https://www.timetoast.com
Timeline
1000 BCE
Arab people crossed the Red Sea in East Africa and intermarried with the the Kushite herders and farmers (The Kingdom of Aksum, 225)
325 - 360 CE
Reached peak (The Kingdom of Aksum, 226)
330 – 356 AD
Ezana ruled and converted Aksum into a Christian state (Nosotro)
350 CE
Conquered Kushites (The Kingdom of Aksum, 225)
632 CE
Muslims conquered all of Arabia, including Aksum territory (The Kingdom of Aksum, 229)
710 CE
Muslims destroyed Adulis (The Kingdom of Aksum, 229)
Arab people crossed the Red Sea in East Africa and intermarried with the the Kushite herders and farmers (The Kingdom of Aksum, 225)
325 - 360 CE
Reached peak (The Kingdom of Aksum, 226)
330 – 356 AD
Ezana ruled and converted Aksum into a Christian state (Nosotro)
350 CE
Conquered Kushites (The Kingdom of Aksum, 225)
632 CE
Muslims conquered all of Arabia, including Aksum territory (The Kingdom of Aksum, 229)
710 CE
Muslims destroyed Adulis (The Kingdom of Aksum, 229)
https://www.ancient-origins.net
-Located south of Kush on a rugged plateau on the Red Sea (The Kingdom of Aksum, 225)
-Present day Eritrea and Ethiopia (The Kingdom of Aksum, 225)
-Located in the Horn of Africa (The Kingdom of Aksum, 225)
-Access to Red Sea and Mediterranean Sea and Indian Ocean and Nile River (The Kingdom of Aksum, 226)
-Hilly and rugged terrain (The Kingdom of Aksum, 228)
-Evidence of 10-12 small towns within the kingdom (The Kingdom of Aksum, Khan Academy)
-At height of empire, stretched across most of modern day Eritrea, northern Ethiopia, western Yemen, southern Saudi Arabia, and Sudan (The Kingdom of Aksum, Khan Academy)
-Placed at the intersection of the Mediterranean Sea, Red Sea, and Arabian Sea
-Monarchy
-Kingdom of Aksum and Ethiopian royal dynasty founded by the son of King Solomon and Queen of Sheba (The Kingdom of Aksum, 225)
-Dynasty lasted until last ruler, Haile Selassie, died in 1975 (The Kingdom of Aksum, 225)
-Their first king was Zoskales (The Kingdom of Aksum, 225)
-Evidence of 10-12 small towns within the kingdom (The Kingdom of Aksum, Khan Academy)
-Each town had a leader, but there was a ruler of all of Aksum called the "King of Kings" (The Kingdom of Aksum, Khan Academy)
-
Social classes were ordered like this (The Kingdom of Aksum, Khan Academy):
Kings
Nobles
Priests and Traders
Craftsmen and Traders
-They fought in groups called sarawits (AKSUM).
-Each sarawit had a leader called a nagast (AKSUM).
-They fought with spears, broad, flat swords, iron knives, and round shields (AKSUM).
-Donkeys, camels, and elephants were used in battle and as transportation (AKSUM).
-Part of caravan route to Egypt and Meroe (The Kingdom of Aksum, 226)
-Had access to Mediterranean Sea and Indian Ocean (The Kingdom of Aksum, 226)
-Their main sea port was Adulis, which is located near present day Massawa (The Kingdom of Aksum, 226)
-Traded salt, rhino horns, tortoise shells, ivory, emeralds, and gold (The Kingdom of Aksum, 226)
-Got cloth, olive oil, wine, brass, iron, and copper (The Kingdom of Aksum, 226)
-Prospered because of new sailing technique that used seasonal winds to cross the Red and Arabian Sea (McLean)
-Aksum's culture was very diverse. It was a blend of Arabian and Kushite culture, along with all the cultures they traded with: Egypt, Arabia, Greece, Rome, Persia, India, and Byzantium. This included the Sabaean people from southern Arabia and the local Da'amot people. (The Kingdom of Aksum, 227; Muscato)
-Greek was the international language at the time, but Aksum developed their own language called Ge'ez. (The Kingdom of Aksum, 225)
-The first religion they adopted was monotheistic. Their god was called Mahrem, and they believed that kings were directly descended from Mahrem. They believed in animism and also worshipped the Greek god of war, Ares. (The Kingdom of Aksum, 227)
-When Ezana became king, he converted to Christianity because he was tutored by a Christian when he was younger. He made it the official religion of Aksum. (The Kingdom of Aksum, 227-228)
-Aksum was one of the only ancient African kingdoms that developed its own written language called Ge’ez. (The Kingdom of Aksum, Khan Academy)
-They were first place south of the Sahara to mint their own coins. The coins were bronze, gold and silver with the inscription “May the country be satisfied.” (The Kingdom of Aksum, 228-229)
-Created terrace farming, dug channels, and made dams and cisterns to store water
-Could be considered as advanced at Western European civilizations at the time
-One of the four greatest powers at the time along with Persia, Rome, and China (The Kingdom of Aksum, Khan Academy)
-Influence reached from the southern regions below the Roman empire to the western edge of the Sahara to the east across the Red Sea and inner Arabian land (The Kingdom of Aksum, Khan Academy)
-Aksum's most important seaport was Adulis. This was the hub of their trade.
