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North and Central African Society (Hunting - Gathering Societies (Social…
North and Central African Society
Hunting - Gathering Societies
This was the oldest form of social organization in the world
This society began in Africa
These societies still exist today; they form a small percentage of the population
These groups speak their own languages
They use their own hunting techniques
Scholars learn clues about how hunter - gatherers may have lived in the past
What languages do they speak?
Bambuti language
Identity
Forest Dwellers
The Efe are one of several hunting-gathering societies in Africa
What other hunting-gathering societies are there?
Nomads, Hefe, exc.
Live in the Ituri Forest in the Democratic Republic of Congo
The modern day Efe live in small groups between 10-100
Each family occupies its own grass and brush shelter
Their homes are rarely permanent
Collect few possessions and move to new camps as they use up the resources
Structure of the Grass and Brush Shelter
They search for food, which causes them to be somewhat nomadic
Social Structure
The group leader is usually a respected older male
Father
Uncle
Father-in-law
What other men are usually appointed to become a leader?
Sometimes the grandfathers are appointed, as well as brothers and sons
Social Systems
The group leader does not give orders or act as a chief
Members of the group listen and value the man's opinions
Each family makes its own decisions and is free to come and go
Group members settle arguments through long discussions
If conflicts cannot be settled, members may choose to move
Usually to a new hunting band
Daily life for the Efe is not governed by formal written laws
Day in the Life of the Efe
Leadership
Hunting and Gathering Culture
Stateless Society
Tracing Family Descent
Inheritance is from father to son, no matter if there’s marriage involved
Patrilineal society would trace from the fathers in the family
Inheritance would be passed from mother to son
Possessions/property that was passed down was determined by how society traced lineage
Men would still hold the power
Matrilineal society would trace through the mothers in the family
Values and Beliefs
More about lineage
Culture
Age-Set System
Each life stage would be marked by ceremonies
Men and women would have different life stages with their own duties
They would pass through life stages together
Societies would use the age-set system and life stages to teach discipline, community service, and leadership skills
Age sets were when people would be born during a certain time period, resulting in close ties outside of lineage
Social Systems
More about ceremonies and rituals
Stateless Societies
A lineage would include past, present, and future members and they would be incredibly loyal
Multiple families had equal power so that the control wasn’t given to only one family
They later had problems when European colonizers expected them to have one leader only
The Igbo (in West Africa) would have respected elders from multiple lineages to solve disputes
Many African groups would govern based on lineage which made them “stateless societies” because they had no centralized system of power
Lineage is when a family descends from a common ancestor
Family organization, or lineage, was very important to African societies
More about Central African societies today
Conquest
How is lineage important to stateless societies?
Lineage would determine power and how wealth was distributed after one died
How would a conflict between youngest cousins be resolved?
Muslim States
632 - Muhammad's death
670 - Muslims have invaded and converted much of North Africa and the Maghrib
Almoravid Reformers
Movement began after Beber Muslims made a pilgrimage to Mecca
They brought back a Moroccan scholar Abd Allah Ibn Yasin to teach the people about Islam
Abd Allah Ibn Yasin soon founded the Almoravids, a strict Muslim brotherhood
Almoravids means "people of the ribit"
Ribit - a fortified monastery
1050 - Abd Allah Ibn Yasin began spreading Islam via conquest
1059 - Ibn Yasin dies, Almoravids take over Morocco and made Marrakech their capital
Ruled West Africa and Southern Spain (Moors) until 1076
Almohads Take Over
Mid 1100s - Almohads seize power from Almoravids
Ibn Tumart was the leader
Criticized Almoravids for not following Islamic Law
Demanded a strict dedication to Quran and Islamic Law
His group the Almohads struggled and fought with the Almoravids
By 1148, the Almohads controlled most of Morocco and ended the Almoravids rule, later conquered much of Spain
Almohad Dynasty would last 100+ years, but would later fracture into smaller Muslim kingdoms
How did the Almoravids and the Almohads differ?
1) Almohads believed in the unity of God and focused solely on the Qur'an and Islamic Law.
2) Almoravids focused on expanding their knowledge of Islamic doctrine and philosophy and didn't spend as much time as the Almohads did of Allah
Almohads - Britannica
Almoravids - Britannica
Islamic Law
Islamic law applied to all areas of life, brought together the Muslim States
.
Many Muslim states had different interpretations of the Islamic law
Two Beber groups are converted: the Almoravids and the Almohads
These groups create empires that unite the Maghrib under Islamic rule
How do states governed by Islamic law differ from the United States?
United States law has less severe punishments for breaking the law like jail time, while Islamic law has harsher punishments like stoning. Islamic Law is also a religious set of laws with strict moral conservation while US Law is separated from the Church.
Islamic Law vs. Western Law
1st
2nd
3rd
1st
2nd
3rd
Culture, Religion, and Values/Beliefs
Identity
Conflict/Conquest
Conquest
Identity/ Values and Beliefs