History of Africa To 1850 1. Africa and HISTORY 2 There are problems, and debates about the study of the African past. These issues are critical not just.

History of Africa To 1850History of Africa To 1850

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Africa and HISTORYAfrica and HISTORY

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There are problems, and debates about the study of the African past. These issues are critical not justfor an understanding of Africa, but for an understanding of the entire discipline of history.The notion of ‘African history itself has been so controversial and contested: dismissed asunimportant by some, embraced as an ideological weapon by others, and all the time stubbornly resistant to precise definition.How African is African history’?

““Africa is no historical part of the world; it has no Africa is no historical part of the world; it has no movement or development to exhibit.” movement or development to exhibit.”

• “What do we mean when we say England or France are civilized countries & that the greater part of Africa is uncivilized? The mere enjoyment of such things as railways & telegraphs[] do not necessarily prove their possessors to be in the first rank of civilized nations. Nothing can be so false as to suppose that the outward circumstances of a people are the measure of its barbarism or its civilization.”

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Bishop Tozer , 1870Bishop Tozer , 1870Georg Hegel,1831

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African History in the 1960sAfrican History in the 1960s• “ Perhaps in the future

there will be some African history to teach. But at present there is none, or very little: there is only the history of Europe in Africa. The rest is largely darkness, like the history of pre-Columbian America, and darkness is not a subject for history.” [British historian Hugh Trevor-Roper, 1963]

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Lacking Documents? Art of writing began in Africa Lacking Documents? Art of writing began in Africa

before 4000 BCEbefore 4000 BCE

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North African Sahara area & Nile valley invented art of writing—North African Sahara area & Nile valley invented art of writing—Hieroglyphic SCRIPT 3000 BCEHieroglyphic SCRIPT 3000 BCE

Based upon a combination of pictures & sound-symbolsDeveloped out of need to record crop yield and estimate taxation

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Ethiopic text—Ge’ez languageEthiopic text—Ge’ez language

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The Haidara family The Haidara family Collection—West AfricaCollection—West Africa

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Were Monuments lacking in Africa? The Kingdom of Axum: A Were Monuments lacking in Africa? The Kingdom of Axum: A Rock Pedestal of Christian CivilizationRock Pedestal of Christian Civilization 300 BC-2000 AD 300 BC-2000 AD

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The Chapel of the Tablet at the The Chapel of the Tablet at the Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion allegedly houses allegedly houses

the original the original Ark of the Covenant

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The The Church of St. George is a is a monolithic church in in Lalibela

Meroitic script, 1Meroitic script, 1stst -2 -2ndndc A.D. & Mummified c A.D. & Mummified body of an archers suggest mummification as body of an archers suggest mummification as

generally culture of Nile valley & NAgenerally culture of Nile valley & NA

Ruins of Ancient Zimbabwe Ruins of Ancient Zimbabwe 1000-15001000-1500

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14thC Mali Empire was the world’s gold supplier

European Images of Africa 1500S-European Images of Africa 1500S-1800S :SKETCH OF AFRICA FROM FRA 1800S :SKETCH OF AFRICA FROM FRA

MAURO'S GREAT MAP OF THE WORLD, 1457MAURO'S GREAT MAP OF THE WORLD, 1457

• “It seems that for our sins or for some inscrutable judgment of God, in all the entrances of this great Ethiopia that we navigate along, He has placed a striking angel with a flaming sword of deadly fevers, who prevents us from penetrating into the interior to the springs of this garden, whence proceed rivers of gold that flow to the sea in so many parts of our conquest.”

[Jao De Barros, 16thc Explorer]

Chinese sources of African History: Chinese sources of African History: 1415 Admiral Zheng He returned to China with 1415 Admiral Zheng He returned to China with exotic beasts & envoys from kingdom of Malindiexotic beasts & envoys from kingdom of Malindi

African States and Asian Dominions up African States and Asian Dominions up to 1500to 1500

• 206 B.C. to A.D. 220 China & Africa—trading partners

• 11thc envoys from Zengdan (Land of Blacks)—visited China

• Early 14thc Chinese map shows Madagascar & southern tip of Africa in remarkable detail

• African emissaries from Mogadishu, Brava, Malindi, Zanzibar, Madagascar, & southern Africa to China with fabulous exotica including tortoise shell, elephant ivory, & rhinoceros-horn medicine, zebras, ostriches in exchange for Ming court’s gold, spices, & silk

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Other SourcesOther Sources• Arabic and Indian sources to 1500 AD• Portuguese sources 1500• Dutch Sources 1600-1800• others European sources 1800-1950s• Oral Traditions• Archeological Evidence• Environmental Studies