One cannot generalize about the nature of African religions as he would be prone to making the mistake of homogeneity among all African cultures. Africa, in truth, is vast both in cultural diversity and geographical variation. This has brought about different languages and customs that have different belief systems. With the different histories associated with […]
Africa’s Religions Read More »
INTRODUCTION Africa, the second largest continent in the world and second most populous continent on earth, is blessed in manifold ways; in language, culture, art, monuments, vegetation, religious ideas, physical quality, natural resources, and many more areas. Though there have been many concepts and definitions regarding the idea of diversity, the indigenous ideas of Africans
Africa’s Diversity Read More »
There have often been wrong assumptions regarding ancient relationships between Africans and the rest of the world, particularly Europe. For example; people wrongly assume that it was Europeans that travelled to Africa, first, or that the age of discovery between the early 15th century and 17th century was the first point of contact between Africans
Africans in Roman London (48AD – 410AD): what DNA tests of 22 Londoners found Read More »
Africa is the second largest continent of the earth’s seven continents and the second most populous continent. Africa has within it many countries with diversity, uniqueness, and culture. It is a continent with lot of resources, different sectors and various kinds of environments. With about 30 million square kilometers, Africa covers about 6% of the
To justify the miscarriage of justice and prejudices against minorities and immigrants, some racist people around the world often project unfounded stereotypes onto the Africans of the world. One of the myths regularly perpetuated is that black people take more drugs. The evidence doesn’t stack up. According to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime,
Myths About Africans: Black People Take More Drugs Read More »
The history and accounts of the Renaissance is remembered by the public as a purely European phenomenon that was centered on a largely homogeneous ethnicity. At the same time, it reduced the presence of people of African descents to the role of servants or slaves. Neither of these two theories was true, for they both
The princely state of Janjira fluttered its red flag with the crescent moon until India won independence in 1947 and merged all the princely states with the union by the following year. The state of Janjira is noted as being among the smallest of the princely States in Menon’s “The Story of Integration of Indian Princely States.” However, compared
African Rulers in Indian History: Janjira, Maharashtra, India (1622-Present) Read More »
There have been many misconceptions when it comes to the status of Africans who lived at much earlier times like the 13th to 18th century and even earlier in the 1st to 6th centuries, particularly Africans that happen to live overseas in what is today Europe and the USA. There is a wrong assumption that
Ivory Bangle Lady: The face of an African in York’s High Society (4th Century) Read More »
5th place: Mirian III of Iberia Mirian III was the 22nd monarch and a king of Iberia or Kartli (Georgia). He was born around c. 277 into the house of Mihran, which was one of the seven great houses of Iran. He reigned from 284 – 361 (77 years) taking over from Aspacures I of
Which monarch had the longest reign in world history? Read More »
Emperor Yekuno Amlak, throne name Tasfa Iyasus, r. 10 August 1270 – 19 June 1285. Artwork of Emperor Yekuno Amlak is an illustration of the king of Ethiopians kings who was a prince from the region of Bet Amhara province. Source: Mereja Forum Ethiopian News and Opinion. Emperor Yagbe’u Seyon, throne name Salomon, r. 18 June 1285
(Architecture Series) Solomonic Dynasty: Through Art and Architecture Read More »
THE START OF CHRISTIANITY IN AFRICA Abu Yemata Guh is an ancient church located in Ethiopia, the only African country that was never colonised by the Europeans. The roots of the Ethiopian states date to as far back as the 10th century BC[1] with the rise of the D’mt Kingdom before the more popular Aksumite
(Architecture Series) Abu Yemata: The Church in the Sky Read More »
Acheulean stone tools emerged in Africa around 1.76mya, before spreading to Europe and Asia. These tools often look like oval or pear-shaped hand axes.
Maravi was a kingdom, situated in the present-day outskirts of Malawi, Mozambique, and Zambia, in the sixteenth century. The present-day name “Maláŵi” is said come from the Chichewa word “malaŵí”, which signifies “flames”. “Maravi”, thus, is a general name of the people groups of Malawi, Zambia, Mozambique and the eastern Zimbabwe. What did their unspoilt
The Maravi Confederacy Read More »
On the eastern bank of the Nile River, about 200 km north-east of Khartoum, Sudan, resides the archeological site that contains remnants of a once flourishing civilization that left behind remains of royal palaces, temples, residential areas, manufacturing areas and even impressive pyramid fields. This archeological site unravels the mysteries of the ancient city of
KINGDOM OF MEROE: Modern approach by “Ancient” AFRICANS Read More »
The kingdom of Nri, in the Igbo language called Ọ̀ràézè Ǹrì is a medieval Igbo[1] kingdom that originated around AD900 and presently still in existence, although its influence and territory have significantly waned. It is among the oldest existing monarchy in Nigeria[2] and had its capital at Igbo-Ukwu. Nri is an ancient Igbo town in
The Nri Kingdom (900AD – Present): Rule by theocracy Read More »
Religion formed a vital part of the ancient Egyptian society and temples were thus, an important part in the daily life of Egyptians. The ancient Egyptians believed that the temples were homes of the gods and goddesses. Every temple was dedicated to a specific god or a goddess, and he or she
The role of temples in Ancient Egyptian cities Read More »
There was a time when lies had not been invented yet that Europeans are a different race to Africans; and Africans married Europeans without thinking about “How will our descendants be treated by ‘some’ Europeans?” So today, these descendants of an Afro-Portuguese lineage can be classed as “Sub-Sahara”, “black”, because of “looks” and ignoring “biology”. In this article, we introduce the Itsekiri Kingdom and its Afro-European monarchy.
