in honor of the deceased kings ● Artists of this kingdom made sculptures of kings depicted as anthropomorphic animals