-Christianity and Judaism was practiced (The Kingdom of Aksum, Khan Academy)
-Built obelisks to mark emperor tombs (McLean)
-Capital thought to be the resting place of the Ark of the Covenant (The Kingdom of Aksum, Khan Academy)
-Kush declined, so Aksum became the next big power (The Kingdom of Aksum, 225)
-Islamic Empire began to take over (Muscato)
-Islamic empire began conquering the surrounding areas, but Aksum was able to keep friendly relations with them because they harbored Muhammed and his family. (The Kingdom of Aksum, 229)-Soon, however, they isolated from other Christian kingdoms and trading powers because they were controlled by the Islamic empire. (The Kingdom of Aksum, 229)
-Aksum moved its capital to the mountains to protect themselves, but they were unable to work with environment (forest depletion and soil erosion, keep trading, and produce enough food for their population (The Kingdom of Aksum, 229; Muscato).
-The destruction of Adulis is similar to the annexation of the Crimean peninsula in March 2014. Losing Crimea proved a disastrous loss to Ukraine in terms of economy, geography, and politics (Olszański).
-Another example is cultural allies. Aksum was allied with Constantinople, the capital of the Roman/Byzantium empire. They were both Christian states, which strengthened their bond (Marcus). America and Britain are usually allies because they share the same culture and views on many things.
-Aksum's location on the coast had similar advantages to Kush:
-easy access to other trading powers, speedy communication, and natural resources.
-Adulis was an incredibly successful trading port that was the center of Aksum's power.
-If it were to be destroyed or taken, Aksum would be critically damaged.
-The development of their own language had the same benefits: efficient record keeping and better communication, which leads to more advancements.
-The organized system of government allowed more efficient ruling.
-Having an organized military allowed them to better defend their territory
-Aksum’s economy was entirely dependent on trade. There was no back-up plan if trade were to fail them. This proved to be their downfall. Aksum was established enough to even have their own currency.
-Being a Christian state had huge advantages. Since they shared the same religion as the Roman empire, they found a powerful ally
-Present day Eritrea and Ethiopia (The Kingdom of Aksum, 225)
-Located in the Horn of Africa (The Kingdom of Aksum, 225)
-Access to Red Sea and Mediterranean Sea and Indian Ocean and Nile River (The Kingdom of Aksum, 226)
-Hilly and rugged terrain (The Kingdom of Aksum, 228)
-Evidence of 10-12 small towns within the kingdom (The Kingdom of Aksum, Khan Academy)
-At height of empire, stretched across most of modern day Eritrea, northern Ethiopia, western Yemen, southern Saudi Arabia, and Sudan (The Kingdom of Aksum, Khan Academy)
-Placed at the intersection of the Mediterranean Sea, Red Sea, and Arabian Sea
-Monarchy
-Kingdom of Aksum and Ethiopian royal dynasty founded by the son of King Solomon and Queen of Sheba (The Kingdom of Aksum, 225)
-Dynasty lasted until last ruler, Haile Selassie, died in 1975 (The Kingdom of Aksum, 225)
-Their first king was Zoskales (The Kingdom of Aksum, 225)
-Evidence of 10-12 small towns within the kingdom (The Kingdom of Aksum, Khan Academy)
-Each town had a leader, but there was a ruler of all of Aksum called the "King of Kings" (The Kingdom of Aksum, Khan Academy)
-
Social classes were ordered like this (The Kingdom of Aksum, Khan Academy):
Kings
Nobles
Priests and Traders
Craftsmen and Traders
-They fought in groups called sarawits (AKSUM).
