Tales of African Kingdoms Trivia Quiz

Answer: Nubia

There have been many civilizations and peoples within the area called Nubia over its long history. Centered around the first cataract of the Nile River, Nubia benefited from trade with the ancient Egyptians, possessing gold and copper that were in demand there.

Influenced by native tribes to the south and Egypt to the north, the Nubians adopted the ideas of both; the influence from Egypt, however, is evident in the building of pyramids for tombs. While Nubia was influenced by the Egyptians, the Egyptians were also influenced by the Nubians, especially in their art.

Although the people were known to be mighty warriors and skilled in the use of the bow and arrow, Nubia was invaded by Egypt in 2605 BC.

Answer: Kush

Around 1100 BC, the Kingdom of Nubia developed into a kingdom known as Kush, which was located in an area still important today - the confluence of the Blue and White Niles in Sudan. It had been part of an Egyptian colony known as the Viceroy of Kush, but found a period of independence at the end of the New Kingdom.

The cities of Napata and Meroe became important in the caravan trade with central and southern African kingdoms. One of the Kushite kings, Piankhi, conquered Egypt in 724 BC, and ruled over both Egypt and Kush, creating the 25th Dynasty of Egypt, which continued until 671 BC when the area was conquered by the Assyrians.

The importance of the defeat? The Kushites learned how to make iron weapons, and their influence extended from the Nile River to the Red Sea, Mediterranean Sea, and as far away as the Indian Ocean.

Answer: Axum

Located on the Red Sea, the Kingdom of Axum was a very cosmopolitan port, having contact with Greece, Rome, Persia, China, and India; at the height of its power, Axum was considered to be as important as those mighty empires. The people brought ivory from the interior of Africa, which they traded for goods, such as olive oil, cotton cloth, and copper. Greatly influenced by the Roman culture, the leader of Axum, King Ezana, converted to Christianity, which was made the state religion of Axum. Its empire totaled about 1.25 million square kilometers, and included modern Yemen and Saudi Arabia.

Answer: Nok

Located in fertile river valleys in the area of modern Nigeria, the Kingdom of Nok was originally based on agriculture. The use of iron tools by 550 BC allowed the people to produce more food, which led to an increase in population. Aside from the making of iron, the Nok are also known for the exquisite terracotta sculptures that they created.

The purpose of the statues is still unknown today, however, some of today's theories include the marking of burial sites or magical charms intended to enhance agricultural production.

It is not known today why the culture disappeared, but by 500 AD other groups began to take over the area.

Answer: Ghana

The Kingdom of Ghana ruled from approximately 400-1200 AD in West Africa. With a great location for farming, and natural resources such as iron ore and gold, the success of the kingdom was virtually guaranteed. Iron weapons enabled the Kingdom of Ghana to conquer nearby states, gold deposits gave them the wealth that would attract traders into the empire, and the introduction of the camel to the area made caravan trade very profitable. Eventually the kingdom was attached by the Almoravids from Morocco, and much of their territory was absorbed by the Kingdom of Mali.

Answer: Mali

The Kingdom of Mali became a center of wealth, culture, and trade in the 1200s AD in Africa. Although ruled by an emperor, or Mansa, the empire had one of the oldest know constitutions in the world, as well as an Assembly called the Gbora, that was made up of representatives from the entire empire.

Although the Mansa converted to the Islam religion, it was not forced upon the people. The conversion, however, made the capital city, Timbuktu, an important center of Islamic scholarship. The famous Mansa Musa brought attention to the wealth of his empire during his hajj to Mecca with a reported 60,000 people and camels weighed down with gold.

Answer: Songhai

In the late 1400s, the Songhai rebelled against the Kingdom of Mali and captured the city of Timbuktu. The Kingdom of Songhai was ruled by two dynasties, the Sonni Dynasty and Askiya Dynasty from 1464-1591. Even though the peoples of the kingdom were different in their religious beliefs - urban dwellers tended to practice Islam, while rural areas practiced animism - most of the law was mostly based on Islamic principles, with the "qadi", or Islamic judges, given the responsibility of maintaining law and order according to the teachings of the Koran. Timbuktu continued to be a center of Muslim art, culture, and learning, as it had been during the time of the Kingdom of Mali. Gold, salt, and slaves were the main trading items of the empire, however, the wealth attracted invaders.

When the Songhai Empire was invaded by a Moroccan army in 1591 their advanced weapons of guns and cannons easily defeated the Songhai, who fought with swords, spears, and bows and arrows.

Answer: Benin

The medieval Kingdom of Benin in Africa has nothing at all to do with the modern country! Also called the Odo Empire, the Kingdom of Benin was a major power in West Africa until the late 1800s, and controlled trade routes between the European traders and the inland peoples.

The people were ruled by a king called an Obo, and the Obo of Benin is still an important person in society today, holding a seat in Nigeria's House of Chiefs. Reaching a Golden Age in the mid 1400s, the Obo turned the capital into a fortress, and successfully launched military campaigns to expand the empire. Beautiful bronze, iron, and ivory statues were made, which centered on aspects of the office of the Odo.

When Europeans first viewed the artworks, they believed that it was too sophisticated to have originated in Africa.

After a brief period of decline, trading networks contributed to the wealth of the empire, which came from the trading of slaves captured from enemies, palm oil, textiles, and other items.

After signing a protectorate agreement with Great Britain, the subsequent killing of British representatives in Benin territory in 1897 led to a retaliation that removed many precious artifacts from the region, burned the capital, Benin City, and led to the fall of the kingdom.

Answer: Ethiopia

The successor to Axum, the founder of the Zagwe Dynasty of Abyssinia married a descendant of the last Axum emperor. Also known as Ethiopia, the empire covered the northern part of the modern country from 1137-1975. Established by the Zagwe Dynasty, the empire was overtaken by the Habesha in 1270 and was ruled by the Solomonic Dynasty until a coup in 1974.

By the end of the 1800s, Ethiopia and Liberia were the only two remaining independent African kingdoms, however, Ethiopia was conquered by the Italian army in 1935; although the emperor asked the League of Nations for aid, none was given and he went into exile.

In 1941, after Italy was defeated by the Allies, Emperor Haile Selassie returned to rule and attempted to modernize his country. By 1974 Ethiopia was one of only three world countries ruled by an emperor.

Answer: Mutapa

The Kingdom of Mutapa included parts of all the countries listed, as well as Mozambique, Namibia, Botswana, and Zambia. Known for a strong, stable government, the Kingdom of Mutapa had an economy based on gold mining, although the gold belonged to the state. Revealing the location of the gold mines to outsiders was considered to be a capital crime which brought the death penalty.

Another important item of trade was ivory. The leader, called a "munhumutapa", was considered to be divine. The people of the Kingdom of Mupata were descendants of those who built the Great Zimbabwe, and they continued to build similar stone buildings.

After a series of problems, which included tribes in the empire refusing to pay their tribute, invasions from other groups, civil wars, and interference from the Portuguese (Europeans believed the kingdom to be the site of the legendary gold mines of King Solomon), the Kingdom of Mupata collapsed in 1760.