ThinkAfrica explainer Are Africans Muslims? Africa is home to one of the largest Muslim populations in the world—but not all Africans are Muslims. The continent is religiously diverse, with Islam, Christianity, and indigenous belief systems all deeply rooted across different regions. The short answer: many Africans are Muslim, especially in North, West, and parts of […]
Are Africans Muslims? Read More »
ThinkAfrica explainer Why Did Europeans Colonise Africa? Europeans colonised Africa for a mix of economic, political, strategic, and ideological reasons. Industrial economies wanted raw materials, rival states wanted prestige and territory, military planners wanted routes and bases, and many leaders wrapped expansion in missionary and “civilising” language. The short answer is simple: Europeans colonised Africa
Why Did Europeans Colonise Africa? Read More »
An African claimed the battles of the “Scramble for Africa” were successful because Africans worshipped false gods. The fact though is that African countries didn’t lose wars because of false gods. If worshipping the Christian God won wars, New Kingdom Egyptian dynasties, Kushite empire, the Chola Chola dynasty, Persians and later Mongols would not have
The Myth Africa Lost against Europeans due to Worshipping False Gods Read More »
Executive Summary Schuenemann et al. (2017) Ancient Egyptian Mummy DNA Study — Full Critical Evaluation Core Findings: 🔹 Severe limitations acknowledged by the authors: missing excavation records, loss of biographical context, analysis from a single Middle Egyptian Greco-Roman site, and nuclear genome data from only three individuals. 🔹 Heavy reliance on mitochondrial DNA (maternal lines),
Schuenemann et al. (2017) Study — Full Catalogue of Direct Quotes and Limitations Read More »
Below is a timeline of the most important milestones in Ethiopian history, from prehistory through antiquity and into the early modern period. This timeline debunks multiple stereotypes often perpetuated about African—and specifically Ethiopian—history. First, it dismantles the colonial myth that African civilizations lacked historical depth or intellectual complexity before European contact, showing continuous innovation from
Timeline of Ethiopia Read More »
One of the most persistent and unfounded myths about Africa is the claim that it had no civilizations before European contact. This narrative is not only historically inaccurate, but it is also morally bankrupt, as it seeks to erase the achievements of millions of people and justify colonial exploitation. The timeline provided offers clear archaeological
In 2020, Stuart Tyson Smith, professor of anthropology at UC Santa Barbara, offered a sharp critique of the 2017 Nature study by Schuenemann et al., which claimed that ancient Egyptian mummies showed stronger genetic ties to the Near East than to Sub-Saharan Africa. At first glance, this study seemed to confirm longstanding Eurocentric narratives that
Picture this: the mud-splattered trenches of France, the suffocating jungles of Burma, the searing deserts of North Africa. Now, populate these scenes not just with Tommies and Yanks, but with the ebony faces of African soldiers ⚔️, the sturdy frames of Caribbean porters ⛵, and the sun-scorched feet of barefoot carriers laden with supplies they
The Forgotten Millions: Africa and the Caribbean in Two World Wars Read More »
The Nok Civilization pioneered advanced terracotta art, iron-smelting, and agriculture, leaving a lasting legacy in West African history and culture.
The Nok Civilization: A Forgotten Giant of West Africa Read More »
Black Britons have shaped Britain for over 40,000 years, influencing its culture, economy, and history from prehistoric times to today.
Timeline: Black Presence in Britain – The Black Britons Read More »
The Zulu Kingdom of the 19th century was a monarchy along the Indian Ocean, stretching from the Tugela River in the south to the Pongola River in the north, with an estimated population of 250,000 over 30,000 square kilometers (11,500 square miles). Cattle served as the main currency. Unique cultural practices included Nguni stick fighting,
Origins Of The Zulu Kingdom Read More »
Many countries from Europe, Asia Minor and America were involved in the slave trade, transporting Africans against their will from Africa to their own countries or colonies to profit from their re-sale or value in use. In the following table, the estimates of the numbers of people transported, the flags of the carriers and their
10 Non-African Nations involved in the slave trade Read More »
The Silver Treaty, also known as the Eternal Treaty or the Egyptian–Hittite peace treaty, is the earliest known surviving peace treaty and is sometimes called the Treaty of Kadesh after the well-documented Battle of Kadesh that had been fought some 16 years earlier although Kadesh is not mentioned in the text. It is also the
The silver treaty – Earliest surviving written peace treaty Read More »
In a time without the media, or intoxicants, what could cause violence?