-Each sarawit had a leader called a nagast (AKSUM).
-They fought with spears, broad, flat swords, iron knives, and round shields (AKSUM).
-Donkeys, camels, and elephants were used in battle and as transportation (AKSUM).
-Part of caravan route to Egypt and Meroe (The Kingdom of Aksum, 226)
-Had access to Mediterranean Sea and Indian Ocean (The Kingdom of Aksum, 226)
-Their main sea port was Adulis, which is located near present day Massawa (The Kingdom of Aksum, 226)
-Traded salt, rhino horns, tortoise shells, ivory, emeralds, and gold (The Kingdom of Aksum, 226)
-Got cloth, olive oil, wine, brass, iron, and copper (The Kingdom of Aksum, 226)
-Prospered because of new sailing technique that used seasonal winds to cross the Red and Arabian Sea (McLean)
-Aksum's culture was very diverse. It was a blend of Arabian and Kushite culture, along with all the cultures they traded with: Egypt, Arabia, Greece, Rome, Persia, India, and Byzantium. This included the Sabaean people from southern Arabia and the local Da'amot people. (The Kingdom of Aksum, 227; Muscato)
-Greek was the international language at the time, but Aksum developed their own language called Ge'ez. (The Kingdom of Aksum, 225)
-The first religion they adopted was monotheistic. Their god was called Mahrem, and they believed that kings were directly descended from Mahrem. They believed in animism and also worshipped the Greek god of war, Ares. (The Kingdom of Aksum, 227)
-When Ezana became king, he converted to Christianity because he was tutored by a Christian when he was younger. He made it the official religion of Aksum. (The Kingdom of Aksum, 227-228)
-Aksum was one of the only ancient African kingdoms that developed its own written language called Ge’ez. (The Kingdom of Aksum, Khan Academy)
-They were first place south of the Sahara to mint their own coins. The coins were bronze, gold and silver with the inscription “May the country be satisfied.” (The Kingdom of Aksum, 228-229)
-Created terrace farming, dug channels, and made dams and cisterns to store water
-Could be considered as advanced at Western European civilizations at the time
-One of the four greatest powers at the time along with Persia, Rome, and China (The Kingdom of Aksum, Khan Academy)
-Influence reached from the southern regions below the Roman empire to the western edge of the Sahara to the east across the Red Sea and inner Arabian land (The Kingdom of Aksum, Khan Academy)
-Aksum's most important seaport was Adulis. This was the hub of their trade.
-Christianity and Judaism was practiced (The Kingdom of Aksum, Khan Academy)
-Built obelisks to mark emperor tombs (McLean)
-Capital thought to be the resting place of the Ark of the Covenant (The Kingdom of Aksum, Khan Academy)
-Kush declined, so Aksum became the next big power (The Kingdom of Aksum, 225)
-Islamic Empire began to take over (Muscato)
-Islamic empire began conquering the surrounding areas, but Aksum was able to keep friendly relations with them because they harbored Muhammed and his family. (The Kingdom of Aksum, 229)-Soon, however, they isolated from other Christian kingdoms and trading powers because they were controlled by the Islamic empire. (The Kingdom of Aksum, 229)
-Aksum moved its capital to the mountains to protect themselves, but they were unable to work with environment (forest depletion and soil erosion, keep trading, and produce enough food for their population (The Kingdom of Aksum, 229; Muscato).
-The destruction of Adulis is similar to the annexation of the Crimean peninsula in March 2014. Losing Crimea proved a disastrous loss to Ukraine in terms of economy, geography, and politics (Olszański).
-Another example is cultural allies. Aksum was allied with Constantinople, the capital of the Roman/Byzantium empire. They were both Christian states, which strengthened their bond (Marcus). America and Britain are usually allies because they share the same culture and views on many things.
