Precolonial Black Africa
- Downloads：7185
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-10-29 08:53:04
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Cheikh Anta Diop
- ISBN：1556520883
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
- Download
Reviews
Ignatz
，
This was useful and informative - I'm personally still unsure of the sort of。。 environmental materialism？ on which Diop premises his theories。 But this gives a good historical overview and helpful details for an area that is easily homogenised。 An important work for further reading in political economy。 This was useful and informative - I'm personally still unsure of the sort of。。 environmental materialism？ on which Diop premises his theories。 But this gives a good historical overview and helpful details for an area that is easily homogenised。 An important work for further reading in political economy。 。。。more
Jason Scoggins
，
Exquisite scholarly work by one of the best African historians ever。 This book is an excellent starting point for those looking for an introduction to pre-colonial civilizations in Africa， or those already deeply entrenched in the study looking to round a few corners。 In a nutshell， Africa was thriving way before a foreign introduced what would be called "Civilization" in the form of "Christianity"。 Black Africa thrived out of a Mohammedan culture built on sharp principles and communion。 Exquisite scholarly work by one of the best African historians ever。 This book is an excellent starting point for those looking for an introduction to pre-colonial civilizations in Africa， or those already deeply entrenched in the study looking to round a few corners。 In a nutshell， Africa was thriving way before a foreign introduced what would be called "Civilization" in the form of "Christianity"。 Black Africa thrived out of a Mohammedan culture built on sharp principles and communion。 。。。more
Kisrene
，
This book provides an analysis of Africa's contributions to modern Western civilization。 Great African kingdoms such as Songhi， Mali and Zimbabwe is evidence of African genius and that Black history does not begin with the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade。 White supremacist bias， anti-Black racism and discrimination in Egyptology， what we call "history"， anthropology， and archeology， has geo-politically and ideologically removed Egypt from the continent of Africa。 Professor Diop boldly offers readers This book provides an analysis of Africa's contributions to modern Western civilization。 Great African kingdoms such as Songhi， Mali and Zimbabwe is evidence of African genius and that Black history does not begin with the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade。 White supremacist bias， anti-Black racism and discrimination in Egyptology， what we call "history"， anthropology， and archeology， has geo-politically and ideologically removed Egypt from the continent of Africa。 Professor Diop boldly offers readers an African-centred perspective that challenges such Eurocentric narratives。 This book， and similarly Diop's "African Origins of Civilization" answers the question about what it truly means to look at Africa through anti-racist and African/Black eyes - outside of the white gaze。 A highly recommended read for those interested in anti racism education， dismantling anti-Black racism， disrupting white supremacy， history， geography， politics and anthropology。 A great book to kick start Black History/African Heritage Month。 。。。more
JRT
，
This classic by the great Cheikh Anta Diop is a comparative analysis of the social， political， and economic organization of various Black African states， and their European counterparts。 Diop traces the development of both continents， focusing his attention on the advanced nature of African empires in the pre-colonial era。Diop starts out by highlighting the differences in “caste” systems in West Africa， noting that while the continent did have social and economic hierarchy， it was not inherently This classic by the great Cheikh Anta Diop is a comparative analysis of the social， political， and economic organization of various Black African states， and their European counterparts。 Diop traces the development of both continents， focusing his attention on the advanced nature of African empires in the pre-colonial era。Diop starts out by highlighting the differences in “caste” systems in West Africa， noting that while the continent did have social and economic hierarchy， it was not inherently exploitative the way European systems were。 Diop states that European states formed out of a “self-centered” patriotism of the city-state， supported by the power of the Church。 Contrarily， African states never revolved around individualism， and thus were able to keep hyper-nationalism and chauvinism at bay。Diop continuously highlights the continuity of African kingdoms across the continent， a theme his work is known for。 He also states that monarchic Africa， while dominant across the continent， did not preclude the tribalistic African traditions at the margins of the great African states。 Diop links the traditional African “aristocratic collectivism” to notions of socialism， explaining that despite psychological and spiritual differences （with Europeans）， Africans were naturally inclined to seek solidarity， disavow massive levels of individual wealth accumulation， and champion the sharing of resources。 African clans also shared socialistic characteristics （“clanic collectivism was proletarian”）。Diop also details how domestic slavery was “rife” in African society， and how slavery was the “great chink in African social organization。” Diop explains that both Arabs and Europeans were able to acquire Black African slaves by attaching themselves to the structure and trade that already existed in pre-colonial Africa。 