WorksheetsTopic 7: African Civilizations
Total questions: 19
Worksheet time: 14mins
Which of Africa's rivers were important to the rise of the Ghana, Mali, and Songhai empires?
Niger
Nile
Congo
Senegal
Zambezi
What are TWO crucial elements that brought about the growth of the Trans-Saharan trade in Western and Northern Africa?
Implementation of camels as pack animals
Salt mines in the Sahara Desert
Natural resources collected from the rainforest and traded in Northern and Western Africa
Maintaining control trade between the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea
Which of the following ecosystems could be described as tropical grassland that experiences a dry and wet season?
rainforest
desert
savanna
sahel
high plateau
What TWO features helped rulers of the Ghana to create and maintain a powerful empire in West Africa?
Skilled ironworkers created harder tools and weapons
The establishment of widespread religious tolerance in the region
Regulating salt-gold trade in order to keep gold value high
Used Islamic officials in government administration
Controlling the salt mines throughout its empire
Which of the following African empires was Islam an important religion? (Mark all that apply)
Kush
Axum
Mali
Egyptian
Songhai
How did Ghana's rulers make sure that gold endured as an important trade good in West Africa?
They made expensive and elaborate jewelry
They freely traded it for salt
They controlled how much gold was available
They required that all coins and currency was made from gold
In the social structure of West Africa, which group was right above traders in the social structure?
The emperor
Kings and local nobility
Scholars
Artists and skilled workers
Farmers
Which TWO statements best describes the differences between Axum and Songhai?
Axum was in East Africa while Songhai was in West Africa
Axum had a powerful army while Songhai focused more on education and scholarship
Axum controlled trade routes across Sahara while Songhai control near Arabia
Axum was a Christian empire while Songhai was a Muslim empire
Which of the following cultures developed in East Africa as result of the region's extensive involvement in trade across the Indian Ocean?
Kushite
Swahili
Zagwe
Nubian
Which of the following are common characteristics of traditional African religions? (Mark ALL that apply)
It was common for Africans to have spiritual leaders lead rituals to communicate with gods
Traditional African religions tended to be monotheistic or believe in one god
Africans valued the wisdom of their elders and greatly honored their ancestors
They tended to practice their religion in the privacy of their homes
Which of the following West African rulers made a hajj to Mecca to fulfill one of the five pillars of Islam?
Askia Muhammad
Mansa Musa
Sunni Ali
Sundiata
Which of the following allowed Axum to become a powerful trading kingdom in East Africa?
It's ideal location near the Red Sea
It had strong rulers like King Ezana
It's massive wealth
It's strong religious beliefs
Which event helped give Christianity a permanent place in Ethiopia?
The arrival of Persian and Nubian immigrants
The rise of the Zagwe Dynasty
The growth of Swahili culture
Increased contact from Arabia traders
What is this structure?
A mosque in Mali
An Axum stele
A tower in a Swahili "stonetown"
An shrine in West Africa
Which of the following statements best explain why trade allowed early Africans to build advanced societies?
It introduced to early Africans new beliefs and religions
It allowed them to learn how to make iron weapons
It made the gold they mined more valuable
It allowed early Africans to trade their natural resources for items they needed
How did Mansa Musa establish Mali as a center of Muslim culture?
He spent so much gold on his hajj that it weakened 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 to work in Mali
He established trade links with Muslim salt merchants in North Africa
Which of the following best describes the importance of griots in west African societies?
They were important advisors to the king during the empires of Ghana, Mali, and Songhai.
They were Muslim scholars who made Timbuktu a center of learning in the Empire of Mali.
They transmitted the history, values, and morals of society through storytelling and proverbs.
They were important guides on the trans-Saharan trade route.
Why do the people of Mali still revere (respect) Sundiata? (Mark ALL that apply)
He established Timbuktu, the capital of the Mali Kingdom, as a center of learning.
He led a successful rebellion against the cruel leader, Sumanguru.
He was a generous ruler who freely shared Mali’s abundant gold supply with his people.
Through an assembly of kings, he established a law code that dealt with certain rights.
He introduced the religion of Islam to the kingdom and appointed Muslim officials.
Which city allowed Mali and Songhai to gain control of the gold-salt trade?
Gao
Taghaza
Mecca
Timbuktu
Cairo