The Itsekiri Kingdom (1480 AD – Present): the Afro-Europeans of the Niger Delta Read More »
The word “Warsangali,” in the Somali language, means “bringer of good news.” The Warsangali kingdom (Arabic: سلطنة الورسنجلي, Somali: Saldanadda Warsangeli) was a mighty kingdom in the North-Eastern and South-Eastern regions of Somalia including Kismayo. The kingdom was founded in northern Somalia, in 1218, by a group of Somalis from the Warsangali branch of the
Kingdom of Warsangali (1218-1886AD) : spotlight on Middle Ages African global trade hub Read More »
As of 2018, by some, the continent of Africa is seen as lagging behind, trying to catch up and full of poor countries. In 1895 BC, this wasn’t the case. In 1,895 BC, towns and cities could be built up at will and infrastructural projects fully funded. The city of Kahun (a town by modern-day standards) was built overnight and in a planned format 4,000 years ago. It even had a vet. What did it look like?
Construction Of Kahun: A look at a planned city in 1895 BC Africa Read More »
When his nephew Emperor of the Ming dynasty Zhu Yunwen started eliminating rivals and demoting his uncles, Zhu Di, was “forced”, provided wonderful pretext, to rebel and depose his nephew and become the emperor himself. To add legitimacy to his rule, he did something very unusual and had one his best fleet admirals sail to the East Coast of Africa to get Giraffes. These were labelled the first re-appearance of one of the 4 benevolent animals in Chinese mythology, the Qilin. Where did they go to? What was the role of the Sultanate of Mogadishu, present-day Somalia, in the medieval world?
This 30 meters high and 35 meters long structure was rescued brick by brick and relocated to preserve it for future generations to appreciate by UNESCO. Discover the Temple of Abu Simbel.
The Temples of Abu Simbel (1264 BCE) Read More »
The evidence of civilisation around the Great Lakes of East Africa dates back 5,500 years, but if we want to name names, monarchs tend to keep better records because their right to rule depends on it. So, we know that the kingdom of Bunyoro-Kitara existed from the 11th century to today, surviving an attempt by
1,000 year kings’ list of Bunyoro-Kitara, Uganda (including the first ruler, a woman) Read More »
The Madagascan Kingdom of Imerina was a sizable African Kingdom that spanned from the 16th century to the 19th century. It is named so, as it had control over the majority of what is now modern-day Madagascar. It started from Imerina and spread outwards. It had two capitals, one spiritual at Ambohimanga and one political at Antananarivo, which is also the capital of modern day Madagascar as well. The architecture of Kingdom of Imerina is evidence that African achievements are poorly understood and incorrectly portrayed.
Kingdom of Imerina: Images you haven’t seen from Africa Read More »
Although, the civilisation of Rwanda dates back to 2020 BC, the earliest date for the start of centralisation under one monarch is between the 10th and 11th century. Rwanda was a landlocked kingdom situated in east-central Africa, on the south of the equator, with Nyanza as its capital. The development of the society may be
The Rwandan Civilization (2000 BC – 1960 AD): Iron and Soundwave Technology Read More »
The chances are you have probably never heard of the ancient walls of Benin. The location of the old Benin city is still the present-day location of Benin city in Edo state, south-west Nigeria.When the Europeans first arrived at the Benin kingdom in the late 15th Century, they were astonished by the wealth, quality of
The Ancient Walls of Benin: 16,000 Kilometres (800AD-14th Century) Read More »
The kingdom of Burundi is a landlocked historic kingdom located in the east of central Africa, in the south of the equator. It is bordered by Rwanda in the north, Tanzania to the south and east while the Democratic Republic of Congo to the west. Only a few ethnic communities populate the country, most prominent
Kingdom of Burundi: 11,000 year old invention, 5th most important crop in the world Read More »
Origin of the Akan people The Asante kingdom is a state created by members of the Akan people. One oral tradition of the Aduana clan claims the Akan people came from a place called Ancient Ghana. They went north to Egypt, settled in Nubia, and left Nubia when in the 5th century Axum grew to
The Ashante Kingdom: Gold Coast Read More »
ORIGIN AND EVOLUTION The Great precolonial Benin kingdom is one of the oldest West African civilisations in continuous existence that commands respect; having existed from 355 BC to Present. Well known for its brilliant bronze, ivory, iron artefacts and military prowess. This kingdom although annexed is still present-day Benin city in southwestern Nigeria. It is
The Kingdom of Benin: 1,660 Years from 355 AD to Present Read More »
The Kingdom of Dahomey or the Fon kingdom of Dahomey was a small kingdom in western Africa (now in the southern region of Benin). It was developed on the Abomey Plateau amongst the Fon people in the early 17th century and became a regional power in the 18th century by conquering key cities on the Atlantic coast. It
Kingdom of Dahomey: Could an all female army defeat men? Read More »
The word “polyglot” comes from Greek. “Poly” means “many” and “glot” means tongue. Greek was the first European language to use vowels. It is an Afroasiatic language written right to left originally like Hebrew. Almost every word that starts “ph” in English comes from Greek, along with 12% of all English words – 150,000 words. There are 600,000 words in English, 120,000 words in Yoruba, and no-one has ever counted the number of words in Latin or Greek. Within six years of banning the slave trade, a former slave had the opportunity to produce a bible fully translated into Yoruba, a guide to grammar for Nupe, Igbo and Yoruba, a Yoruba version of the Anglican Book of Common Prayer, receive a Doctor of Divinity from Oxford between 1861 and 1881, to become a polyglot, and become the first Anglican African bishop.