Even Arab and Europeans living in the Ghana Empire were able to acquire slaves—not through conquest—but through regular imperial trade， and all under the auspices of a Black African emperor。This book makes clear that political organization under the African empires were more developed and superior than that of the European states from the period of the fall of the Roman Empire through the Middle Ages。 The European masses suffered under a state of feudalism， while Africa did not。 Diop explains this by identifying （1） African religion （which prevented them from taking advantage of political weaknesses to devolve the system into feudalism）; （2） Africa’s strong imperial administrative control that left little chance for feudal tendencies or succession; （3） the lack of constant， persistent barbarian invasions that justified the need for feudal security （Arabs / Islam never “conquered” Africa the way Barbarians did Europe， due to the strength of Africa’s various empires）; and （4） a different relationship to land （African Kings and nobility didn’t “possess” or “own” the land， the people did）。The abundance of gold in Africa also defined the differences between African and European economics。 There was so much gold that African empires had no issue allowing “peasants” to accumulate wealth in the form of gold dust from the mines。 European serfs got no such opportunity。 I found Chapter 6， which covered the differences in economic organization between Europe and Africa， the most riveting in the whole book。 Diop firmly dismissed the racist notion that pre-colonial Africa was “underdeveloped” or “primitive” economically， noting that only the tribes on the margins of African kingdoms maintained the traditional practices of bartering。 The empires / kingdoms， to the contrary， were highly advanced in their utilization of currency （gold coins， salt， gold dust， etc。）， stock markets， merchant classes， import and export taxation， and extensive foreign trade （Diop notes that precolonial Africa was “hospitable to foreigners”）。 Diop essentially explains that wealth was easily accumulated and widely distributed in Africa due to the abundance of land and natural resources。 So much so that there was little to no poverty in pre-colonial Africa。 Due to this abundance， African populations were healthy and robust， and would have remained that way but for the escalation of slave trade。 Citing Karl Marx， Diop briefly traces the rise of capitalism （born out of feudal relations） in Europe， noting that the goal was profit and super-profit， and relied on the enclosure of common land and subjugation of former surfs into a peasant， wage-laboring class。 Diop notes that as capitalism created the conditions for unemployment and poverty， the European states turned to repressive measures to ensure that the peasants would not revolt against the system。 These measures essentially resulted in the mass enslavement of the peasant class by European employers， ultimately leading to the fleeing from Europe by some of these peasants （Diop notes that many white Americans today are the descendants of enslaved Europeans）。 Diop next details why capitalism was slow to develop in Africa， first explaining that capitalism is a “European export，” and thus never developed locally outside Europe independent of European imposition。 Contrasted from Europe， African economies revolved around “domestic industry，” where every home produces the means for their own survival （depending on which labor “caste” they belonged to）。 For the other areas of basic need， Africans relied on open market purchases and trade by barter。 Diop reinforces the differences between European and African property relations， explaining that Africans did not conceive of “private property” and “land ownership” the way Europeans did。 As such， private land sales in Africa were basically non-existent。 In effect， everyone in African society—even slaves—were land owners。 It was truly a society of the commons。 Finally， Diop also spends time in chapter 6 contrasting European enslavement of other Europeans with its African counterpart。 Diop makes clear that African slaves were in a much better social position than European slaves and lived under much better conditions。 Further， the African slave trade directed by Europeans was far worse on Africans than the trade directed by Africans。 This summary doesn’t begin to touch on the depth and detail of of Diop’s analysis。 This is a must-read for anyone looking to definitely refute the racist narrative that Africa has no history。 。。。more
A
，
I would have loved this book if it wasn't the case that it was so disorganized。 Lots of interesting information， mostly about the West African empires， although a little bit also about Nubia and Zimbabwe。 More than a fluid story organized in chapters， the book seems like a patchwork of pieces of information scattered all across the pages。 In many cases there are names and concepts thrown at the reader without any context （at least I'm ignorant enough to not know more of them）。 Sometimes there ar I would have loved this book if it wasn't the case that it was so disorganized。 Lots of interesting information， mostly about the West African empires， although a little bit also about Nubia and Zimbabwe。 More than a fluid story organized in chapters， the book seems like a patchwork of pieces of information scattered all across the pages。 In many cases there are names and concepts thrown at the reader without any context （at least I'm ignorant enough to not know more of them）。 Sometimes there are writing inconsistencies in the names （there is a Mansa and a Mança， which seems suspiciously similar）。Again， the information is valuable， especially the comparison with medieval Europe， but the organization of the book is pretty poor。 I hope I can find a book with a better structure that delivers the same information。 。。。more
