Ife Empire The Ife Empire was the first empire in Yoruba history. The Ife Empire lasted from 1200 to 1420. The empire was formed by
Odùduwà, and became well known for its sophisticated art pieces.There were also life-size
terracotta and
copper or
brass sculptures with detailed, idealized naturalism. Craft specialization defined everyday
economic life in which the production of high-value
crafts, such as
glass-bead production, featured prominently. Ife grew to have a robust industry in
metals, producing high-quality
iron and
steel. As the population grew, a second
wall was built in the capital city
Ilé-Ife during the
thirteenth century and the
construction and
pavement of several major
roads began as well. The occurrence of potsherd pavements in virtually every part of the area within the Inner and Outer Walls and beyond indicate that the city was densely populated. Ife Empire prominence grew rapidly in
Technology and
Civilization,
Osanyin custodian hold the growth in
Yoruba Technology and the
Orishas custodian hold the growth in
Yoruba Civilization.
Oyo Empire Oyo Empire, a kingdom in present-day
Nigeria, was founded in the 1300s. It was established by
Oranmiyan of the
Yoruba people of West Africa. The empire grew to become the largest
Yoruba-speaking state through the
organizational and
administrative efforts of the
Yoruba people,
trade, as well as the
military use of
cavalry. The Oyo Empire was one of the most
politically important states in Western Africa from the mid-17th to the late 18th century and held sway not only over most of the other kingdoms in Yorubaland, but also over nearby African states, notably the
Fon Kingdom of Dahomey in the modern
Republic of Benin on its west, and the
Nupe and
Bariba kingdoms up north. The Oyo were also known for their
craftsmanship, especially in
ironwork. All this trade made the Oyo Empire a rich one. This wealth was consolidated by the taxes it imposed on tributaries. For example, one tributary alone, the
Kingdom of Dahomey, brought in around a million worth of money a year and Oyo spend all this money on military weapons. Oyo Empire growth in civilization in developing
military weapons and commandeer
territory under the administrator of
Aláàfin such as Ọ̀rànmíyàn,
Shango and
Bashorun, etc.
Benin Kingdom The Benin Kingdom was also founded by the Yoruba
Ife prince
Oranmiyan. It was located in West Africa between the 11th century and 1897 A.D. It is popularly known for its
Benin Bronzes.
Eritrea and Ethiopia Two civilizations inhabited the lands encompassing the modern day states of
Eritrea and
Ethiopia.
Dʿmt The first kingdom known to have existed in Eritrea and Ethiopia was the kingdom of
Dʿmt, with its capital at
Yeha, where a
Sabaean style temple was built around 700 BC. It rose to power around the 10th century BC. The Dʿmt kingdom was influenced by the Sabaeans in Yemen, however it is not known to what extent. While it was once believed that Dʿmt was a Sabaean colony, it is now believed that Sabaean influence was minor, limited to a few localities, and disappeared after a few decades or a century, perhaps representing a trading or military colony in some sort of symbiosis or military alliance with the civilization of Dʿmt or some other proto-Aksumite state. Few inscriptions by or about this kingdom survive and very little archaeological work has taken place. As a result, it is not known whether Dʿmt ended as a civilization before
Aksum's early stages, evolved into the Aksumite state, or was one of the smaller states united in the
Aksumite kingdom possibly around the beginning of the 1st century.
Axum . The first verifiable kingdom of great power to rise in Eritrea and Ethiopia was that of Axum in the 1st century AD. It was one of many successor kingdoms to
Dʿmt and was able to unite the
Eritrean and northern
Ethiopian Highlands beginning around the 1st century BC. They established bases on the northern highlands of the Ethiopian Plateau and from there expanded southward. The
Persian religious figure
Mani listed Axum with
Rome,
Persia, and
China as one of the four great powers of his time. The origins of the
Axumite Kingdom are unclear, although experts have offered their speculations about it. Christianity was introduced into the country by
Frumentius, who was consecrated first bishop of Axum by
Saint Athanasius of Alexandria about 330. Frumentius converted
Ezana, who left several inscriptions detailing his reign both before and after his conversion. One inscription found at Axum, states that he conquered the nation of the
Bogos, and returned thanks to his father, the god Mars, for his victory. Later inscriptions show Ezana's growing attachment to Christianity, and Ezana's coins bear this out, shifting from a design with disc and crescent to a design with a cross. Expeditions by Ezana into the
Kingdom of Kush at
Meroe in Sudan may have brought about its demise, though there is evidence that the kingdom was experiencing a period of decline beforehand. As a result of Ezana's expansions, Aksum bordered the Roman
province of Egypt. The degree of Ezana's control over Yemen is uncertain. Though there is little evidence supporting Aksumite control of the region at that time, his title, which includes
king of Saba and Salhen, Himyar and Dhu-Raydan (all in modern-day Yemen), along with gold Aksumite coins with the inscriptions, "king of the
Habshat" or "Habashite", indicate that Aksum might have retained some legal or actual footing in the area.
