Long ago, Spain conquered Muslim land. After that, there were three countries that made up Spain. But these countries didn't think that they were big enough. One of the kings, whose name was Enrique and who ruled over the small kingdom of Castile, wanted more soldiers so that he could make his army bigger and conquer other kingdoms. He told one of his noblemen Pedro Giron, that if he would give him some soldiers, he might have the king's sister, Isabella, for his wife. Did Isabella like this idea? No! She did not. The nobleman was over forty and she was only thirteen! She had also heard that he was mean and got drunk a lot. But was she asked her opinion? No! She was not. Did Pedro Giron, the nobleman like this idea? Yes, he did. And he was asked, too. Marry the king's sister? Would he like to? Of course! But before the marriage could take place, Pedro Giron died of stomach pains. Isabella was overjoyed! Her brother was not. A few years later, Enrique decided that Isabella would marry the king of Portugal, so that the two kingdoms could become one. Did Isabella like this idea? No she did not. The king of Portugal was old and fat and old enough to be her father!But was Isabella asked what she preferred? No! She was not. And this time she decided to do something about it. So she sent a secret message to the young Prince of Aragon. She had heard, even though they had never met, that he was kind, handsome, and her own age. Ferdinand agreed to come and meet her in a secret place. Four days after they met, they were married. Did Enrique like this idea? No! He did not. But he wasn't asked his opinion either. When Enrique died half a dozen years later, Isabella became queen. In time, Ferdinand also inherited the throne of Aragon. They united the two countries in to one big country of Spain. Later, they also conquered the land of Granada, where many Muslims lived. Now that they owned the whole country of Spain, Ferdinand and Isabella declared it to be and only Christian country. They forced all the Jews to leave. While we remember Ferdinand and Isabella for uniting Spain, which was a good thing, we also remember the horrible thing they did to the Jews in making them leave the land they had lived in for so long.
While Ferdinand and Isabella were reigning in their Spain, the world of the unknown lay out before them. Most people felt that places like Africa were dark and dangerous. However, the land of Africa thrived in its own special way. In the Middle Ages, much of Africa was roamed by nomadic tribes who lived off the land. But there were also many cities. Three of them were named Ghana, Mali, and Songhay. Ghana became rich and powerful because of the people who traveled through it. Traders carrying gold, salt, and other things to trade were taxed to pass through the city. The city of Ghana did very well for a long time. But then it began to fall apart because its kings would not convert to Islam. Other cities attacked it again and again. It got weaker and weaker. Soon Mali became the more important city. It copied Ghana and taxed the traders who went through. But it was and Islamic kingdom. One of the most famous kings of Mali was a man named Mansa Musa. Not only did he expand his army and his kingdom, he took a pilgrimage to Mecca, the Islamic holy city! That attracted the attention of the world. Soon, maps showed the city of Mali. Because of Mansa Musa, people in the Middle Ages learned about the country of Mali. But after the death of Mansa Musa, the kingdom of Mali began to fade away just like Ghana had. And, like Ghana, it was replaced by a new and larger kingdom. Songhay grew until it covered the entire region of what had once been Mali and Ghana. It had universities in its towns and many, many schools busy marketplaces and temples were also commonly found. The explorer Leo Africanus wrote about his travels in the country of Songhay. His book was called
History and Description of Africa and the Notable Things contained therein. He wrote about the capital city of Timbuktu and its inhabitants, what the houses were made of, and such. I think I would like to read his book.
Long ago, Spain conquered Muslim land. After that, there were three countries that made up Spain. But these countries didn't think that they were big enough. One of the kings, whose name was Enrique and who ruled over the small kingdom of Castile, wanted more soldiers so that he could make his army bigger and conquer other kingdoms. He told one of his noblemen Pedro Giron, that if he would give him some soldiers, he might have the king's sister, Isabella, for his wife. Did Isabella like this idea? No! She did not. The nobleman was over forty and she was only thirteen! She had also heard that he was mean and got drunk a lot. But was she asked her opinion? No! She was not. Did Pedro Giron, the nobleman like this idea? Yes, he did. And he was asked, too. Marry the king's sister? Would he like to? Of course! But before the marriage could take place, Pedro Giron died of stomach pains. Isabella was overjoyed! Her brother was not. A few years later, Enrique decided that Isabella would marry the king of Portugal, so that the two kingdoms could become one. Did Isabella like this idea? No she did not. The king of Portugal was old and fat and old enough to be her father!But was Isabella asked what she preferred? No! She was not. And this time she decided to do something about it. So she sent a secret message to the young Prince of Aragon. She had heard, even though they had never met, that he was kind, handsome, and her own age. Ferdinand agreed to come and meet her in a secret place. Four days after they met, they were married. Did Enrique like this idea? No! He did not. But he wasn't asked his opinion either. When Enrique died half a dozen years later, Isabella became queen. In time, Ferdinand also inherited the throne of Aragon. They united the two countries in to one big country of Spain. Later, they also conquered the land of Granada, where many Muslims lived. Now that they owned the whole country of Spain, Ferdinand and Isabella declared it to be and only Christian country. They forced all the Jews to leave. While we remember Ferdinand and Isabella for uniting Spain, which was a good thing, we also remember the horrible thing they did to the Jews in making them leave the land they had lived in for so long.
While Ferdinand and Isabella were reigning in their Spain, the world of the unknown lay out before them. Most people felt that places like Africa were dark and dangerous. However, the land of Africa thrived in its own special way. In the Middle Ages, much of Africa was roamed by nomadic tribes who lived off the land. But there were also many cities. Three of them were named Ghana, Mali, and Songhay. Ghana became rich and powerful because of the people who traveled through it. Traders carrying gold, salt, and other things to trade were taxed to pass through the city. The city of Ghana did very well for a long time. But then it began to fall apart because its kings would not convert to Islam. Other cities attacked it again and again. It got weaker and weaker. Soon Mali became the more important city. It copied Ghana and taxed the traders who went through. But it was and Islamic kingdom. One of the most famous kings of Mali was a man named Mansa Musa. Not only did he expand his army and his kingdom, he took a pilgrimage to Mecca, the Islamic holy city! That attracted the attention of the world. Soon, maps showed the city of Mali. Because of Mansa Musa, people in the Middle Ages learned about the country of Mali. But after the death of Mansa Musa, the kingdom of Mali began to fade away just like Ghana had. And, like Ghana, it was replaced by a new and larger kingdom. Songhay grew until it covered the entire region of what had once been Mali and Ghana. It had universities in its towns and many, many schools busy marketplaces and temples were also commonly found. The explorer Leo Africanus wrote about his travels in the country of Songhay. His book was called History and Description of Africa and the Notable Things contained therein. He wrote about the capital city of Timbuktu and its inhabitants, what the houses were made of, and such. I think I would like to read his book.
No comments:
Post a Comment