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African Warriors in History: A Legacy of Courage, Resilience, and Resistance
Author: Dr. Anika Nwokedi, PhD, Professor of African History and Warfare, University of Lagos, Nigeria. Dr. Nwokedi is a leading expert in pre-colonial African military strategies and has authored several acclaimed books on the subject, including The Shield and the Spear: Military Traditions of West Africa and Queens of Combat: Female Warriors in Ancient Africa.
Keywords: African warriors in history, African military history, African kingdoms, African resistance, pre-colonial warfare, African women warriors, military tactics, African empires.
Introduction:
The narrative of “African warriors in history” is far richer and more complex than often portrayed in mainstream historical accounts. For too long, the contributions and prowess of African warriors have been marginalized or overlooked, replaced by simplistic and often stereotypical representations. This article aims to redress this imbalance, exploring the diverse experiences, tactical innovations, and enduring legacies of African warriors across various eras and regions. We will examine both the challenges they faced and the opportunities they created, shedding light on the crucial role they played in shaping the political, social, and cultural landscape of Africa.
H1: The Diversity of African Warriors in History
The term "African warriors in history" encompasses an incredibly diverse range of individuals and groups. From the highly organized armies of the ancient Nubian kingdoms to the skilled warriors of the Zulu impis, the Maasai morans, and the Dahomey Amazons, the continent’s military traditions varied widely depending on geographical location, societal structure, and available resources. Understanding this diversity is crucial to appreciating the full scope of African military history. This diversity extended beyond weaponry and tactics; it encompassed social structures, leadership styles, and the roles of women in warfare.
H2: Military Tactics and Innovations of African Warriors in History
African warriors were not merely brute force; they displayed remarkable tactical ingenuity. The Nubian archers were renowned for their accuracy, while the Ashanti kingdom employed sophisticated battlefield formations and strategies. The Zulu impis, with their iconic bull horn formation, demonstrated masterful use of terrain and coordinated maneuverability. The development of specialized weaponry, such as the throwing spears of the Maasai or the unique shields and swords of various kingdoms, also speaks to the inventiveness and adaptability of African military technology. African warriors in history consistently adapted their tactics to their environment and to the specific challenges posed by their adversaries.
H3: The Role of Women Warriors in African History
A notable aspect of "African warriors in history" is the significant participation of women. The Dahomey Amazons, an all-female regiment of the Kingdom of Dahomey (present-day Benin), are perhaps the most famous example. However, female warriors played important roles in many other African societies, often holding positions of leadership and wielding considerable influence. Their contributions challenge conventional Western notions of gender roles in warfare and illuminate the diverse ways in which African societies structured their military forces. Further research is necessary to fully understand the breadth of their participation in African military history.
H4: Resistance and Resilience: African Warriors Confronting Colonialism
The arrival of European colonial powers presented a new and formidable challenge for African warriors. While some kingdoms and societies were able to negotiate or even initially resist colonial encroachment, many others faced brutal suppression. The resistance movements that followed often demonstrated remarkable bravery and resilience in the face of overwhelming odds. Figures such as Samora Machel of Mozambique, and numerous other African freedom fighters, exemplify the continued spirit of resistance that characterized African warriors in history during this challenging period. These struggles, though ultimately unsuccessful in repelling colonialism entirely, nevertheless highlight the tenacious spirit of African people and their commitment to defending their land and sovereignty.
H5: Challenges and Opportunities for Studying African Warriors in History
The study of "African warriors in history" faces several challenges. The destruction of historical records during colonial periods and the biases embedded in existing historical sources present significant obstacles. However, the growing availability of archaeological evidence, oral traditions, and alternative historical methodologies offers exciting new opportunities. This interdisciplinary approach, combining traditional historical methods with archaeology, anthropology, and other fields, promises to reveal a far more nuanced and comprehensive understanding of African military history.
Conclusion:
The legacy of "African warriors in history" is one of courage, resilience, and strategic innovation. Their stories, often untold or misrepresented, deserve to be heard and understood within a broader global context. By acknowledging the complexities and diversity of African military traditions, we can gain a richer and more accurate understanding of the continent's past and its enduring impact on the world. Further research and a commitment to decolonizing historical narratives are crucial to ensuring a more accurate and representative portrayal of African warriors in history.
FAQs:
1. Were there any significant female warrior groups besides the Dahomey Amazons? Yes, numerous African societies included women warriors, though their roles and prominence varied considerably. Further research is continually revealing more examples.
2. What were the most common weapons used by African warriors? Weapons varied greatly depending on region and time period, but common examples include spears, bows and arrows, swords, shields, and clubs.
3. How did geography influence military tactics in Africa? Geography played a crucial role. Desert environments favored mobile warfare and ranged weapons, while forested regions might favor ambush tactics and close-quarters combat.
4. What role did religion and spirituality play in African warfare? Religion and spirituality often played a significant role, influencing military strategies, providing moral support, and shaping battlefield conduct.