Samuel Ajayi Crowther: from slave to Polyglot & first African Anglican Bishop Read More »
“I’m always ready for a war again
Go down that road again
It’s all the same” The Weeknd. Seems like hardly the lyrics for a Queen Mother. But when the Asante People were humiliated and their Golden Stool demeaned by a British civil servant, guess what happened?
Yaa Asanteewaa: Queen Mother, Grandmother, Sixty, Goes Toe-to-Toe with Britain Read More »
A fallacy about African history is often repeated that political institutions were introduced by either Europeans or Arabs. With one 1,000 year old kingdom still in existence, we demonstrate that African stories are available to turn into documentaries, education and entertainment material from the Kingdom of Buganda.
Kingdom of Buganda: Uganda’s 1000 year old Kingdom Read More »
Africa is full of surprises. Most people visit Africa for safari parks and taking pictures of lovely animals from Range Rovers. But what if you could take a trip into the mind like inception – a journey through time and space. What if you could journey into your imagination and visit a sophisticated African state with no king, no concerns of external threats, a self-sufficient domestic economy, no economy dependent on slavery? Such a state existed.
Federation of Kwararafa (13th – 18th Century) Read More »
Some civilisations sacrificed a work-life balance, art and architectural brilliance to focus on winning wars. One African dynasty found time to fight the Mongol empire and build insane works of beautiful architecture at the same time. “Mamluk” comes from the Arabic “owned” or slave. The Mamluk sultanate was created by slave soldiers and administrators that took over Egypt from the Ayyubid dynasty.
A fallacy about African history is often repeated that the continent has no history. With one empire, we demonstrate that African stories are available to turn into entertainment and education material from the chronicle of the Kilwa Sultanate, translated into Portuguese by Joao de Barros, and the Zanibar Chronicle.
Kilwa Sultanate Kings’ List (960AD – 1505AD) Read More »
Over the span of thirty years, an empire emerged and grew supporting the rising religion at the time, Islam. This period witnessed a spectacular expansion of territory and religion during the Rashidun Caliphate which translates to “The Rightly-Guided Successors” under the leadership of four caliphs covering an area of 6,400,000 km2 and including a population of 21,400,000.
The Rashidun Caliphate: international spread of Islam Read More »
The Kingdom of Kerma was an ancient civilization that existed between 2500 BC and 1500 BC, with its capital at the city of Kerma. It was located in the heart of Sudanese Nubia and is the first provable sub Saharan kingdom to have existed. The Kingdom of Kerma is thought to have existed without a
The Kingdom of Kerma (2500-1500 BC) Read More »
THE HAUSA ETHNICITY The Hausa people are one of the largest ethnic group in Africa. The old Hausa ethnic locations before the Fulani jihad were known collectively as Hausa Bakwai and Hausa Banza, where “Bakwai” was a term used for the original seven Legitimate(Bakwai) Hausa states: Biram, Daura, Gobir, Rano, Katsina, Zaria (Zazzau), and Kano.
The Hausa States: The Pre-Islamic Confederacy Read More »
The Fatimid caliphate was an Islamic kingdom that stretched over North Africa from 909 AD to 1171 AD. The caliphate promulgated the Seveners (or Ismāʿīlism) branch of Shia Islam and its geography spread from the Red Sea (to the East) to the Atlantic Ocean (to the West). It covered a total area of 4,100,000 square
The Fatimid Caliphate: Contributions to Arts and Sciences Read More »
“Bantu” is the academic category name for people of West Africa that initially lived between the regions of Cameroon and Nigeria. The name is a ‘broad brush’ grouping. Some theories propose that some migrants of this grouping traversed in groups and waves into the Congo and other basins. The Bantu migration took them far to
The Bantu Migration: the irony of “them” and “us” thinking Read More »