Rigel Gotcho
，
Great read。 A testimony of African history before white supremacy。
Tim Nowotny
，
A very surprising book that does away with many stereotypes。 I was fascinated by its perspective and how seemingly little things could shape the whole society。 This should be known by more people。 First to understand Africa better and to see how societies evolve
ERIC HALL
，
Q
Samuel L
，
The information was very enlightening and interesting but the writing style was dry and boring😴 。 Furthermore， at times the authors thoughts and the topics within each chapter didn’t always seem to fit， so at times I was lost and confused。
Julius
，
Unstrukturiert， ohne roten Faden und nicht gut zu lesen。 Stattdessen lieber A Companion to African Philosophy， herausgegeben von Wiredu。
Dingaan
，
a must-read for all mankind-the oppressor and the oppressed。。。it sets the record straight。
J。P。
，
It's one thing to know vaguely that the people you come from， the numerous tribes & ways of life on the continent that is Africa， contributed heavily to what we call civilization。 It is quite another to have it fleshed out with facts。 That's what this book did for me。From different cultures， to caste systems， to full on kingdoms。 Diop also talks about significant historical realities， such as how land was viewed collectively as for everyone， that prevented certain developments that occurred in I It's one thing to know vaguely that the people you come from， the numerous tribes & ways of life on the continent that is Africa， contributed heavily to what we call civilization。 It is quite another to have it fleshed out with facts。 That's what this book did for me。From different cultures， to caste systems， to full on kingdoms。 Diop also talks about significant historical realities， such as how land was viewed collectively as for everyone， that prevented certain developments that occurred in Indo-European & European cultures from taking place as they were unnecessary to the various African ways of life。Diop also talks about societies that made contact with each other via trade & sometimes conquest， that makes it clear that civilization started in Africa & the world is indebted to it。 Short read but very thorough & packed with information that will have you thirsting for more。 。。。more
Rafael Suleiman
，
A great historical record of Africa before slavery and colonialism。
Steve
，
Dnf。 Not sure what i read。 Im sure it was me
Jacob
，
Generally a good read。 Some of the claims are a bit over the top and unsubstantiated but these are not that difficult to identify。 We can also appreciate alternative ideas and hypotheses about them because they give us some insight and food for thought。 It is also interesting in the sense that other claims are very surprising -- and， indeed， verifiable and true。 There's really a lot of interesting African history in here worth everyone's time。Perhaps some of the more valuable observations are of Generally a good read。 Some of the claims are a bit over the top and unsubstantiated but these are not that difficult to identify。 We can also appreciate alternative ideas and hypotheses about them because they give us some insight and food for thought。 It is also interesting in the sense that other claims are very surprising -- and， indeed， verifiable and true。 There's really a lot of interesting African history in here worth everyone's time。Perhaps some of the more valuable observations are of a sociological nature and revelations about the West African psyche。 Diop's writing style is also entertaining and captivating。 Worth your time if you are interested in African history and I am a firm believer that it is best to have someone from that people or that region really tell us the history from a local perspective。 You will not be disappointed with Diop in this regard at all。 。。。more
Whitlaw Tanyanyiwa Mugwiji
，
A must read for those who are interested in pre-colonial Africa and those who espouse the Pan African ideology。 It is a difficult book to read， and must not be read quickly， but that as it may it is a worthy read。
Colin
，
A somewhat patchwork appraisal of the economic and social structures of West Africa south of the Sahara - predominantly the successor empires of Ghana， Mali， and Songhai （found in approximately the modern nation of Mali）。 The book is somewhat difficult to follow for those not already familiar with the history of the region， and， while it starts with an interesting discussion of how the differences between European and African social structures led to differences in how the societies evolved， it A somewhat patchwork appraisal of the economic and social structures of West Africa south of the Sahara - predominantly the successor empires of Ghana， Mali， and Songhai （found in approximately the modern nation of Mali）。 The book is somewhat difficult to follow for those not already familiar with the history of the region， and， while it starts with an interesting discussion of how the differences between European and African social structures led to differences in how the societies evolved， it doesn't really come together into a compelling narrative and diverges into a variety of more academic details。I also found it a bit off-putting that it keeps referring to "black Africa" while almost entirely neglecting most of the continent。As I'm looking for a good introductory narrative into the pre-colonial history of the region （ie。 something like how "1491" did for the Americas）， this really wasn't what I was looking for。 I might give it another look when I've developed more familiarity with the subject。 。。。more