-Aksum's location on the coast had similar advantages to Kush:
-easy access to other trading powers, speedy communication, and natural resources.
-Adulis was an incredibly successful trading port that was the center of Aksum's power.
-If it were to be destroyed or taken, Aksum would be critically damaged.
-The development of their own language had the same benefits: efficient record keeping and better communication, which leads to more advancements.
-The organized system of government allowed more efficient ruling.
-Having an organized military allowed them to better defend their territory
-Aksum’s economy was entirely dependent on trade. There was no back-up plan if trade were to fail them. This proved to be their downfall. Aksum was established enough to even have their own currency.
-Being a Christian state had huge advantages. Since they shared the same religion as the Roman empire, they found a powerful ally
https://enjoyourholiday.com
Works Cited
“AKSUM.” Weapons and Warfare, Weapons and Warfare, 4 May 2018, weaponsandwarfare.com/2018/05/05/aksum/.
“Aksumite Trade and the Port of Adulis.” Kwasi Konadu, 11 Mar. 2018, www.kwasikonadu.info/blog/2018/3/18/aksumite-trade-and-the-port-of-adulis.
“CNG: Printed Auction CNG 72. KINGS of AXUM (Aksum). Nezool. Circa AD 450-500. AV 17mm (1.58 g, 12h).” Classical Numismatic Group, Inc., www.cngcoins.com/Coin.aspx?CoinID=86049.
“When Black Men Ruled the World: 5 Arab Kingdoms, Cities Dominated By Africans Before Rise of Islam.” Atlanta Black Star, Atlanta Black Star, 6 Nov. 2013, atlantablackstar.com/2013/10/26/black-men-ruled-world-5-arab-kingdoms-dominated-africans-rise-islam/3/.
“Eastern African Kingdom of Aksum Timeline.” Timetoast, www.timetoast.com/timelines/eastern-african-kingdom-of-aksum.
“Ge'ez.” Endangered Language Alliance Toronto, 16 Nov. 2013, elalliance.com/geez/.
“Geography of Ethiopia.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 17 Jan. 2019, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geography_of_Ethiopia.
janakesho1. “Kingdom Of Aksum (Axum).” Janakesho, 27 Jan. 2016, janakesho1.wordpress.com/2016/01/26/kingdom-of-aksum-axum/.
“Map of South Russian Ukraine and Crimea.” Wikipedia, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Map_of_South_Russian_Ukraine_and_Crimea.jpg.
Marcus, Harold G., and D. Anthony Low. “Eastern Africa.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 12 Feb. 2015, www.britannica.com/place/eastern-Africa/The-Horn-of-Africa#ref418982.
Markowitz, Mike. “Ancient Coins - The Coinage of Aksum.” CoinWeek, 21 Sept. 2017, coinweek.com/ancient-coins/the-coinage-of-aksum/.
McLean, John. “Kingdom of Aksum.” Lumen Learning, Lumen, courses.lumenlearning.com/suny-hccc-worldcivilization/chapter/kingdom-of-aksum/.
Muscato, Christopher. “The Rise and Fall of the Axum Kingdom in Africa.” Study.com, Study.com, 2019, study.com/academy/lesson/the-rise-fall-of-the-axum-kingdom-in-africa.html.
Nosotro, Rit. “How King Ezana of Axum Made Ethiopia a Christian Nation.” Originalpeople.org, 9 Sept. 2010, originalpeople.org/how-king-ezana-of-axum-made-ethiopia-a-christian-nation/.
Olszański, Tadeuz A., et al. “The Consequences of the Annexation of Crimea.” OSW, OSW, 19 Apr. 2018, www.osw.waw.pl/en/publikacje/analyses/2014-03-19/consequences-annexation-crimea.
Sullivan, Kerry. “Axum: Legendary Kingdom of Ancient Ethiopia.” Ancient Origins, Ancient Origins, www.ancient-origins.net/ancient-places-africa/axum-legendary-kingdom-ancient-ethiopia-006720.
“The Ancient City Of Aksum.” Enjoy Your Holiday!, 19 Sept. 2011, enjoyourholiday.com/2011/09/19/the-ancient-city-of-aksum/.
