Meaning of state, kingdom and Empire
State- A territory is considered as an organized political community under one government
Empire- An extensive group of semi-autonomous states ruled by one ruler Kingdom
A State or Territory ruled by a king or queen
The Ancient Egypt
Factors that led to growth of Ancient Egypt Civilization
Presence of river Nile- It the annual flood of River Nile and the use of shadoof method of irrigation boosted agriculture
Early Technology- It ushered in the bronze stage where copper and tin were used to make simple tools such as chisels and needles. Artisans also made pots for storage and cookery purposes using potter’s wheel
Population- High population in Ancient Egypt provided ready manpower and market
Strong military and leadership- They ensured growth of the kingdom through conquests and assimilation of conquered neighbors into the empire
Use of hieroglyphic- The formal writing helped keep reliable and accurate records in religion, government and history
Use of the calendar- Tracking of days and monitoring events such as annual flooding of the Nile, planting and harvesting period
Specialized workers- They worked in various institutions. They helped in keeping records in the Egyptian empire. They recorded harvest, finances and history
The Great Zimbabwe
Great Zimbabwe was a city and a powerful kingdom near Masvingo in the central part of the modern day Zimabwe, Mozambique and Botswana.
It existed between 1000BC to 1500BC
Zimbabwe is a shone word meaning “stone houses”
Great Zimbabwe had a centralized government with hereditary kings. This system of government led to the rise and growth of the kingdom
Factors that led to the Growth of the Great Zimbabwe Civilization
Agriculture- this ensured steady supply of food for the kingdom.
Trade- Acquisition of firearms in exchange of goods boosted their strong army.
Existence of several mineral deposits. presence of large deposits of minerals such as gold, copper and iron were good for the economy.
Centralized government & Strong leadership-the great Zimbabwe had hereditary kings which made it stable.
Strong and stable army-this helped protect the kingdom.
Fertile soil and good climate- this were favourable factors that promoted agriculture.
Religion- Religious beliefs brought them together. The traditional God called Mwari helped unify the kingdom.
The kingdom of Kongo Kingdom of Kongo was a powerful kingdom located in Central Africa.
Kingdom Kongo was found in the present-day Western part of Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Northern part of Angola.
Factors that led to the growth of kingdom of Kongo
1. Strategic location of the kingdom.
2. Economic prosperity of the kingdom.
3. Trading amongst people of Kongo.
4. Presence of traditional industries in Kongo.
5. The political stability of the industries of Kongo.
6. The coming of the Portuguese.
7. The Christianity factor.
8. Favourable climate and the kingdom its closeness to Congo river which supported agriculture throughout the year
Locating ancient kingdoms on a map of Africa
Contributions of early African civilisation to the modern world
Modern civilization owes its current development to the ancient civilization.
The following are contributions of early civilisation to modern world.
Religion was practiced in different communities in the past. This has developed over time shaping our spiritual beliefs and worship. Different religions are practiced in different countries.
Writing- the Egyptians hieroglyphics inventions resulted in the modern writing paper industries also developed and were used to keep records developed into the modern writing and education.
Ancient Egypt was the beginning of building designs and construction of permanent buildings we have today. The knowledge of planning and prediction of seasons based on calendar started in the early civilization. Today it has been developed further to include weather forecasting in predicting accurate changes.
The industrial development in the ancient kingdoms was based on simple skill. Copper and tin were used in ancient Egypt to make items. Today most of the industries use metals and alloys to make construction and infrastructural equipment.
The modern irrigation technology borrows a lot from the ancient irrigation techniques such as shadoof. This has been applied in the agricultural sector
Tools such as jembes/hoes used in farming today were developed in the ancient civilization
The political structure of modern government resembles the early civilization government
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