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 […]
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The start of the Transatlantic slave trade was during the 15th century when the Portuguese began kidnapping people from Africa’s west coast and transported them to America and Europe. For almost a century, Portugal was rising and growing as an empire, an empire that was built on the use of slaves captured from Africa
The Abbasid Caliphate came after the Umayyad caliphate, in 750 CE, lasted 5 centuries and was one of the largest Empires in the world at its peak.
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The word Kilwa translates loosely to Island. The full name of Kilwa Kisiwani, translates in Tanzanian to Isle of the Fish. The Kingdom of Kilwa is known as one of the great African empires in history. It existed from 960-1513 CE, and was based in Tanzania. In its heyday, its wealth and trading prowess was
Kilwa Sultanate: a state based in Tanzania which traded as far as Australia Read More »
The Kingdom of Mapungubwe was a pre-colonial state in Southern Africa located at the confluence of the Shashe and Limpopo rivers, south of Great Zimbabwe. Its name, translated roughly from the Shona language, means “Hill of the Jackal”. It flourished from the end of the 9th century to the beginning of the 14th century. It
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Annual Elected Heads of state: Carthage (814 BC–146 BC) The Ancient Republic of Carthage which survived from 814 till about 146 BC was founded by sailors and settlers from Phoenicia (a Civilisation that existed from 2500 BC to 539BC). Phoenicians may not have viewed themselves as a nation, but the label is the term we
Elections in 9th Century BCE Africa: Carthage, Prior to Athenian Democracy Read More »
If a person wanted to hold (or retain) a political role and wanted the masses to hold a particular point of view, how would they go about spreading their message and proving that they are qualified for such a role? Surely, they would want to appear at their best, bringing out all their finest qualities
The Birth of Propaganda: King Den’s Sandal Label Read More »
The kingdom of Punt is described in great detail in ancient Egyptian texts as the “Land of the Gods” – Ta Netjer. The history of Punt is connected intimately with the ancient Egyptian kingdoms and was a valuable trading partner of the kingdoms. In pre-dynastic era (c6000 – 3150 BC) signs of trade had already
Kingdom of Punt: When Ancient Egypt Envied Somalia Read More »
The Kingdom of Luba was a large powerful kingdom which held the major power in Central Africa from the 15th century to the late 19th century (1585-1889). It was established in the 15th century, though the region of Upemba depression had been inhabited for almost 1000 years prior by fishing villages on the lake and
The word Zimbabwe loosely translated to ‘House of Rock’. It is a severely anglicized version of the Shona words dzimba dza mabwe, meaning great stone houses or dzimba woye, meaning esteemed houses. The Shona people were the original inhabitants of the Zimbabwe plateau. These people settled in this area and slowly developed a society of
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The Kingdom of Dahomey, also called 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.
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West African history The Songhai Kingdom: Facts, History, Trade and Power The Songhai Kingdom existed from 1375 to 1591 and became one of the largest and most powerful states in West African history. At its peak, the Songhai Kingdom stretched along the Niger, ruled vast territory, expanded trade, reformed government, and helped make cities such
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The Kingdom of Congo was a medieval state in west-central Africa, located south of the Congo River, that came into existence of 1375.
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The Kanem-Bornu empire spanned 12 centuries. It was a monarchy, had its capital in Njimi (later Gazargamo), and stretched Chad and Nigeria border. This article charts the rise and fall of the Kanem-Bornu empire.
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About the Mali Empire, the powerful West African state which existed from 1235 to 1670 CE, founded by Sundiata Keita. (In Manding: also known as Niani, after its capital)
Aksum is also spelt legitimately as Axum. The Kingdom of Aksum is a state that existed from 100 AD to 940 AD. Its capital was the city of Aksum although it controlled parts of the Arabian Peninsula (modern day Yemen after conquering the Himyarite Kingdom and modern day Saudi Arabia), the region of Nubia, Kush,
Overview Nok civilisation existed from 1500 BC to 200 AD. It may have been ruled by a monarchy or existed as a confederacy. We know from other African societies within close proximity that centralized states could break up into decentralized chiefdoms or vice versa. Evidence from the consistency of terracotta art over a one-thousand-year period
The Mossi kingdoms were a group of twenty states and kingdoms in Africa that lasted from around the 11th century to the 19th century. It was surrounded by the Mali Empire to the West and the kingdom of Songhai to the North. Despite long-standing battles within the Mossi kingdom and with the stronger Songhai & Mali kingdoms, the Mossi states largely retained their independence until the arrival of the French upon its shores in 1896. Uniquely the Mossi kingdoms did not majorly participate in the Transatlantic Slave Trade. The Mossi had similar concepts to Europe (for instance to the United Kingdom’s Prince of Wales title). The sons of the ruler were given provincial responsibilities as Dimas. There were positions among noblemen for Commerce, the Military and Industry.
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