How Did Christianity And Islam Affect West Africa

The adoption of Christianity and Islam greatly shaped the development of ancient Africa. The introduction of both religious also affected state formation in Africa. Some states identified with Islam, while others pursued Christianity as the prominent religion. Islam expanded through the trade routes, making a specific impact in West Africa and the Sudan. With the arrival of Europeans, Christianity was already present in Ethiopia. Both religions are still present in current African culture. In the beginning of African history all African societies were collectively stateless societies, or “societies bound together by ethnic or blood ties rather than being political states” (246). Christianity and Islam influenced the formation of states in
Africa and played a role in the development of African culture as a whole.
The trans-Saharan trade played a major role in West African history. The trade stimulated gold mining, trading of goods such as gold, silk, and spices, and the development of urban centers (244). Not only was trading introduced, the Islamic religion was also presented. The Muslim conquest of Egypt in 642 and the trans-Saharan trade contributed to the introduction of Islam. Arab aggressors overran coastal North Africa in the eighth century. During the time the Berbers were occupying the region. Upon the invasion, the Arabs introduced Islam to the Berbers. The Berbers, a nomadic group, spread Islam throughout Africa (245). Islam became popular and was accepted by many. Almoravids spread Islam to Ghana, Mali, Songhai, and Kanem-Bornu through preaching (245). The rulers of these states were interested in the Islamic religion because they admired the “administrative techniques and wanted to protect their kingdoms” (245). The rulers were easily converted as well as merchants who wanted to maintain their status. By the eleventh century, the rulers of Gao and Timbuktu had accepted Islam. Islam continued to grow and spread throughout Africa.
Islam did not only affect individual’s beliefs in Africa, it also generated development in culture and politics. Successful governments depend on written documentation which had not been a part of African government prior to the Islamic religion. With the arrival of Islam, writing became an integral part of administrative efforts in West Africa. West African empires flourished between the ninth and fifteenth century due to the implementation of writing and other factors introduced by Muslim leaders. Islam continued to spread southward into the East African coast (245). Large empires such as Ghana and Mali developed into city-states that mostly identified with Islam.
Similar to the expansion of Islam in the west, Christianity made its mark in northeast Africa.
Egypt was the early center of Christianity unlike Nubia that was later converted to Christianity by missionaries in 600 C.E. (251). Later Aksum, a kingdom of Ethiopia and a significant trading state, was considered the center of Christian culture. The spread of Islam into Ethiopia weakened trading in Aksum, which was a Christian center. The Muslims attacked the area causing some to convert to Islam. Others fled to isolation to continue their Christian practices in solitude and secrecy. Frumentius, a Christian trader turned leader, began to encourage and spread Christianity once again around 340 C.E. In the same year he was granted the position of bishop of Aksum and Christianity became the religion of the state (253). With the acceptance of Christianity came the manufacturing of “ecclesiastical documents and royal chronicles” (253). These documents opposed polygamy with the exception of kings and wealthy individuals. Pagan temples and monasteries were constructed with the expansion of Christianity. During the fourteenth century six scribes composed the Kebra Negast, a compilation of oral tradition and Christian texts. These writings were known as an “Ethiopian national epic” and proved the close association between the religion and the state. The scripts described the line of rulers who descended from King Solomon which prospectively led rulers to claim they were of Solomon’s line of succession
(253).
As described, both religion spread throughout Africa with little force. Africa was very accepting of both Christianity and Islam which are both still practiced today. The regions of Africa began as stateless societies but with the introduction of religion the regions begin to grow and associate themselves into some form of a state. Western Africa was linked more to Islam, while Christianity was practiced more in Ethiopia. With religion being implemented, Africa became a more developed nation including writing and government.