What causes violence? Africa (11,700 BC to 3,000 BC) Read More »
The Fulani people, numbering about 38 million, are found mostly in the western part of Africa. They are also known as the Fulbe or Peuls and in the Middle Ages (covering the 5th to the 15th century of the Common Era) were very reliant on cattle herding. The Fulani people trace their origin far back
The Kingdom of Altava was a Berber Kingdom, with the city of Altava as its capital. It existed from the year 578 AD to 708 AD. It was located in Northern Africa, in present-day Algeria. It was called a Berber kingdom as its majority population belonged to the Berber ethnicity, which is an ethnic group
The Christian Kingdom of Altava (578 AD – 708 AD), Algeria Read More »
Have you ever thought, “Why can’t farmers in African nations study the richer countries and imitate what they did to become wealthier”? Phrased another way the question is “Couldn’t Africa do today what the developed economies like the United States, France and the United Kingdom did to create wealth?” The answer is no and yes,
Question: Could African farmers copy Rich Countries for wealth creation? Read More »
Africa is an ancient and great continent, the first home of humans. A continent in which its ancient peoples through numerous foundational inventions opened the doors of advancement to the world. Over time a great many of her contributions to human development and advancement has been lost, forgotten or unjustly denied credit. Some of the
Myths about Africa: the Suez Canal was first built by France myth Read More »
The Kingdom of Luba is an ancient African Kingdom which was based in current day Democratic Republic of Congo. It was founded in the Upemba depression, which is a large area of marshes, and comprises of over 50 lakes. The Kingdom was founded by King Kongolo (also called Nkongolo) in 1585 and would last over
Tools of African History: the Lukasa Memory Board of the Luba Kingdom Read More »
Ancient Egypt is known for many things: its monuments, its inventions, and its extensive historical records. Its historical records are among the oldest top 2 in the world. MONUMENTS Five of the most visited monuments in Egypt are: The Great Sphinx The great sphinx is carved out of limestone, believed to be built over 4,000
History of Ancient Egypt (4,500 BCE to 664 BCE in 10 mins) Read More »
African political systems In the time before the 19th century from 4,000 BCE to 1800 CE, African societies developed no fewer than fifteen unique political systems of government and property rights. In this article we look at what those systems were, examples of states that used them and over what length of time. Fundamentally political
Africa’s 15 Pre-Colonial Political Systems Read More »
Ever since the abolishment of slavery and the granting of independence to African nations, the continent has been stricken with what seems like never-ending conflicts. There are pockets of violence here and there between groups in Africa, and this has seriously stunted its growth, damaged perceptions of rule of law, unification, and development as there
Myths about Africa: Do conflicts and insecurity have nothing to do with rich countries? 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 »
Yakut Khan, whose real name was Siddi Qasim Khan and also known as Sidi Yaqub, was an Indian of the Siddi ethnicity (also referred to Sheedi or Habshi)[1]. The Siddi ethnic group is a social grouping for the identifiable descendants of East Africans that migrated to India during the second millennium of our era. They
700 miles south from the Mediterranean coast, there, stretches a sub-beaten arid African desert, with temperatures that can rise up to 55 ºC in the summer, an average annual rainfall that is less than half an inch, and sometimes even it doesn’t see rain for years. One would never imagine that a lost 3,000-year-old-African civilization
The Garamantes: The Civilisation that mined Fossil Water from the Sahara for 1,000 Years Read More »
The Zulu kingdom of the 19th Century was ruled by a monarchy and extended along the coast of the Indian Ocean from the Tugela River in the south to Pongola River in the north. It had an estimated population of 250,000. It covered 30,000 square kilometres (11,500 square miles). Its main currency was cattle. The
Sometimes the question is asked, “What did Africa ever invent?” We take a look at the earliest Sea-faring vessels.
Africa’s inventions: the Earliest Sea-Faring Vessels Read More »
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 »
Illustrated by Brian Delf Aniba was a very significant fortress in the twelfth dynasty. It was located in Nubia and was about 230Km south of Aswan. Though the place is today flooded by the Lake Nasser, it was deemed a very important town at that time. It was popularly called Miam and was located around
Aniba Fortress: A look at 1961-1917 BCE African Defenses and Engineering 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 »
Granite statue of Queen Hatshepsut It is common knowledge that Pharaohs of ancient Egypt excelled in building incredible monuments and temples both for the gods they worshipped and for themselves as a display of power and to ensure that they would be remembered forever throughout the Egyptian Pharaonic Empire. Today, tourists from all parts of
What kingdoms existed in Africa before the Scramble for Africa of the late 19th century and its well known recent period of colonisation by Europe? We look at the Kingdom of Numidia (202 BC – 46BC). Numidia were crucial in the crushing defeat of Rome during the Battle of Cannae that wiped out the ruling class of Rome and their betrayal of Carthage to back Rome contributed to the downfall of the Carthaginian republic during the 3rd Punic War.
Kingdom of Numidia (202BC – 46BC) Read More »
If you take a walk around Scotland observing its numerous monuments that include remains of forts, towers and roads, you will find that most –if not all- the surviving monuments are military in nature. This is because at some time, Scotland’s location was on the northwest frontier of the enormous Roman Empire. One of the
Africans on the Antonine Wall (2nd century AD) Read More »
Juan Valiente, was born in Northwest Africa, became a slave, was sold to Hernan Cortes’ cousin, was talented, became a Captain and Encomienda holder.
Juan Valiente: From Slave to Spanish Conquistador, Captain and Encomienda-holder Read More »
There is a painting from the 16th century that depicts Juan Garrido holding a pike and standing next to the Spanish conquistador, Hernan Cortes. Many have mistaken Garrido in this painting as a slave along with other paintings from the same era. This is because in Portugal at this time, a time were almost all
Juan Garrido: African Spaniard & Conquistador of the New World Read More »
The Spanish Morocco African Army, also known as the Army of Africa was one of the distinct forces of the Spanish Army. It primarily consisted of two units – The Spanish Legion and the Regulares. It is called the Spanish Morocco African Army because it was a field-armed force of the Spanish Army that garrisoned
Spanish Morocco African Troops (Fuerzas Regulares Indígenas) 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?
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 Carrier Corps were a logistical support labour force created in, and recruited from, the British East Africa Protectorate, now Kenya and Uganda, during the First World War. It was a section of the British armed forced which helped the British in the fight against the German Military powers in East Africa, led by Paul
WW1: Spotlight on British East Africa Carrier Corps 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 »
