Medieval Africa and Southeast Asia

A condensed, point-by-point summary of the module, for reviewing right before a test or exam.

1. Ghana (Wagadu): Gold, Salt, and the First Sahelian Trading Empire. Wagadu, called Ghana by Arab writers, built West Africa's first great trading empire on gold and salt.
2. Sundiata Keita and the Rise of the Mali Empire. Sundiata Keita defeated Sumanguru Kanté at Kirina around 1235 and founded the Mali Empire.
3. Mansa Musa, Timbuktu, and Mali's Golden Age. Mansa Musa's 1312-1337 reign and legendary 1324 pilgrimage made Mali and Timbuktu famous worldwide.
4. Songhai: Sunni Ali, Askia Muhammad, and the End of the Sahelian Empires. Songhai, under Sunni Ali and Askia Muhammad, became the largest Sahelian empire before falling in 1591.
5. Srivijaya, Malacca, and Mastery of the Straits. Srivijaya and, later, the Sultanate of Malacca dominated maritime trade through the Strait of Malacca.
6. The Khmer Empire of Angkor. The Khmer Empire built Angkor, a vast temple-and-reservoir capital that dominated mainland Southeast Asia.
7. Champa, Dai Viet, Pagan, and the Other Kingdoms of Medieval Southeast Asia. Champa, Dai Viet, Pagan, Ayutthaya, and Majapahit shaped Southeast Asia beyond the Khmer heartland.
8. Connecting Two Worlds: Trade, Faith, and the End of an Era. Trade routes, not fixed borders, defined these empires, and gunpowder invaders ended both around 1500-1600.