NEW
Font size
WorksheetsChapter 3 - Early African Civilizations
Total questions: 35
Worksheet time: 19mins
The vegetation zone with flat grasslands and abundant animal life.
savannah
desert
rainforest
sahel
What religion did traders bring to Ghana?
Islam
Judaism
Buddhism
Christianity
The trans-Saharan trade increased after about 300 C.E. as a result of the
population increase
growth of cities
introduction of camels
slave trade
What material did the people of Ghana use to make weapons and tools?
Gold
Salt
Diamonds
Iron
Which of the following was NOT a reason for Ghana's decline?
Invasion
Overgrazing
Drought
Internal conflict/rebellion
Ghana's empire was located between what two rivers?
Niger & Nile
Senegal & Niger
Nile & Senegal
Niger & Amazon
The Sahara is
Africa's longest river
a high mountain range
the world's largest desert
an empire in early Africa
The division of jobs and skills in a society is
labor specialization
social status
special works
natural resources
How did Ghana's rulers make sure that gold remained an important trade good?
They made beautiful jewelry from it.
They traded it for salt.
They controlled how much of it was mined.
They required that all coins be made from it.
How did Mansa Musa establish West Africa as a center of Muslim culture?
He spent so much gold on his hajj that it upset the economy of Egypt for years.
He extended Mali's territory and made Mali one of the largest empires of its time.
He brought Muslim scholars, artists and teachers from his hajj to work in Mali.
He established trade links with Muslim salt merchants in North Africa.
Which factor was least important in making Mali a powerful empire in West Africa?
The gold-salt trade
The growth of Mansa Musa's empire
Mansa Musa's hajj
Sundiata's set of laws
What made Mansa Musa’s hajj special?
Egypt refused his caravan
He refused to spend any money
He upset Egypt's economy
It brought world attention to Mali
Why was Arabic important in Songhai?
Everyone spoke it
Control foreign empires
It was the language of the law
All of the above
Which leader brought Islamic scholarship and law to Songhai?
Sunni Ali
Askia Muhammad
Mansa Musa
Sundiata
What was the reason for Mali’s decline?
Poor leadership
Invasion by Almoravids
Invasion by Moroccan soldiers
Loss of influence of Timbuktu
Who led a great caravan to Mecca that brought his West African empire to the attention of the Arab and European world?
Askia Muhammad
As-Saheli
Mansa Musa
Mansa Sundiata
Why did Sundiata call himself mansa?
He divided the clans
He rebelled against Mali
He considered himself an emperor
His enemies feared him
Which city became an important center of learning and trade under Mansa Musa?
Gao
Koumbi Saleh
Timbuktu
Mecca
The rulers of which empires established Islam as an important religion in West Africa?
Ghana and Mali
Mali and Songhai
Songhai and Ghana
Ghana, Mali, and Songhai
Which characteristic of Songhai was most important in spreading Islam in the empire?
Songhai's laws were based on the Quran
Songhai had a system of weights and measures
Songhai controlled the trans-Saharan trading routes
Songhai's government was very efficient
In West African cultures, who ranked just above traders in the social structure?
The emperor
Kings and nobles
Farmers
Skilled workers
In most traditional African religions, people honored
the emperor
only one god
their ancestors
religious leaders
Which part of traditional West African culture has NOT carried over to the present day?
Musical instruments
Masks
Storytelling
Trading empires
Trans-Saharan trade in early West Africa MAINLY involved the exchange of _________________ for gold.
iron
ivory
salt
slaves
In West African societies, a person's clan and caste were both determined by his or her
village
religion
language
birth
All of the following are part of Africa's strong oral tradition EXCEPT
trade
proverbs
storytelling
griots
Which of the following is NOT a reason Africans needed/valued salt?
To preserve meat
To feed their camels
Necessary for good health
Used as money
Which best explains what the following African proverb is trying to teach:
"Every time an old man dies, it is as if a library has burnt down."
Libraries are built to honor the elders.
When elders die, the knowledge they have is lost.
When elders die, tradition says that the town burns books.
The wise will live a long life.
How was information preserved and shared in West Africa for MOST of the region's history?
oral traditions
stone carvings
pictures on cloth
writing on papyrus
What was the name of the strict Muslim group that invaded Ghana?
Moors
Nok
Malians
Almoravids
The people who are storytellers that preserve African oral traditions are known as
merchants
scribes
griots
slaves
A lineage is
a connection based on family relationships
a group of people descended from a common ancestor
a wise saying
an influence from the past
Which is not a similarity between Sundiata and Mansa Musa?
Leaders of Mali Empire
Made a great impact on their kingdom
Devout in their Muslim faith
Ruled the gold-salt trade
What group did Askia Muhammad appoint to enforce laws?
An assembly of kings
Muslim judges
Provincial governors
His sons
Why did Morocco invade Songhai?
Morocco wanted to use captured Songhai citizens as slaves.
Songhai merchants had taken over many of Morocco’s trading partners.
The Moroccans were after Songhai’s rich deposits of gold and salt.
The Moroccans thought that the askias of Songhai were converting
to Christianity.
