Here is what you need to know about the first signs of human life in AFRICA
Human life in AFRICA is one of the most talked about topics across the globe. It is widely known that Africa is the birthplace of humanity, where the earliest evidence of human existence has been discovered.
Human history spans a minimum of 2 million years, with some experts suggesting it could extend as far back as 12 million years.
Approximately 2 million years ago, hominids, human-like creatures, started crafting and utilizing tools in East Africa. These early human groups dispersed in various directions, gradually spreading their tools and cultural practices across the globe.
These creatures lived among other animals that were often much more powerful than they were. They had to find ways of surviving. On the day that the first of these hominids picked up a stone to throw at another animal (either in self-defence or to kill for food) there took place the most important revolution in the whole history of humanity. For a stone, used like this in those early times, became the first tool. These tools gave the weak hominid a chance to survive.
Changes in the climate of the world (centuries of ice, centuries of rain, centuries of drought) made life difficult. Only those creatures that could cope with these changes could survive. Over thousands of years they learnt how to make fire and to cook.
They started burying their dead. Their societies developed the Saharan region rules of living and of order. We can be sure that they prayed to various gods, sang songs, danced, and used paint on their bodies. Up to this point, the story of humanity is more or less the same all over the word.
Then suddenly, about 12 000 years ago, the story of Africa goes its own way.
Basil Davidson, one of the best writers of the history of Africa, says: “Pastures appeared. Rivers flowed. The land became fertile.” People from North Africa and from West-Central moved into Europe and Asia.
The Mali Empire is one of the popular empires to exist in the world. Here is how strong the empire was and it European slaves
Wagadu empire, throughout most of her history, from the 5th century CE to the 12th century CE, maintained the traditional ways of the natives of the empire. Mali empire which later absorbed the Wagadu empire in the 13th century CE had elites that had embraced the sociological ideology that was coming into Africa from the Arabian peninsula through the trans-saharan trade routes.
Although the generality of the people of Mali retained their traditional religious beliefs and spirituality, especially that of the griots.
Becoming a Muslim was a matter of convenience for west African princes in Gao, Kano, Tekrur and Timbuktu, mostly from the later parts of the 7th century CE, at the peak of the trans-saharan trade which blew most west African city-states to eye-watering riches.
But with the trans-saharan trade also came foreign cultures, and with it, the young sociological ideology of Islam and a steady flow of captured and enslaved people from the Mediterranean to north Africa and then west Africa, as well as from west Africa to the Arabian peninsula.
The trade in humans by the Arabs had lasted for about 1000 years, even before the triangular, European trans-atlantic slave trade began in the 15th/16th century CE. While the European trans-atlantic slave trade wore a racial veneer, the Arabs slave trade had no racial undertones, but it rather exuded a religious drive as well as the economic gain that came with it.
To this effect, laws were written concerning enslavement by several Islamic scholars and jurists. Mahmud Bambari wrote in the 14th century CE thus; “…Anyone who’s known to be from those lands which are known to be lands of Islam should be let go and should be adjudged free… This is the ruling of the jurist from Andalusia.” These laws were taken seriously and many groups in west African embraced the belief system from the Arabian peninsula to avoid capture and enslavement.
For the kings and princes of west Africa, becoming a Muslim meant that the markets of the Mediterranean were open to them as well as possible alliances with caliphs of Arabia. This situation had stretched into the 19th century CE.
Enslaved persons from both Europe and Africa were given as homage or sold to caliphs, kings and princes from north Africa, Arabian peninsula and Mali empire. For example, during the famous raid of Lisbon in the 10th century CE, 3000 young European women were sent to the Arabian peninsula as homage to the Caliphs. This might have seemed like normal part of everyday life, and European slaves were also brought to the Mali empire from about the 13th century CE.
The enslavement of Europeans that were brought into north Africa and the Arabian peninsula was common in medieval times, to an extent that king George I, in 1721, once lamented of how “most of his subjects were taken into slavery in north Africa” by the Arabs -(Nature knows no colourline by J.A. Rogers).
