OUTLINE HISTORY OF AFRICA(GNS 320) MR.

AKINYELE

0. GENERAL INTRODUCTION:
⁃ The meanings/definitions of the subject matter.
⁃ Graphical description of Africa
⁃ The relationship that existed between Africans and Europeans esp in 15century
⁃ The nature of the African history.

0. EARLY CIVILIZATION IN AFRICA:

0. EUROPEAN CONTACTS WITH AFRICA:

0. INFLUENCE OF THE ARABS WITH AFRICA
0. INFLUENCE OF CHRISTIANITY WITH AFRICA.
0. THE SCRAMBLE FOR COLONIES, EUROPEAN PARTITION AND
COLONIZATION OF AFRICA.
0. COLONIAL ADMINISTRATION IN AFRICA
0. AFRICAN NATIONALISM AND INDEPENDENCE MOVEMENT
0. POST INDEPENDENCE AFRICA: Pan-Africanism, African Union, and regional
corporations
0. MILITARY RULE IN AFRICA

Trevor Roper 1963 the mastermind describes Africa

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(South Sudan is the last African independent country.)

GEOGRAPHICAL DESCRIPTION OF AFRICA

With 11.3 million sq mile amounting to 30.9 million sq km , AFRICA occupies the fifth of
the earth landmass. With this occupation, Africa is the second largest continent after ASIA.
Presently, it has 54 independent countries with over 1billion population.
Africa is the theatre of political and social changes . It’s bounded in the north by the Mediterranean
sea, the south east and south west by the pacific and Indian Ocean. Africa is the cross road to
many civilization.

INTERACTION OF AFRICANS WITH EUROPEANS

In respect of western ideas and education , precisely the beginning of the 15th century
marks the interaction between African and Europe. When they came initially, relationship was on
the basis of mutual trust, mutual respect, and reciprocity but later it changed to a Master-servant
relationship.

⁃ J. D . FAGE- a short history of Africa “the first idea of the Europeans about Africa
was a major misconception”
⁃ RICHARD OLANIYAN- AFRICAN HISTORY & CULTURE
 ⁃ E. H. CARR- WHAT IS HISTORY?
⁃ PROF ALAGOA- ORAL TRADITION(s)
⁃ G. H . GREENBERG- LINGUISTIC
⁃ THURSTAN SHAW- ARCHEOLOGY

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EARLY CIVILIZATION IN AFRICA

Africa preserved and constructed their history:
⁃ ORAL TRADITIONs : oral testimonies of the past transmitted by the word of mouth
from one generation to another generation. It may be in form of dancing, singing, drumming,
recitation of pedigrees ,folklores or folktales. In the reconstruction of their history , Africa relies
largely on Oral Traditions. Oral tradition derail because:
⁃ 1. It is not empirical or scientific facts
⁃ 2. It has chronological problem
⁃ 3. There’s an error of omission or commission
⁃ 4. Frailty of human memory

⁃ ARCHEOLOGICAL DISCOVERY: the study of human history and through the

excavation of sites or digging of grounds to get ARTIFACTS and HUMAN FOSSILS.
⁃ LINGUISTIC EVIDENCES: Africa uses the study of languages to preserve their history.
Language can be divided in four (4) : (1)
CONGO-KOSOFANIAH ,(2)AHO-ASLATIC,(3)NILO-SAHARAH, (4)KLOISAN.
⁃ ISLAMIC TRADITION:
⁃ WESTERN TRADITION the form of educations from the Europeans
⁃ BIOGRAPHY: the life history of particular personality.
⁃ AUTOBIOGRAPHY: writing about oneself

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EARLY CIVILIZATION IN AFRICA

Between 10,000 BC to 5,000 BC, Africa had reached the threshold of development (Afro-Eurasian
Agriculture or Neolithic Agriculture) came to the notice in either Mesopotamia or upper Egypt.

⁃ MODERN TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM(WHEELED CART TRANSPORTATION)

⁃ HIEROGLYPHIC WRITING
⁃ AL-NASSAR
⁃ MONUMENTAL ARCHITECTURE

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• Slave trade
 • Assessment of social economy
Discuss the relevance to the contemporary history of Africa

INFLUENCE OF THE ARAB ON AFRICA pg37-66

• From ALGERIA
The official name of Algeria is AL-GAZARR, it’s capital is ALGIERS. The physical geographic
feature of Algeria is ATLAS MOUNTAINS which divided Algeria into THREE clear ZONES;
0. THE MEDITERRANEAN ZONE OR THE TELL where most of the population is
concentrated because of its relative fertility.
0. The second zone is known as the STEPPES OR HIGH PLATEAUX ; we have the
silent or barren savanna/Sahara. 85% of the land is covered by that Zone. Most of the people here
are Muslims.
Algeria society is a mixture of indigenous and foreign people. The BERBERS were the ALGERIAN
before the recorded history. The people in Algeria have little or NO unity

CARTHAGE ruled the Algerian for 6 centuries. After their departure , ROME took over
And ruled for another 2 centuries (200 years). During their time, economic flourished and Christianity
became a force spreading all around NORTH EAST, WEST, and CENTRAL OF THE NORTH
AFRICA. However, the influence
The Berbers founded two important dynasty (THE ALMORAVIDS AND ALMOHADS). The two
dynasty brought PEACE AND UNITY to Algeria. The dynasty spread as far as SPAIN for 2 centuries

BABAROSA Brothers

“1830 was the first time the Europe came to allege any country in Africa”

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TUNISIA
Tunisia is a small country on the next coast of Africa. The official name of TUNISIA is ……...
The capital is TUNISH. Tunisia was the center of CARTHAGINIAN EMPIRE during the ancient
times . It was occupied by the vandaals or intruders .
The SPAIN CAPTIVITY came in under the leadership of EMPEROR CHARLES V

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MOROCCO

The official name of Morocco is

Morocco is 18km away from (Europe) across the strait of Gibraltar . Morocco is one of the
Mediterranean countries.

East Africa
The influence of the Islam (east Africa) date back to the late 15 century in 1498, the activities
could be traced to the OMANI HEGEMONY OR MADIA MOVEMENT IN SUDAN, east Africa
was made up up of many islands such as ; ZANZIBAR, MOMBASSA, MOGADISHU, KINWA ,
PATE, NAMI, MUSCAT, etc. These Africa islands were being controlled by PORTUGAL before
the arrival of the ARABS. OMAMI HEGEMONY started with a personality Called IMAM IBN
SEIF , he encouraged MOMBASSA people to revolt against Portugal in 1498. Portugal regained
MOMBASSA but with declining power in 1499. The coming of sultan SEYYID ZAID was too
sensational in history because he consolidated the work of Imam ibn SEIF. The administrative of
SEYYID ZAID from

SEYYID ZAID appointed

He also allowed his people to adjudicate on civil matter with the use of Sheria and other matter
should be reported to the federal security.
He encouraged plantation agriculture, he introduced new clopes into agriculture produces . Sheik
said has economic interactions and agreements with other countries from outside east Africa.
With Italy usa and France in 1833

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Early Christianity in North Africa (Egypt and Ethiopia)

Greco-Roman Civilization—- civilization from Greece