“The Geography of the Arabian Peninsula - Islamic Facts.” Google Sites, sites.google.com/site/theislamicfacts/home/the-geography-of-the-arabian-peninsula.
“The Kingdom of Aksum.” Khan Academy, Khan Academy, 2019, www.khanacademy.org/humanities/art-africa/east-africa2/ethiopia/a/the-kingdom-of-aksum.
“The Kingdom of Aksum.” World History: Patterns of Interaction, by Roger B. Beck, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Pub. Co., 2012, pp. 225–229.
“Aksumite Trade and the Port of Adulis.” Kwasi Konadu, 11 Mar. 2018, www.kwasikonadu.info/blog/2018/3/18/aksumite-trade-and-the-port-of-adulis.
“CNG: Printed Auction CNG 72. KINGS of AXUM (Aksum). Nezool. Circa AD 450-500. AV 17mm (1.58 g, 12h).” Classical Numismatic Group, Inc., www.cngcoins.com/Coin.aspx?CoinID=86049.
“When Black Men Ruled the World: 5 Arab Kingdoms, Cities Dominated By Africans Before Rise of Islam.” Atlanta Black Star, Atlanta Black Star, 6 Nov. 2013, atlantablackstar.com/2013/10/26/black-men-ruled-world-5-arab-kingdoms-dominated-africans-rise-islam/3/.
“Eastern African Kingdom of Aksum Timeline.” Timetoast, www.timetoast.com/timelines/eastern-african-kingdom-of-aksum.
“Ge'ez.” Endangered Language Alliance Toronto, 16 Nov. 2013, elalliance.com/geez/.
“Geography of Ethiopia.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 17 Jan. 2019, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geography_of_Ethiopia.
janakesho1. “Kingdom Of Aksum (Axum).” Janakesho, 27 Jan. 2016, janakesho1.wordpress.com/2016/01/26/kingdom-of-aksum-axum/.
“Map of South Russian Ukraine and Crimea.” Wikipedia, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Map_of_South_Russian_Ukraine_and_Crimea.jpg.
Marcus, Harold G., and D. Anthony Low. “Eastern Africa.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 12 Feb. 2015, www.britannica.com/place/eastern-Africa/The-Horn-of-Africa#ref418982.
Markowitz, Mike. “Ancient Coins - The Coinage of Aksum.” CoinWeek, 21 Sept. 2017, coinweek.com/ancient-coins/the-coinage-of-aksum/.
McLean, John. “Kingdom of Aksum.” Lumen Learning, Lumen, courses.lumenlearning.com/suny-hccc-worldcivilization/chapter/kingdom-of-aksum/.
Muscato, Christopher. “The Rise and Fall of the Axum Kingdom in Africa.” Study.com, Study.com, 2019, study.com/academy/lesson/the-rise-fall-of-the-axum-kingdom-in-africa.html.
Nosotro, Rit. “How King Ezana of Axum Made Ethiopia a Christian Nation.” Originalpeople.org, 9 Sept. 2010, originalpeople.org/how-king-ezana-of-axum-made-ethiopia-a-christian-nation/.
Olszański, Tadeuz A., et al. “The Consequences of the Annexation of Crimea.” OSW, OSW, 19 Apr. 2018, www.osw.waw.pl/en/publikacje/analyses/2014-03-19/consequences-annexation-crimea.
Sullivan, Kerry. “Axum: Legendary Kingdom of Ancient Ethiopia.” Ancient Origins, Ancient Origins, www.ancient-origins.net/ancient-places-africa/axum-legendary-kingdom-ancient-ethiopia-006720.
“The Ancient City Of Aksum.” Enjoy Your Holiday!, 19 Sept. 2011, enjoyourholiday.com/2011/09/19/the-ancient-city-of-aksum/.
“The Geography of the Arabian Peninsula - Islamic Facts.” Google Sites, sites.google.com/site/theislamicfacts/home/the-geography-of-the-arabian-peninsula.
“The Kingdom of Aksum.” Khan Academy, Khan Academy, 2019, www.khanacademy.org/humanities/art-africa/east-africa2/ethiopia/a/the-kingdom-of-aksum.
“The Kingdom of Aksum.” World History: Patterns of Interaction, by Roger B. Beck, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Pub. Co., 2012, pp. 225–229.