Problem
Activity: Africa's Great Civilizations (Episode 4) - Viewing Worksheet Instructions: As you watch the video linked to via the E-learning Module 1, respond to the questions below. Each of the five numbered items is worth two points for a total of 10 points. Be careful to respond to every question in the numbered items, so that you do not miss out on any of the credit for the numbered items below.
i. A common stereotype of Africa is that it is filled with "primitive" band-level societies. Discuss how this notion is complicated by East Africa's place in global trade in the Middle Ages (800-1600 CE). What were some of the major exports - and their total value - along the Swahili coast (modern-day Somalia to Mozambique) during this period?
ii. Give a few examples of how the religion of Islam and the language spoken by traders from Arab countries were modified or adapted into a unique set of indigenized practices and language.
iii. Discuss what geographical/climate and resource factors [context] made Kilwa and Great Zimbabwe into such major, profitable city centers in East Africa
iv. The Benin bronzes (actually brass) of Benin City are among the most famous artistic works of this period in pre-Colonial Africa, many of them commissioned by the Oba, Ewuare. Discuss a couple of the cultural (largely political) values expressed through them.
v. Despite evidence of inter-religious tensions and violence between neighboring Islamic states and the expansionist Christian rulers of Ethiopia (with its Christian Orthodox Church) in the 14th century, its ruler Fasilides and eventual capital city of Gondar also represented African strength, resistance, and ingenuity in the 16th and 17th centuries. Provide some examples of how the emperor, church, and/or the city of Gondar embodied these qualities.