Les 6: Africa

Representation of Africa:
- Mercator projection: faithful representation of shape.
- Peter's projection: faithful representation of size.
- Visualizes Africa’s large size compared to Europe.
Historical Assumptions:
- Long-standing assumption pre-colonial Africa lacked history.
- View was that Africans were primitive and stuck in time; not exclusive to Europeans.
- Recent attempts to recover African history challenge this conception.
- Rediscovery of history serves as a resource for political identity.
Pan-Africanism:
- Emerged in the 1960s as an effort to create a collective African identity.
- Figures like Rouge Impératrice draw on pre-colonial history to envision future Africa.
Themes in exploration:
- The complex legacy of dealing with remnants of colonialism and 'white' presence.
- Realization of both good and bad aspects, including insights from slavery.
- Focus on the participation of African polities in the trans-Atlantic slave trade.

Geographical Influence on Political Organization:
- Different geographical circumstances lead to various political structures.
- For example, desert locations inhibit the growth of large empires unless near significant water sources.
- Regions with access to resources like coal, salt, and rivers are more apt to develop states.
Historical Context:
- The end of the trans-Atlantic slave trade due to abolitionist pressures led to a rise in local slavery.
Saharan Divide:
- Distinction between Saharan and sub-Saharan peoples.
- Northern groups tend to identify as Mediterranean.
- Significant historical contact existed between North and sub-Saharan Africa through trade relations.
Integrated Systems:
- Lack of political integration due to insufficient technology and infrastructure for governing large areas.
- Need for well-developed postal systems and resting places; challenging in desert environments.
Timeline: +/- 3000 BCE

Cultural Influences:
- Referenced in “Black Athena”: Ancient Greek civilizations influenced by Ancient Egypt.
Agricultural and Political Development:
- Annual flooding of the Nile made agriculture viable, enabling state development.
Writing Development:
- Writing tends to evolve with state formation for bookkeeping and tax purposes.
Existence and Influence:
- Surrounding regions (South: Sudan) extensively interacted with Pharaonic Egypt.
- Nubia was rich, independent, and became a trade hub, controlling routes from tropical Africa to Egypt.
- Luxuries such as gold and ivory were significant in trade.
- Nubians built their own pyramids and controlled considerable wealth, with identifiable settlement evidence dating from +/- 3500 BCE.

Writing and Scientific Advances:
- Aksum developed a writing system and displayed a commitment to scientific achievements.
Historical Relationships:
- Engaged in systematic relationships and trade ties with Egypt and the Nubian dynasty.
- Wars over control of Nubian trade routes punctuated these relationships.
- Nubians once established a brief dynasty within Egypt but faced challenges from desertification, impacting their economy.
Geographical Influence:
- The Blue Nile’s emergence as a driver for state formation during the Aksumite period.

Interconnections with Yemen:
- Significant trade relations with Yemen; notable for the presence of Judaism and other monotheistic religions in the Arabian Peninsula prior to Islam.
- Trade brought ivory and luxury goods from inland Africa to broader markets.
Conversion to Christianity:
- The conversion of rulers in 325 initiated significant socio-political changes.
- Minted coins legitimized rule; post-conversion, coins began to feature crosses instead of rulers.
- Spread of Christianity facilitated by the currency change and monuments erected.

Historical Context:
- Overview of the kingdoms of West Africa, notably the Mali Empire (1235-1670 CE).
- Niger River's role in developing city-states: Jenne, Gao, and Timbuktu became major sites.
Economic Foundations:
- Agriculture and access to natural resources (gold and salt) fueled wealth creation.
- A specific guild controlled gold trades, maintaining trade relations without direct governance.
- Taxes on trade ensured a powerful economy capable of supporting a well-trained military (upwards of 100,000 soldiers at peak).
Legal Frameworks:
- Established codes like 'Kouroukan fouga' recognized local rulers and women's rights.
Mansa Musa:
- Notable pilgrimage to Mecca showcased wealth through distribution of gold, leading to inflation in Cairo.
- Mali's Islamic culture solidified its role in trade and history.

Wealth and Intellectual Centers:
- Timbuktu emerged as a center for Islamic scholarship and wealth due to similar resources as Mali.
Demographics and Organization:
- The Niger delta saw urban centers, with city-states housing populations around 100,000, leading to a total of roughly 1,600,000 inhabitants in a confined area.
- Society constructed defensively (fortresses and palaces) due to military threats.
Political Structure:
- Oba elected from princely pool, with no singular political system.

Military Influence:
- The Oba's power grew due to military strength and the ability to capture prisoners for the slave trade, including contacts beyond regional borders.
Architectural Achievements:
- Impressive wall structures of Benin reached heights of 10 meters and extended over 16,000 km.
- The Bronzes of Benin depicted cultural sophistication and interactions with Europeans.

Bantu Migration:
- Explanation of migration’s socio-political context; not merely military in nature.
- Cultural ramifications and language expansion defined this movement.
Trade Relations:
- Explored trade dynamics with Asante Confederacy and various goods.
Cultural and Economic Connections:
- Bantu expansion influenced socio-political structures; technology and culture thrived in trading posts, notably along the Indian Ocean.

Civilizational Zones:
- Concept of a civilizational zone created through shared languages, philosophies like Ubuntu, and technological advances, despite geographical limitations.
Cultural Exchange:
- Interaction with external cultures fueled local economies and integration.
Geographical Challenges:
- Lack of integrated interdependent systems across Africa due to geography, particularly the rainforest and desert barriers.

Recognition in Political Structures:
- Integrating defeated rivals into political arrangements legitimized rule.
- Slavery existed as a flexible institution varying vastly across cultures.
Historical Arguments:
- The universal nature of slavery and its role in state formation and international relations.
- Acknowledgement of the intertwined histories of various cultures regarding slavery and how it shapes political power.
Dynamics of Expansion and Trade:
- The mechanics behind the trans-Atlantic slave trade across territories due to resource depletion and specialization in slave capture to meet global demand.