EQUERE DAVID AKANIMO

RUN/HIS/20/9158
HIS 212; WARFARE AND DIPLOMACY IN PRECOLONIAL WEST
AFRICA
MR. SYLVESTER KOHOL
QUESTION: GIVE AN ACCOUNT OF WARFARE AND DIPLOMACY IN
WEST AFRICA BEFORE 1800.

INTRODUCTION.
West Africa is located in the Western-most part of Africa consistent of countries
like Nigeria, Benin republic, Mali, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Burkina Faso, Cape
Verde, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Niger Senegal, Togo etc. It is the
Sub- Sahara part of Africa bounded in the North by the sub-Sahara Desert and the
south, the Atlantic Ocean. West Africa consist of several climatic conditions,
vegetation, Terrains and deserts, all which either helped enhance warfare and
diplomacy or became an obstacle to it. Early human activities could be traced to
this region as several activities including Warfare and Diplomatic actions were
practices or observed as far back as before the 1800’s or during the Pre-colonial
times.
The period before the 1800, often regarded as the Pre-colonial times can be
ascribed to the period before the advent of colonialism. It could also be said to be a
thousand years before the incursion of the Europeans in Africa. In this period,
human existed in different kingdoms or Empires such as the Oyo empire, Igbo
society, Hausa/ Fulani society, Bini kingdom, Dahomey, Asante Empire etc., all of
which had their different culture and customs that guides the behavior of its
members or inhabitants. The rise, fall and expansion of these kingdoms or societies
during the Pre-colonial Africa were occasionally credited to the activities of
warfare, as warlords of different kingdoms engage in warfare with other nations to
expand its territory and control resources available which causes the kingdom to
either rise or fall. Alternatively, some others engage in diplomatic activities such as
Agreements, to relate with one another based on an established rule, set and agreed
upon by both parties involved.
WARFARE IN WEST AFRICA BEFORE 1800.
Human being violent in nature have been a statement argued to an extent, the 17th
century thinker, Thomas Hobbes famously describe humans in their natural
condition prior to the development of civil society as “brutal, nasty, and short”
which entails that war may be inevitable in all human form of interactions but can
be avoided. War is the Oldest, most prevalent and most Salient issue in
International Relations and although about 3.5 billion have died in the 14,500-
armed struggles throughout History especially in Africa; the number and Intensity
of war has stopped by one- half since 1991, hence the disagreement from
International relations theorists over the inevitability of war.
War is therefore a means of resolving differences between units of the highest
order of political socialization. One of the most important definition of war was the
one given by Karl Von Clausewitz, he stated that, “War is nothing more than the
continuation of politics by other means”. To Mao Tse-Tung, “Politics is war
without bloodshed while, war is politics with bloodshed”, in addition, Michael
Serres (le contrat naturel) says that, “War is the point at which politics turns into a
murderer”.
Warfare refers to the use of force between two or more nations or other organized
group of persons in order to decide or conclude questions at issue that cannot be
settled diplomatically. Warfare could be either in Chemical, Nuclear or Biological
form. It also exists in other variety of forms such as Revolution, Insurrection, Coup
d' tat, Terrorism and Guerilla warfare.
In the Per-colonial times, war was fought for a range of reasons, including
territorial expansion, self-preservation, defenses, protection against external
aggressors, etc. War has been seen as one of veritable tool used in African’s Past, it
is often seen as the drive or outcome of broader political, economic and social
change. Many kingdoms engaged in the struggle to domesticate physical and
climate environments which has led to the violent quest to control resources such
as arable land, greener pasture, water, etc. and most of which these kingdoms
reached its zenith in terms of power and wealth as a result of conquest and
acquisition of new territories. To sustain these war efforts, various societies or
kingdoms and warlords on the pre-colonial Africa evolved unique military
complex strategies and tactics, which they deployed during war times. Warfare in
pre-colonial Africa was of both external and internal dimension, i.e. it could be
between two kingdoms or within a kingdom as a result of internal uprisings or
disagreement between the ruling elite or dynasties.
During the precolonial times, many kingdoms were formed as a result of warfare
and several others expanded due to the same reasons. The kingdom of Dahomey
formally regarded as Abomey Plateau and presently known as Benin republic is a
typical example of such kingdoms. Before the centralization of the kingdom of
Dahomey, there have been evidences that Abomey plateau was settled by a number
of small tribes known as the Gedevi. However, due to the lack of resources and
access to major trade routes in the area, the plateau was poor compared to its
neighboring areas. To the east of the Abomey Plateau was the Oyo empire
(present-day Yoruba kingdom in Nigeria) was at the zenith of its power and
exercised some hegemony over tribes in the region. In the south, there were two
famous kingdoms, Allada and the Whydah, which held power on the Atlantic
coast. The kingdom of Dahomey/ Abomey during its expansion under the rulership
of King Agaja, refused to associate with the kingdom’s alliance with Allada and
began to increase military activities throughout the region in 1720 and took over
the city in 1724. In 1727, King Agaja conquered the city of Whydah and became a
major regional power with control over these key coastal cities. King Agaja also in
1729, began war against the Oyo empire which was known to be rich in resources
with a number of raids at cross border, The Whydah royal family return to the
throne assuming that Dahomey army had be weakened in the war with the Oyo
