Anthropology of Africa

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Anthropology of Africa

• SY26C

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Early Africa

• Kingdoms and city-states
• Egypt, Axum, Kush, Ghana, Songhay, Mali
• Egypt
• Agricultural development
• Writing
• Engineering

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Early African empires Axum
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Early Africa

• Axum (c. 1st century AD - c. 960)
• Mixture of Arabians indigenous Africans
• Written language
• Architecture
• International trade
• Military power
• Incorporated Yemen into kingdom
• Established Ethiopian Orthodox Church

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Early African empires Ghana (700-1200)
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Early African empires Mali (1200-1500)
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Early African empires Songhay (1350-1500)
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Early Africa

• Songhay (1350-1500)
• 1475 rose to supremacy
• Muslim empire
• Empire encompassed most of W. Africa (more than
  W. Europe) largest in African history
  
• Centre of international trade (gold)
• Centre of culture, medicine, astronomy,
  philosophy
  
• Decline due to size

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Later African societies Ashanti kingdom
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Later African societies Ashanti

• Rose to power in early 18th c., dominant for 200
  years
  
• Move to create empire
• Need for unity against slave raids from Denkera
  state in late 17th c.
  
• To organise political systems to take advantage
  of commercial opportunities on coast
  
• Retain political influence in northern trade
• Centralised bureaucracy with kings, ministers,
  subordinate rulers

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Later African societies Ashanti (cont.)

• Golden stool collective soul of Ashanti means
  of cohesion
  
• Kumasi crossroads for merchants, teachers,
  politicians
  
• Commercial partnership with British

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Later African societies Igbo
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Later African societies Igbo

• Origins c. 9th century
• Decentralised society
• Extended family groups
• Village government basic political unit
• Council of elders
• Village assembly
• Emphasis on consensus
• Checks on village government officials
• Age-set organisations
• Title societies
• Secret societies

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Later African societies Igbo (cont.)

• Dispute resolution oracle system
• Cohesion through
• Oracle system
• Ibo language
• Recognition of ethnic loyalty, mutual obligation
• Egalitarianism and competitiveness

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Later African societies Buganda
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Later African societies Buganda

• 19th c. most powerful state in region (East
  Central Africa)
  
• Strong central government
• Hereditary kabaka (king) ruled with advice of
  lukiko (council)
  
• First minister ruled over officials carrying out
  kabakas mandate
  
• Kings rule determined by ancestors
• Loyalty, fear
• Gave strength, unity to state
• British maintained political system upon
  colonisation

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Trade routes
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Slaves
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Atlantic slave trade

• Began late 16th century to supply plantations in
  Americas
  
• Losses (deaths) 15-20 million
• Dominance of trade
• 16th century Portugal
• Mid-17th century Dutch
• 18th century British and French
• 19th century European settlers in US

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Atlantic slave trade

• Impact
• Population stagnation, possible decline
• Draining human resources (esp. young men), thus
  productive wealth
  
• Less long-range planning
• Disruption of political growth/development
• Impoverishment of region
• Economic development of other regions
• Eastward moving wave of violence
• Famine, drought ? bandits on slave raids

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Atlantic slave trade

• Impact (cont.)
• New opportunities for wealth and social mobility
• African elites dependence on European products
• Cycle of debt
• ? vulnerable to Europeans
• Entrenched and extended idea of black inferiority

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Atlantic slave trade

• African role in trade
• Local rulers allow settlement, charge rent,
  supplied food
  
• Middlemen
• Entrepreneurs
• Senhoras
• Hosted traders
• Bred donkeys for use in transportation
• Sales

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Atlantic slave trade

• Decline
• Enlightenment
• Industrial Revolution
• Complete abolition 1870

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Indian Ocean slave trade

• Differences from Atlantic trade
• Older est. around 1st century
• Slaves were East African
• Smaller trade (numbers controversial)
• Buyers were from Arabian peninsula, India,
  Persia, China
  
• Slaves used as mercenary soldiers, domestics,
  concubines, dock workers
  
• Arabs were slave traders
• Long history of Arab settlement and trade
• Possibility of freedom under Muslim law
• Some Africans rose to positions of power and
  wealth some became respected soldiers
  

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Indian Ocean slave trade

• End of Atlantic trade expanded Indian Ocean
  trade
  
• French colonies in Indian Ocean required slaves
• East Africa became major source of slaves in 19th
  c. for settlers in the Orient
  
• Ended 1880s-1890s

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After slave trade

• New trade in commodities
• Beginning of colonisation small, permanent,
  coastal colonies
  
• New interest in exploration
• First 1795-7 by Mungo Park
• Influence of Christianity
• Missionaries from early 18th c. (S. Africa)
• Explorations part of civilising mission
  Christianity, trade
  
• E.g. David Livingstone (1840s) mapping Central
  Africa opening up Africa to missionaries and
  traders

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After the slave trade

• 19th century European technological advances
• Firearms
• Medicine
• Transportation
• Allowed European expansion
• Changed relationship with Africans

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After the slave trade

• Impact on Africans
• West Africa
• Switch to commodity trade required re-ordering of
  political and economic systems
  
• E.g. Dahomey decline
• Internal slave trade did not necessarily end
• West Central Africa
• Demand for raw materials ? power shifts
• Those who exclusively stuck with slave trade
  declined