3.1.2

Medieval West Africa

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Medieval West Africa

In the past, Africa was often written about through a colonialist lens.

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A colonialist lens

  • We based our understanding of Africa on the tales of outsiders.
  • For example, the Greeks and Romans wrote about the Ancient Egyptians.
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Further examples of the colonial lens

  • Scholars wrote about trade routes across the Sahara.
  • European missionaries wrote about the need to ‘civilise’ African people.
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Results of colonialism

  • Colonialist historians didn't look much at the richness of Africa's history.
  • For example, they didn't focus on West African kingdoms.
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African kingdoms

  • Africa has many histories, cultures and languages.
  • Advanced kingdoms existed before Europeans arrived.
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Learning more about African history

  • Recently, historians have started to unpack these histories.
    • They are learning more about African history.
    • They are focusing in particular on medieval West African empires.

Jump to other topics

1The Medieval World: 450-1450 AD

1.1Anglo-Saxon England

1.2The Contest for the English Throne

1.3Conquering the Holy Land, 10-96-1396 AD

1.4King John

1.5The Magna Carta & Parliament

1.6The Black Death

2Worldviews

3The Empire of Mali

4The Renaissance & Reformations, 1500-1598 AD

5The British Empire, 1583-1960 AD

6The Peasants' Revolt

7Religion in the Middle Ages

8Slavery, 1619-1833 AD

9The English Civil War, 1642-1660

10The Industrial Revolution, 1750-1840

11US Independence, 1775-1783

12The French Revolution, 1789-1815

13The British Empire, 1857–1930

14Suffrage

15World War 1, 1914-1918

16The Inter-War Years, 1919-1939

17World War 2, 1939-1945

18The Cold War, 1947-1962

19Civil Rights in the USA, 1954-1975

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