This line of slavery was so intense that most coastal towns in Europe were vacated. Not much people of the Soudan (as most of west Africa was known then) were enslaved, most of the enslaved, captured by the Varangians, Vikings etc and sold to the Arabs or Jewish merchants from Cordoba were Europeans. For example “Mulai Ismail of Merknes, Morocco had 25,000 European slaves who had participated in the building of his colossal stables.” -(The golden age of the Moor, by Ivan Van Sertima).
The Mamluk were ruling Egypt in the 13th century CE at the same time Mansa Suleiman was ruling the Mali empire after the death of Mansa Musa. Al Umari of Damascus who travelled to Africa wrote this of the Mali royalty: “The king of this realm sits in his palace on a big dais (mastaba) which they call Banbi, on a big seat made of ebony like a throne for a heavily-built sitter. Over the dais, on all sides, are elephant tusks one beside the other. He has with him his arms, which are all of gold; sword, javelin, quiver, bows and arrows.
He wears a big trousers cut out of about twenty pieces which none but he wears. About 30 slaves (Mamluk) stand behind him, Turks and others who were bought for him in Egypt. One of them carries in his hand a parasol of silk surmounted by a dome and a bird of gold in the shape of a falcon.”
Ibn Battuta, a Moroccan writer and explorer visited The Mali empire in the 14th century CE, and said himself that while at the court of ‘a wealthy man named Faga Suleiman,’ Ibn Battuta said he spoke to one of his Arab slave girls and ‘she was from Damascus.’
In the 12th century CE, the Africans and Arabs who were in southern Europe, introduced gunpowder into Europe. This know-how came in from China via the silk routes during incursion of Genghis Khan, the Mongolian, into Europe.
This gave birth to the invention of ‘firing sticks’ (forerunner to guns). Europe had developed this technology to protect ‘Europeans against Europeans’ (-John Henrik Clarke) in the barbarian tribal wars that had stretched into the middle ages.
But during the Renaissance era when Europe managed to break away from the dire conditions of the ‘dark ages’ (when most of Europe had degenerated back to primitive life after the fall of western Roman empire), nationalism began to unite European scattered tribal groups under the papacy.
In 1455 CE, pope Nicholas V wrote a papal bull, declaring all Moors, Saracens and non-christian black-skinned people to perpetual slavery.
By 1492, all Moors in Spain surrendered their castles, with Spain claiming more of the Moorish territories. The blood-letting and persecutions that followed was so much so that the new sultan of the ottoman empire had to send ships to escort fleeing Jews to settle in his conquered lands.
By this time also, Columbus had stumbled on the Americas islands while seeking a western ocean route to Asia, as the silk routes in the east were already taken over by the ottomans. The Africans in Spain were the first group to be shipped as slaves to the Americas from Spain.
Next in line was west African captured able-bodied craft men, seamen from Kru, blacksmiths, masons, planters, traders, fishermen, goldsmiths and so on, to the plantations of the Americas in order to toil and produce proceeds to develop Western Europe and America for the sake of Europeans. These ones became greater grand parents of people like Michael Jackson, Eddie Murphy, Booker T. Washington, Malcolm X, Du Bois and so on.
The Yoruba Kingdoms and Benin – To the extent authentic memory broadens, the Yoruba have been the prevailing gathering on the west bank of Niger.
To the extent authentic memory broadens, the Yoruba have been the prevailing gathering on the west bank of Niger. Of blended inception, they were the result of the osmosis of occasional influxes of travellers who advanced a typical language and culture. The Yoruba were coordinated in patrilineal drop bunches that involved town networks and stayed alive on farming, yet from about the 11th century A.D., neighbouring town compounds, called ile, started to blend into various regional city-states in which loyalties to the tribe got subordinate to loyalty to a dynastic clan leader. This progress created an urbanized political and social climate that was joined by a significant degree of imaginative accomplishment, especially in earthenware and ivory design and in the complex metal projecting delivered at Ife. The metal and bronze utilized by Yoruba craftsmen was a huge thing of exchange, produced using copper, tin, and zinc either imported from North Africa or from mines in the Sahara and northern Nigeria.
The Yoruba pacified a lush pantheon headed by a generic god, Olorun, and included lesser divinities, some of them once mortal, who played out an assortment of enormous and commonsense assignments. One of them, Oduduwa, was viewed as the maker of the earth and the precursor of the Yoruba lords. As per a creation fantasy, Oduduwa established the city of Ife and dispatched his children to build up different urban communities, where they ruled as minister rulers and managed religious ceremonies. Formal practices of this sort have been deciphered as lovely representations of the chronicled cycle by which Ife’s decision administration expanded its position over Yorubaland. The tales were endeavours to legitimize the Yoruba governments – after they had superseded tribe loyalties- – by asserting a heavenly root.
Ife was the focal point of upwards of 400 strict religions whose customs were controlled to a political favorable position by the oni (ruler) in the times of the realm’s significance. Ife likewise lay at the focal point of an exchanging network with the north. The oni upheld his court with tolls demanded on an exchange, recognition claimed from conditions and offerings due him as a strict pioneer. Perhaps the best heritage to present-day Nigeria is its lovely model related to this custom.
The oni was picked on a turning premise from one of a few parts of the decision line, which was made out of a family with a few thousand individuals. When chosen, he went into disengagement in the castle compound and was not seen again by his kin. Underneath the oni in the state pecking order were royal residence authorities, town bosses, and the leaders of remote conditions. The royal residence authorities were representatives for the oni and the leaders of conditions who had their own subordinate authorities. All workplaces, even that of the oni, were elective and relied upon expansive help inside the local area. Every authority was browsed among the qualified faction individuals who had innate
right to the workplace. Individuals from the imperial tradition frequently were allowed to administer conditions, while the children of castle authorities expected lesser parts as functionaries, guardians to the oni, and judges.
During the fifteenth century, Oyo and Benin outperformed Ife as political and financial forces, in spite of the fact that Ife saved its status as a strict focus even after its decrease. Regard for the religious elements of the oni of Ife and acknowledgment of the regular practice of source was essential variables in the development of Yoruba identity. The oni of Ife was perceived as the senior political authority among the Yoruba as well as at Benin, and he contributed Benin’s rulers with the images of worldly force.
The Ife model of government was adjusted at Oyo, where an individual from its decision line united a few more modest city-states under his influence. A board of express, the Oyo Mesi, in the long run, accepted accountability for naming the alafin (ruler) from applicants proposed by the decision administration and went about a keep an eye on his power. Oyo created as a protected government; the real government was in the possession of the basorun (PM), who directed the Oyo Mesi. The city was arranged 170 kilometres north of Ife, and around 100 kilometres north of present-day Oyo. In contrast to the woods bound Yoruba realms, Oyo was in the savanna and drew its military strength from its cavalry powers, which set up authority over the contiguous Nupe and the Borgu realms and subsequently created shipping lanes farther toward the north.
Long before colonialism reshaped the African continent, Africa was home to some of the world’s most advanced kingdoms and empires. These civilizations built thriving cities, controlled international trade routes, developed sophisticated systems of governance and left behind remarkable cultural and architectural achievements that continue to inspire historians today.
From the gold-rich kingdoms of West Africa to the towering pyramids of Nubia and the stone cities of Southern Africa, these empires demonstrated Africa’s influence on global history.
Here are seven of the most powerful African empires that helped shape the continent’s past.
1. The Kingdom of Kush (c. 1070 BC–350 AD)
The Kingdom of Kush, located in present-day Sudan, was one of Africa’s longest-lasting civilizations, surviving for more than a thousand years along the Nile Valley.
Although often overshadowed by Ancient Egypt, Kush became a powerful kingdom in its own right. It controlled valuable trade routes linking Central Africa to Egypt and the Mediterranean, exporting gold, ivory, ebony, incense and iron.
At one point, the Kushite kings conquered Egypt and ruled as the 25th Dynasty, earning the title of the “Black Pharaohs.”
The Kushites adopted several Egyptian customs, including pyramid building and mummification, while developing their own unique identity and culture. Today, the ancient city of Meroë contains more than 200 pyramids significantly more than those found in Egypt.
2. The Land of Punt
Few places in African history remain as mysterious as the Land of Punt.
Ancient Egyptian records dating back more than 4,000 years describe Punt as a wealthy kingdom rich in gold, ebony, myrrh, frankincense and exotic animals such as baboons and leopards.
Papyrus indicating arrangements for an Egyptian excursion to Punt. (Credit: De Agostini Picture Library/Getty Images)
Egyptian rulers organised several expeditions to Punt, with one of the most famous taking place during the reign of Queen Hatshepsut in the 15th century BC.