Femi Kush
，
Very insightful from the great African scholar
Fabio Bertino
，
Una bellissima analisi dell'antropologo senegalese che controbatte e smentisce l'antropologia "bianca" funzionale al colonialismo europeo Una bellissima analisi dell'antropologo senegalese che controbatte e smentisce l'antropologia "bianca" funzionale al colonialismo europeo 。。。more
Reginald Boswell
，
Excellent！ Unabridged account into the psychology of the age with stark contrasts to Western thought by the worlds leading modern scholar on African History Cheikh Anta Diop。
kripsoo
，
Until now （1960， date of the first edition）， the history of Black Africa has always been written with dates as dry as laundry lists and no one has almost ever tried to find the key that unlocks the door to the intelligence the understanding of African societyFailing which no researcher has ever succeeded in revivifying the African past in bringing it back to life in our minds before our eyes so to speak while remaining strictly within the realm of science Yet the documents at our disposal allow Until now （1960， date of the first edition）， the history of Black Africa has always been written with dates as dry as laundry lists and no one has almost ever tried to find the key that unlocks the door to the intelligence the understanding of African societyFailing which no researcher has ever succeeded in revivifying the African past in bringing it back to life in our minds before our eyes so to speak while remaining strictly within the realm of science Yet the documents at our disposal allow us to do that practically without any break in continuity for a period of two thousand years， at least insofar as West Africa is concernedTherefore it had become indispensable to unfreeze in a manner of speaking to defossilize that African history which was there at hand， lifeless， imprisoned in the documentsHowever this work is not properly speaking a book of history but it is an auxiliary tool indispensable to the historian It indeed affords him a scientific understanding of all the historical facts hitherto unexplained In that sense it is a study in African historical sociology It permits us no longer to be surprised at the stagnation or rather the relatively stable equilibrium of precolonial African societies: the analysis of their socio-political structures presented in it allowing us to gauge the stabilizing factors in African society One thereby understands the technical and other lags to be the result of a different kind of development based upon absolutely objective fundamental causesThus there is no longer any reason for embarrassmentOnce the awareness achieved we can immediately and fully in almost every slightest detail relive all the aspects of Africans national life the administrative， judicial， economic， and military organizations， that of labor， the technical level， the migrations and formations of people and nationalities thus their ethnic genesis and consequently almost linguistic genesis etcUpon absorbing any such human experience we sense deep within ourselves a true reinforcement of our feeling of cultural oneness 。。。more
Sincerae
，
I was quite lost while reading the first thirty or so pages of this history。 I was expecting a more chronologically linear history of Africa， but in the preface Cheikh Anta Diop writes:'This book is not properly speaking a book of history; but it is an auxiliary tool indispensable to the historian。 It indeed affords him a scientific understanding of all the historical facts hitherto unexplained。 In that sense， it is a study in African historical sociology。'I did come to really enjoy this book。 I I was quite lost while reading the first thirty or so pages of this history。 I was expecting a more chronologically linear history of Africa， but in the preface Cheikh Anta Diop writes:'This book is not properly speaking a book of history; but it is an auxiliary tool indispensable to the historian。 It indeed affords him a scientific understanding of all the historical facts hitherto unexplained。 In that sense， it is a study in African historical sociology。'I did come to really enjoy this book。 It's a patchwork of information on pre-colonial Africa， the history and societal structures。 Diop directs the reader's attention throughout the book mainly to cultures and old empires of West Africa chiefly Songhai， Ghana， Mali， and Cayor。 He compares the lives of the masses of African people and the nobility with that of those in Europe at similar time periods。 West Africa after the coming of Islam is talked about extensively and how the religion often blended in well with local beliefs。 He ends the book discussing the origins and similarities of names in West Africa to many found in the Nile Basin going back to pharaonic times。 Much of the information that Diop presents comes from earlier sources such as the Tarikh es Sudan， a chronicle written in Arabic in the 17th century。Comparing this book to others I've started reading in the last couple of years about African history， I'd say once past about page 36 Pre-colonial Black Africa is another very good introductory book for those starting to learn about Africa south of the Sahara。 。。。more
Habeeb Akande
，
a useful read
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Precolonial Black Africa
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Precolonial Black Africa&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft