v Chapter 28b- Africa Experience Overview:

Ø Geographic Overview (Map)

1. Early African tribal migrations (Map)

Ø Striking change witnessed between 1800-1945

1. North Africa, Egypt, & South Africa

· All tied to politics & $$$ of Ottomans & Europe

2. Sub-Sahara Africa experienced greatest change

3. Tropical & Southern Africa avoided initial Euro control

· At least until the 1880s

· Prior to 1880: internal developments dominated events

¨ Demographic & power shifts

¨ Rise of Islamic reform movements

4. Nevertheless=> all overshadowed by European onslaught

Ø New African States & Power Centers

1. Southern Africa (below Limpopo River – early 1800s)

· Devastating internal warfare

· Depopulation & forced migrations

¨ Bantu during mfecane era

Ø Cause: large population growth & $$ competition

· Rapid rise of large military states (north Nguni Bantu)

¨ Result: warfare & destruction => chaos

Ø Widespread depopulation & migration

Ø Creation of multi-tribal & lingual Bantu states

§ (Modern: Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Zambia)

· Shaka’s role, conquest, & impact (1818-1828)

¨ Successor to Nguni warrior-king of 1^st military state

¨ Ruler of Nguni speaking Zulu nation

¨ Brutal “total war” strategy & military tactics

Ø Dominated Southeast Africa

Ø Depopulated over 15K square miles

Ø War’s refugees fled North (Sotho-speaking Bantu)

§ & South into southern Nguni regions

Ø Result: chaos ensued North & South of Zululand

2. What was the net result of war & resulting migrations?

· Net result: creation of numerous diverse states

¨ Some imitated Shaka’s military tactics

¨ Others fled to mountains or west to Kalahari

Ø Built new defensive states for protection

· Most famous new state: Lesotho

¨ Sotho Kingdom of King Mosheshwe (pix 799)

Ø Kingdom survived from 1820s-1870 (king’s reign)

Ø Successfully defended state against Zulu attacks

Ø Delayed Afrikaners, Missionaries & Brits to 1870

· NTL=> new state building all nullified by who & what?

¨ Boer expansion & Brit annex of Natal prov. (1843)

¨ Entailed Great Trek (Boer Voortrekers)=> 1835-41

Ø 6K Afrikaners from East Cape colony=> NW trek

Ø Seize fertile farmland regions of southern Africa

§ Also High Veld above Orange River

¨ 1850: form Afrikaner Republic of Orange Free State

Ø Between Orange & Vaal Rivers

Ø Also form South African Republic (north of Vaal)

3. East & Central Africa (to the North)

· Comprised of strong regional states based on what?

¨ (external East-West trade)

Ø Nyamezi & Baganda of Lake regions trade with:

§ Arab-Swahili trade on eastern coast

§ Eastern Congo to the west

¨ Chief products of export traffic?

Ø Imported traffic?

4. West Africa

· Slave trade slowly curtailed over time

· Key rising European demand: palm oil & gum Arabic

¨ More important export by 1820s

· Role & impact of Fulbe jihad (1^st half of 19^th century)

¨ Shattered stability of western savannah & forests

· Result: rise of regional kingdoms

¨ (modern Senegal & Ghana thru southern Nigeria)

¨ Protracted wars & dislocation of regional kingdoms

Ø Asante & Dahomey (modern Benin)

§ Had flourished before internal dissension

§ Later…fall to colonial rule of Brits & French

Ø Islamic Reform Movements & their impact

1. Role of Islamic expansion into sub-Saharan Africa

· Became agent of major change before 1880s

¨ Has remained major factor so even to present

· Islam already established throughout other AF areas

¨ By 1880s: West AF, Sudan, East AF, & North Coast

¨ Also widespread southern Sahara & northern Sahel

¨ Common among merchant classes of West AF

· Islam “law of land” in Zanzibar & Eastern Sudan

· At same time… rural population pagan or semi-pagan

¨ Urban elite mostly “nominal” Muslims in name only

2. 19^th century militant Islamic revivalist & reformist jihads

· Aim: true Muslim society dedicated to Muslim values

· Result: fixed & spread Islam throughout Africa

· West African Jihad movements of 17^th century:

¨ Militant reformist Sufi Brotherhood from North

¨ Gradually spread to other regions during 18^th cent.

3. What role did Usman Dan Fodio play in reform movement?

4. Role of Usman Dan Fodio (1754-1817)

· Led most important jihad movement of early 19^th cent.

· 1804: established large reformist army

¨ conquered most of the Hausa (modern Nigeria)

¨ bought explicit Islam order to region

· Established Fulbe ruling class in Hausa

¨ Spread Islam to countryside=> still present

5. Other Reform Movements of Islam

· Sanusi movement (Libya & eastern Sahara- post 1840)

· Mahdist Movement (eastern Sudan- 1880s-1890s)

¨ Led by Muhammad Ahmad (1848-1885)

Ø Declared himself “Mahdi” (deliverer) in 1881

Ø Led rebellion against Ottoman-Egyptian control

Ø Defeated famous Brit cmdr “Chinese” Gordon

Ø Successor governed until Brits destroyed in 1899

Ø Increasing European Involvement

1. Contrast Europe’s mid-1800s vs. late 1800s involvement

· Coastal area vs. Interior penetration (Maps)

· Role of trading companies, explorers, & missionaries

· Lastly: Colonial troops & colonial governments

2. Elimination of slave trade came at what cost to native peoples of Africa?

3. Costs & trade-offs for elimination of slave trade:

· Increased European exploration & exploitation

· Increased Western Christian missionaries

· Soon followed by imperial & colonial ventures

· All more disastrous to natives than slavery

4. Exploration – 19^th century:

· English, French, &German explorers=>“AF’s secrets”

¨ Sources of Niger, Nile, Zambezi, & Congo rivers

¨ Mt. Kilimanjaro & Lake Tanganyika, and Timbuktu

· History: Fortune Hunting, self-promotion, & violence

¨ (offset by patience, perseverance, & bravery)

· Main impact: stimulate European interest in Africa

¨ Open way for traders, missionaries, military & gov.

· Famous African explorer: David Livingstone (1813-73)

¨ Missionary uniquely dedicated to African people

5. Christian Missions- late 19^th century

· Complex role comprised of Protestants & Catholics

· Motive: save African souls

¨ Eradicate slave trade (East AF – Zanzibar Arabs)

· Dedicated- but also paternalistic & chauvinistic

¨ Many would give misleading accounts of AF culture

¨ Assumed superiority of white race to degraded AF

· Missionaries’ contribution to Africa:

¨ Translations work & mission schools

Ø Provided alphabetic culture & literacy

¨ But their remote location provided pretext for what?

¨ Half died of tropical sicknesses:

Ø Malaria, yellow fever, sleeping sickness

¨ Provided medicine, education, & Christian faith

¨ Also concepts & principles for future resistance

Ø Example: Church role=>South Africa’s apartheid

Ø But also some colluded with racists oppressors

6. Colonial “scramble for Africa”

· Pre-1850: Euro-AF conflict over South AF & Algeria

¨ Boers vs. Bantu in South Africa (Great Trek)

¨ French invasion (1830) against Algerian resistance

· From 1889-1914: Euro’s scramble for colonies (Map)

¨ Goal: European colonial rule & administration

· Incentives for European colonies in Africa:

¨ Popular & commercial interests (hyped publicity)

¨ Europe’s desire for indust. markets & raw resources

¨ Intra-European competition for power & prestige

· What made European take-over of Africa possible?

· Factors making European take-over of Africa possible:

¨ Europe’s superior economic, military, & tech. power

¨ Ability to get to Africa’s interior – past the Falls

Ø What specific means did European construct?

· Enabled Europeans to colonize & commercially exploit

7. The “vanguard” of Europe’s imperial quest for Africa?

· (examine Maps pre & post late 19^th centuries)

· British: mostly protectorates & indirect control

· French: brutal direct control- especially Algeria

· Rest of Europe: followed by mid 1880s

¨ Belgium: Leopold II- private preserve- scandalous

¨ Germany: Otto von Bismarck’s role – SW Africa

¨ Italy: Eritrea, Somaliland, & Libya

§ Ethiopia successfully resisted until 1935

8. When did Africa finally start gaining its independence?

· Why & how?

9. Assessment of European Rule in Africa

Ø African Resistance to Colonization

1. Native rulers used effective diplomacy, trade, & war

· Problem with using warfare & direct confrontation?

¨ Delaying the inevitable?

2. Rise of Nationalism (Post- WWI)

· European partition (Map) shaped Nationalistic units

¨ (But reflected little real native divisions in what?)

· Rallying National consciousness

¨ Growing mobilization & opposition to foreign rule

· Reinforcing factors:

¨ Common European tongue know to Africans

¨ Assimilation of European thought & culture=>

Ø By educated elite & future African leadership

Ø Elite educated in European schools & universities

3. African Independence movements of post WWI

· Most based on European & American models

· Aim: eject imperialists from Africa & take power

¨ (But not return to earlier pre-colony status quo)

· Strategy: natives take over & run western institutions

¨ (legacy still visible today)

v India, Islamic Heartlands, & Africa in World Perspective

Ø Europe’s domination upset delicate indigenous cultures

1. bleak impact as result for 150 years (1800-1945)

Ø “Third World” dramatically effected by Euro Imperialism

1. ME, AF, Iran, Cent. Asia, Indonesia, Cent. & So. America

2. Overarching & decisive development dwarfing all rest:

· Europe’s global domination of world’s history:

¨ Economic, intellectual, political & military history

3. “Hallmark” of modern age in most 3^rd world regions

Ø West’s material & intell power stimulate different responses

1. Results of this domination seen only since 1945

2. Many initiatives started earlier however=>

· Modern Islamic reforms began in 18^th century

· Only recently a global factor of concern to West

3. India’s National consciousness began in late 18^th century

· Response to British imperial & colonial domination

· Finally fully realized after WWII

Ø Major result of colonial imperial experience in “3^rd World”

1. sharper cultural self-consciousness & self-confidence

· especially those most negatively affected earlier

2. May prove to be a transition to more positive status (?)