Era II: 600 - 1400 C.E.

The Five Pillars of Faith are duties that represent the submission to the will of Allah. 1) Faith - When a person is converted to Islam, they recite the Declaration of Faith: "There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah". 2) Prayer - Muslims must face in the direction of the city of Mecca and pray five times a day. 3) Alms - All Muslims are called to give money to the poor through a religious tax called Alms. 4) Fasting - During the holy month of Ramadan, Muslims fast from dawn to dusk and only eat at the very end of the day. 5) Pilgrimage - Muslims are called to make a special trip to the city of Mecca at least once in their life.

Islam was founded in Mecca by Muhammad. Muhammad was said to have received revelations from the angel Gabriel that said he was a messenger of God. Muhammad believed he was the last prophet and that Allah, the one true god, was speaking to him through the angel. After the revelations, Muhammad began spreading his religion, and his followers became known as Muslims, or people who have submitted to the will of Allah.

Beginning around 640, Islam spread into the northern part of Africa. As the religion was spread, many African rulers converted over and centralized states began to form. Islam mixed with native cultures to create a synthesis that took different forms around northern Africa.
Between 600-1450, two major empires emerged in West Africa.

1) Ghana - By the 700s, the Soninke formed an empire called Ghana ("war chief") that grew rich from taxing the goods that traders carried through their land and territory. Gold was a key asset from the Niger River area that was traded for salt from the Sahara. Ghana's rulers and elites converted to Islam, but some remained with their initial religions.

2) Mali – During the 11th century, a Muslim group called the Almoravids conquered Ghana. By the 13th century, the empire Mali formed and dominated West Africa more than Ghana ever did. Mali also based its wealth on gold. New deposits were found east of the Niger River and gold became common in long distance trade.

Pope Urban II called for the Christian Crusades in 1095. He believed that knights from western Europe must defend the Christian Middle East, especially the Holy Lands from Turkish Muslim invasions. By the late 13th century, the Crusades ended with no permanent gains for the Christians. The Crusades brought Europeans into the major world trade circuits. Knights brought home all kinds of trading goods from all parts of the world and sparked a demand in Europe for foreign products, like silk, spices, and gold. Because of this, cities became increasingly wealthy. This wealth became the basis for great cultural changes in Europe.

The Mongol conquests and invasions of the 13th century were one of the most influential set of events in history. The Mongols conquered China, India, the Middle East, and the kingdom of Russia. Their invasions disrupted major trade routes, but later recovered. The Mongol Empire eventually split apart, and the Mongols themselves assimilated into the cultures they themselves "conquered".