empire, King Agaja then moved a significant portion of his army back in
comprising of women dressed like male warriors. In 1730, the war between the
kingdom of Dahomey and Oyo empire ended and although Dahomey withheld
domestic control, it became a tributary to the Oyo empire.
Also in the 17th century, the unified Mali Empire ceasing to exist can be credited to
the battle of Jenne between the forces of the Mali empire and the Moroccan
Pashalik of Timbuktu, after which Mansa Mahmud IV retired to the remains of his
kingdom and with his death, the realm was split up among his three sons. And the
last of Mali was destroyed by the Bambara still in the 17 th century. The use of
warfare as a tool during the precolonial times cannot be overemphasized as several
West African societies engaged in it for reasons of expansion and control of
resources. Be that as it may, other societies had other reasons for engaging in
warfare, the Holy Jihad fought in the Hausa land in the present-day Nigeria by
Usman Dan Fodio, a Fulani cleric for instance was stated to have occurred for
reasons of religion; that is the propagation of Islam religion. Other warfare may
have occurred in the Ashanti Empire (against Denkyira), Timbuktu, Igbos society,
Nupe, etc.
Most warfare was known to be led by several warlords (like the Aare on Kankafo
of the Oyo empire) of each kingdoms who made use of weaponry such as Clubs,
Spear, Pikes, Swords, War bracelets, War drums, etc. and later on the use of Guns
came into effect as result of the trade with the Europeans and although the female
gender is often excluded from historical documentation of these warfare, women
were known to play significant roles during the war. In the kingdom of Dahomey,
the military was made up of women known as ‘Amazons’, the disguised
themselves as men and entered battle with other nations. They also acted as spies
as in the case of the Yoruba history of Moremi and other supported the men at war.
CAUSES OF WAR DURING THE PRECOLONIAL TIMES.
- Reasons of Expansion.
Most of the kingdoms or societies of the precolonial were concerned with
expanding their territory and increase their power or hold over a territory, the war
between the Oyo empire and the kingdom of Dahomey for instance was motivated
by Dahomey’s intentions to conquer and expand its territory at the expenses of the
Oyo empire. Also, in the early 19 th century when the Oyo empire fall apart or
collapsed and several sub-ethnic groups surfaced, the main motive of the civil wars
was mainly to expand their territory alongside several others Precolonial societies.
- Religious Justification.
One prominent cause for warfare during the Precolonial times was the need to
justify and propagate their religion and its customs and beliefs. The Muslim clerics
at that time seeing how Christianity began to flourish due to foreign influence
engaged in several strategies to increase awareness of the Islam religion. The holy
Jihad became one of those strategy as they received opposition from the called
Pagan in Hausa land under the leadership of Sarkin Yanfa and his father.
Agitations began in the late 18th century and the Holy war was eventually fought in
the early 19th century. Similar account of the spread of Islam religion can be found
in the Timbuktu and the early Ghana empire
- Slave trade
After the discovery of routes through the ocean used as trade routes during the
Europeans age of exploration, the Europeans discovered West Africa and engaged
in trade with it, most of which dealt with the capturing and selling of human as
commodity in exchange for something of monetary value to work as slaves. The
Europeans brought Fabrics, wine, Guns, etc. all of which the West African leader
were excited about and engaged in warfare with its neighboring societies,
conquering them and taking its members as captives to be sold to the Europeans in
exchange for items they came along as having Guns would mean stronger army for
attack and defense. The Kingdom of Dahomey as well as the Oyo Empire were
active participants of such trade.
- Control over resources and Trade routes.
In order for a society to preserve itself and grow, resources have to be sufficient for
its inhabitants as the natural resources is considered as one of the elements of
national Power. Societies before the 1800s engaged in warfare to conquer and
acquire territories because of its resources and often times its access to trade
routes. The kingdom of Dahomey was located in an area with little or no resources
or arable land and occupied Allada and Whydah because of its access to trade
roots. Also, its attempt to conquer the Oyo empire was also influenced with the
fact that it had a lot of resources and arable land.
Other causes may include; Defense against foreign attacks and motive to gain
independence on the part of the Ashanti empire.
DIPLOMACY IN THE PRECOLONIAL WEST AFRICA.

Diplomacy, even though not in the official form, originated with human existence.
The history of mankind is replete with forms of Diplomacy. Even in the Bible
records, there were diplomatic relations between the Israelites and other Semitic
peoples of the land of Canaan. The Quran also stress the existence of diplomatic
relations between the Arabs and the other peoples of the world
The African continent is known as the “cradle of mankind”, it was the site one of
the first human settlements and the earliest development of language as a means of
communication. The human instinct for communication, negotiation, cooperation
and trade across national borders is a good sign. Therefore, Africa is also the
birthplace of diplomacy and although there is a lack of documentation in the stone
age and iron age, oral history and anthropological evidence confirms this
hypothesis.
Diplomacy is the established method of influencing the decisions and behavior of
foreign governments and people through dialogue, negotiation and other measures
short of war and violence. The word ‘diplomacy’ is derived through French from
the ancient Greek “diploma”, consisted of diplo, (meaning “folded in two”) and the
suffix -ma, (meaning, “an object”).