Egypt and the
Pyramid of Khafre, both built in the mid-26th century BC. depicts the unification of the Two Lands. head of an early Egyptian king,
The Petrie Museum. Modern scholars have considered the stone bust to depict an
Early Dynastic or
Old Kingdom pharaoh.
Ancient Egypt was a
civilization of
ancient Northeast Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the
Nile River in the place that is now the country
Egypt. Ancient Egyptian civilization followed
prehistoric Egypt and coalesced around 3100 BC. Mainstream scholars have situated the ethnicity and the origins of predynastic, southern Egypt as a foundational community primarily in northeast Africa which included
the Sudan,
tropical Africa and
the Sahara whilst recognising the population variability that became characteristic of the pharaonic period. Pharaonic Egypt featured a physical
gradation across the regional populations, with Upper Egyptians having shared more biological affinities with
Sudanese and
southernly African populations, whereas Lower Egyptians had closer genetic links with
Levantine and
Mediterranean populations. Egypt reached the pinnacle of its power in the New Kingdom, ruling much of
Nubia and a sizable portion of the
Near East, after which it entered a period of slow decline. During the course of its history Egypt was invaded or conquered by a number of foreign powers, including the
Hyksos, the
Libyans, the
Nubians, the
Assyrians, the
Achaemenid Persians, and the
Macedonians under the command of
Alexander the Great. The Greek
Ptolemaic Kingdom, formed in the aftermath of Alexander's death, ruled Egypt until 30 BC, when, under
Cleopatra, it fell to the
Roman Empire and became
a Roman province. The success of ancient Egyptian civilization came partly from its ability to adapt to the conditions of the
Nile River valley for agriculture. The predictable
flooding and controlled
irrigation of the fertile valley produced surplus crops, which supported a more dense population, and
social development and culture. With resources to spare, the
administration sponsored mineral exploitation of the valley and surrounding desert regions, the early development of an independent
writing system, the organization of collective construction and agricultural projects, trade with surrounding regions, and
a military intended to defeat foreign enemies and assert Egyptian dominance. Motivating and organizing these activities was a bureaucracy of elite
scribes, religious leaders, and administrators under the control of a
pharaoh, who ensured the cooperation and unity of the Egyptian people in the context of an elaborate system of
religious beliefs. The many achievements of the ancient Egyptians include the
quarrying,
surveying and construction techniques that supported the building of monumental
pyramids,
temples, and
obelisks; a system of
mathematics, a practical and effective
system of medicine, irrigation systems and agricultural production techniques, the first known planked boats,
Egyptian faience and glass technology, new forms of
literature, and the
earliest known peace treaty, made with the Hittites. Ancient Egypt has left a lasting legacy. Its
art and
architecture were widely copied, and its antiquities carried off to far corners of the world. Its monumental ruins have inspired the imaginations of travelers and writers for centuries. A new-found respect for antiquities and excavations in the early modern period by Europeans and Egyptians led to the
scientific investigation of Egyptian civilization and a greater appreciation of its cultural legacy.
Sudan Kerma Kerma was a civilization based in
Upper Nubia and centered in
Kerma, Sudan from c. 2500 BC to c. 1500 BC. The kingdom was known as
Hkꜣr in Egyptian texts from the
Middle Kingdom period. The largest tombs at Kerma measured nearly 300 feet in
diameter. Kerma's army was mostly built around
archers.
Nobatia Nobatia was located in
Lower Nubia and first emerged as a kingdom in c. 400 AD. Initially Nobatia followed the cult of
Isis but converted to
Christianity in 543. Nobatia was annexed by
Makuria in the early 8th century.
Makuria Makuria was a Nubian kingdom that was based in
Dongola and lasted from the 5th to the 16th centuries.
Alodia Alodia was a Nubian kingdom located in what is now central and southern Sudan, which lasted from the 6th to the early 16th century.
Funj Sultanate The
Funj Sultanate was founded in 1504 and at its peak ruled over an area covering parts of modern-day
Sudan,
Eritrea and
Ethiopia. ==See also==