Early African History Primer Quiz | History

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1. Egypt is no doubt Africa's greatest and most famous early civilization. Which ruler first unified Upper and Lower Egypt around 3100 BC?

Answer: Menes (Narmer)

Narmer and Menes may be two men, or they may be the same man. The debate continues. One suggested meaning for "Menes" is "He who endures."

Cheops is the Greek name for Khufu. He built the Great Pyramid.

Tut is just a short form of Tutankhamun, also often referred to as "the boy king" because he died young. He is famous because his tomb was found intact. As a prince his name was Tutankhaten. His father was Akhenaton, who was named Amenhotep IV as a child but adopted the name we know him by when he tried to establish the new monotheistic religion worshipping Aten.

2. A mysterious kingdom of southern Africa that flourished from about AD 1200 to 1500 and is noted today for its circular stone ruins of walls as high as 36 feet (11 meters) and extending for about 820 feet (250 meters) is still not totally understood today. What is the name of this edifice?

Answer: The Great Zimbabwe

Construction of the stone buildings of Zimbabwe began in the eleventh century AD and continued for 300 years. Today the site, near the Zimbabwean town of Masvingo, is not only a National Monument of Zimbabwe, but is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The name is the Shona word for a "large stone house."

3. Kanem-Bornu was a great central African trading empire that flourished between the ninth and eighteenth centuries. Ruled by the Sef (Sayf) Dynasty, its first capital was at Njimi. About 1100, the Sef ruler made the empire an Islamic state, and its trade increased. The capital was moved to Birni Ngazargamu around 1400. What great African lake served as the focal point of this trading empire?

Answer: Lake Chad

According to the "Afropedia" website, Kanem-Bornu boasts "the longest serving dynasty in human history." According to the "Girgam", the chronicle of Kanem-Bornu's rulers, written in Arabic, the twelfth ruler, Hum�, or Hummay, converted to Islam during his reign from 1086 to 1097. The dynasty he founded would last until 1846.

4. One of my favorite outstanding leaders of Early Africa was Mansa Musa, who lived in the late 13th and early 14th centuries. He ruled the world's second-largest empire in history and was famous for a pilgrimage he made to Mecca in which he depressed the world price of gold due to his almsgiving while passing through Egypt. What empire did he rule?

Answer: Mali

Musa, whose title means "Emperor Moses" clearly demonstrated the great influence of Islam on West Africa. In addition, in 2012, "The Huffington Post" declared him to be the "World's Richest Man of All Time," with an estimated wealth of 400 billion dollars, after adjusting for inflation. By contrast, the article says the "current world's richest man, Carlos Slim Helu and family," is worth $69 billion (quoted from "The Huffington Post", 17 October, 2012).

5. Although we often think of Ancient Egypt as a long, sustained monolithic culture, its history is divided into many different aspects. Of the 30 or so dynasties from 3100 BC to the fourth century BC, one, the 15th Dynasty (1630-1521 BC), was ruled by Semitic invaders from outside of Africa who probably migrated into Egypt from Palestine. Who were these invaders whom the Egyptians called "rulers of foreign lands"?

Answer: Hyksos

The Jewish historian Josephus translated the term "Hyksos" as "king-shepherds", apparently hoping to tie them to the Old Testament Hebrews. The invaders had a great influence on Egyptian culture, introducing such powerful innovations as the horse and chariot, advanced fortification techniques, improved battle axes, and the compound bow.

6. Beginning in the 13th century along the northern coastline of the Gulf of Guinea, several societies known as the Forest Kingdoms or Yoruba Kingdoms developed important city-states in West Africa. What were three of these kingdoms or empires which were later destroyed by the slave trade?

Answer: Oyo, Ife, and Benin

The Oyo Empire began in the 15th century and was the only Yoruba state to develop a cavalry. Ife, which reached its peak between 1200 and 1400, is noted for its art, especially its terracotta, stone, and bronze figures. According to traditional accounts of the Edo, or Bini, people, the city of Ibinu was founded in AD 1180 and was ruled by the Ogisos, aka "Kings of the Sky." An artistic culture developed there featuring statuary of bronze, iron, and ivory.

7. Which of the following was NOT one of the great Swahili-Islamic trading city-states of East Africa?

Answer: Nok

Nok culture, of present-day northern Nigeria, spanned the end of the Stone Age and the beginning of the Iron Age in Sub-Saharan West Africa. It may be Africa's oldest organized society below the Sahara. Best current research dates Nok culture's beginnings back to 1200 BC and lasting until about 400 AD.

Kilwa, the site of Africa's first mint, is located in Tanzania, on an island just off the coast. The island of Zanzibar, formerly an independent sultanate, joined with Tanganyika in 1964 to form the modern state of Tanzania. Mogadishu is the capital and largest city of Somalia.

8. In 814 BC the Phoenician city of Tyre founded a colony in Africa which would grow to become a great civilization with its own colonies in Spain and Sicily. What "shining city" was this that would threaten the powerful Roman Republic until finally being defeated itself in the Third Punic War in 146 BC?

Answer: Carthage

The storied history of Carthage is probably best known for the exploits of its General Hannibal in the Third Punic War when he crossed the Alps from Spain to Italy with his elephants to take the field against the Roman Republic. Carthage's legendary founding was in the thirteenth century BC by Queen Dido, who had an affair with Aeneas, the famous Trojan warrior and survivor of the Trojan War who was also a progenitor of the Romans.

9. The first of the great West African empires of the Sudan was Awkar, which arose around 300 AD and flourished until about 1300. Based near the Great Bend of the Niger River, Awkar's power and wealth was based on the use of the camel and control of the Trans-Sahara Gold-Salt Trade. Based in what is today Mauritania and Mali, by what modern African nation's name, which was the Awkar people's word for their king, is Awkar better known?

Answer: Ghana

The Soninke were the people of ancient Ghana, and "ghana" means "warriors" in their language. Another title for their king was "Kaya Maghan," which means "Lord of the Gold." The Soninke called their original kingdom "Ouagadou", which then carried over through time and space to Ouagadougou, the capital city of today's Burkina Faso.

The power and glory of ancient Ghana were so pervasive in West African history and traditions that Kwame Nkrumah, who led the British colony of the Gold Coast to its independence, chose Ghana for the name of his new nation.

10. Originating in the northern area of present-day Ethiopia between the fourth century BC and the first century AD, was a kingdom famously linked today with the location of the Ark of the Covenant as well as the Queen of Sheba. What is the ancient name of the capital of this trading empire that is one of the oldest continuously inhabited places in Africa?

Answer: Axum

One story in Ethiopian tradition traces its Christian roots to Makeda, Queen of Sheba, who visited Solomon in Israel. After her return to Axum (Ethiopia), she gave birth to Menelik, who later visited Solomon and returned to Ethiopia with the Ark of the Covenant. Menelik founded a line of Ethiopian emperors that ended 225 generations later with the overthrow of Haile Selassie in 1974. That is one line that hits all those bases, anyway, even though the story may not be held up by historical research.

Source: Author shvdotr

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor bloomsby before going online.
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Early African History Primer Trivia Quiz

It looks like we need more quizzes for African History. Here are some basic questions on early Africa. For the most part, this quiz tries to adhere to the most accepted interpretations of that continent's fascinating history. Have fun!

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