Civilizations also rose along the west coast of Africa and its interior. Kingdoms and states developed around A.D. 1000 and had become prosperous and powerful by the time the Portuguese landed on the coast of Africa during the fifteenth century. These new states located along the mouth of the Senegal, Niger, and Congo Rivers. The states of Benin and Yoruba developed along the Niger River. The Kingdoms of Kongo and Luba were founded along the Congo River.
One of the factors that led to the rise of states south of the Sudan was the spread of the idea of "divine kingship." This concept was common to the Sudanic states, and it moved southward in association with new people from the north. Other factors include the growth of trade and production for trade. Producing items specifically for trade was made possible by the fertility of the land and the abundance of metal resources from the environment. The people of these states practiced intensive agriculture and became craftsmen in metal lurgy. |