Despite extensive archaeological research, historians have never conclusively identified its exact location. Most scholars believe Punt was situated somewhere along the Red Sea coast, likely in parts of modern-day Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia or Djibouti.
Its true location remains one of Africa’s greatest historical mysteries.
3. Carthage (814 BC–146 BC)
Located in present-day Tunisia, Carthage grew from a Phoenician settlement into one of the Mediterranean’s most powerful trading empires.
Its strategic location allowed it to dominate maritime commerce across North Africa, southern Europe and parts of the Middle East.
The city became famous for its powerful navy, bustling ports and commercial wealth.
Carthage is perhaps best remembered for its long conflict with Ancient Rome during the Punic Wars, particularly under the legendary general Hannibal Barca, who famously crossed the Alps with war elephants.
Following the Third Punic War in 146 BC, Rome destroyed the city, bringing one of Africa’s greatest ancient powers to an end.
Today, the ruins of Carthage remain one of Tunisia’s most important historical sites.
4. The Kingdom of Aksum (c. 100 AD–940 AD)
The Kingdom Aksum
The Kingdom of Aksum, centred in modern-day Ethiopia and Eritrea, was one of the world’s leading civilizations during the early centuries of the Common Era.
Its location along Red Sea trade routes allowed it to prosper through commerce with Rome, Persia, Arabia and India.
Aksum exported ivory, gold, spices and agricultural products while importing luxury goods from across Asia and Europe.
The kingdom also developed Ge’ez, one of Africa’s oldest written languages, and became one of the earliest states in history to officially adopt Christianity during the fourth century.
Its towering stone obelisks remain among Africa’s greatest engineering achievements.
Legacy
The religious influence of Aksum lives on today through the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, one of the oldest Christian traditions in the world.
5. The Mali Empire (c. 1235–1670)
The Mali Empire became one of the richest and most influential kingdoms in medieval Africa.
Founded by Sundiata Keita, the empire expanded rapidly across West Africa by controlling major trans-Saharan trade routes that carried gold, salt and other valuable goods.
Its most famous cities included Timbuktu and Djenné, both celebrated as centres of Islamic learning, scholarship and commerce.
The empire reached its greatest height under Mansa Musa, whose pilgrimage to Mecca in 1324 became legendary.
Historical accounts describe how Mansa Musa distributed so much gold during his journey through Egypt that its value temporarily declined in Cairo due to the sudden increase in supply.
His immense wealth helped place West Africa firmly on medieval world maps.
6. The Songhai Empire (c. 1464–1591)
Following the decline of Mali, the Songhai Empire emerged as West Africa’s dominant power.
At its height, it stretched across large parts of modern-day Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Burkina Faso and several neighbouring countries, making it one of the largest empires in African history.
Under Askia Muhammad I, Songhai strengthened its administration, expanded trade and promoted Islamic education.
The city of Timbuktu flourished as one of the world’s leading centres of learning, attracting scholars from across Africa and the Middle East.
The empire eventually collapsed after Moroccan forces invaded in 1591 using firearms, ending Songhai’s dominance.
7. Great Zimbabwe (c. 1100–1450)
Great Zimbabwe stands as one of Africa’s greatest architectural achievements.
Located in present-day Zimbabwe, the city served as the capital of a prosperous kingdom that controlled regional trade in gold, ivory and cattle.
Its enormous dry-stone walls, built without mortar, remain among the finest examples of pre-colonial African engineering.
Archaeological discoveries, including Chinese porcelain, Persian glass and Arab coins, reveal that Great Zimbabwe maintained trade links stretching across the Indian Ocean to Asia and the Middle East.
At its peak, the city is believed to have housed as many as 20,000 people, making it one of sub-Saharan Africa’s largest urban centres of its time.
Africa’s Rich Civilizational Legacy
These empires challenge the outdated misconception that Africa lacked advanced civilizations before colonialism. They built thriving economies, established centres of learning, mastered engineering and architecture, and maintained diplomatic and commercial ties with regions across Europe, Asia and the Middle East.
Their achievements continue to shape Africa’s cultural identity and remind the world that the continent has long been a cradle of innovation, leadership and civilization.