5. How did African kingdoms train their warriors? Training methods varied, but often involved rigorous physical conditioning, weapons practice, and strategic instruction, sometimes from a young age.
6. What are some examples of significant battles involving African warriors? Numerous battles shaped African history, from those involving the ancient Nubian kingdoms to conflicts during colonial resistance. Specific examples require further contextualization.
7. How did African military strategies compare to those of other cultures? While diverse, African military strategies demonstrated creativity and adaptability, often comparable to or surpassing those of other cultures in their effectiveness within their specific contexts.
8. How have colonial narratives distorted the portrayal of African warriors? Colonial narratives often minimized or ignored African military achievements, depicting African warriors as primitive or savage, thereby justifying colonial conquest.
9. Where can I find more information on this topic? Reputable academic journals, university libraries, and museums specializing in African history offer invaluable resources.
Related Articles:
1. The Nubian Kingdoms: Military Might and Cultural Sophistication: Explores the advanced military capabilities and sophisticated culture of the ancient Nubian kingdoms.
2. The Ashanti Empire: Warfare, Diplomacy, and State Formation: Examines the military strategies and political organization of the powerful Ashanti Empire.
3. The Zulu Impis: Military Organization and the Rise of Shaka: Details the innovative military tactics and organization employed by the Zulu under Shaka.
4. The Dahomey Amazons: Women Warriors of West Africa: Focuses on the unique role and significance of the all-female Dahomey Amazonian regiments.
5. Maasai Warriors: Age-Set Systems and the Preservation of Tradition: Explores the cultural context of Maasai warriorhood and its relationship to social structure.
6. Resistance to Colonialism in Southern Africa: Examines the various forms of resistance employed by African people against colonial rule in Southern Africa.
7. The Role of Women in African Warfare: Beyond the Dahomey Amazons: Broadens the scope to explore the diverse roles women played in warfare across various African cultures.
8. Pre-Colonial African Weaponry: Technology and Innovation: Delves into the diverse and innovative technologies used in the creation of African weapons.
9. African Military Strategies: Adaptability and Innovation: Explores the diverse military strategies and their adaptability to various environments and opponents.
| african warriors in history: African Samurai Thomas Lockley, Geoffrey Girard, 2019-04-30 This biography of the first foreign-born samurai and his journey from Africa to Japan is “a readable, compassionate account of an extraordinary life” (The Washington Post). When Yasuke arrived in Japan in the late 1500s, he had already traveled much of the known world. Kidnapped as a child, he had ended up a servant and bodyguard to the head of the Jesuits in Asia, with whom he traversed India and China learning multiple languages as he went. His arrival in Kyoto, however, literally caused a riot. Most Japanese people had never seen an African man before, and many of them saw him as the embodiment of the black-skinned Buddha. Among those who were drawn to his presence was Lord Nobunaga, head of the most powerful clan in Japan, who made Yasuke a samurai in his court. Soon, he was learning the traditions of Japan’s martial arts and ascending the upper echelons of Japanese society. In the four hundred years since, Yasuke has been known in Japan largely as a legendary, perhaps mythical figure. Now African Samurai presents the never-before-told biography of this unique figure of the sixteenth century, one whose travels between countries and cultures offers a new perspective on race in world history and a vivid portrait of life in medieval Japan. “Fast-paced, action-packed writing. . . . A new and important biography and an incredibly moving study of medieval Japan and solid perspective on its unification. Highly recommended.” —Library Journal (starred review) “Eminently readable. . . . a worthwhile and entertaining work.” —Publishers Weekly “A unique story of a unique man, and yet someone with whom we can all identify.” —Jack Weatherford, New York Times–bestselling author of Genghis Khan |
| african warriors in history: Zulu Warriors John Laband, 2014-05-27 The Anglo-Zulu War, the most famous of Britain's lte ninetweenth-century campaigns of colonial conquest, was not fought in isolation. Along with the two Anglo-Pedi wars, the Ninth Cape Frontier War and the Northern Border War, it was one in a brutal series of interconnected and overlapping wars which the British waged between 1877-1879 to crush and disarm the remaining independent black states of South Africa. [Fusing] the widely differing African and European perspectives on events, [the author] probes the fateful decisions taken by statesmen and military commandrs, analyses military operations and their destructive impact on combatants and civilians alike, and explores why so many Africans chose to fight as auxiliaries and levies alongside the Bruitish instead of against them. ...--Jacket. |
| african warriors in history: African Warriors Thomasin Magor, 1994 In the rugged terrain of Northern Kenya, virtually isolated from civilization, lives one of the last surviving warrior peoples of Africa. Renowned for their extraordinary physical beauty and grace as much as for their independence and pride, the Samburu are semi-nomadic pastoralists whose lives and intricate social system, with its age-sets, cattle-wealth, circumcision and marriage rituals, have been shaped over time by the fierce climate, by inter-tribal rivalry and by the never-ending search for grazing and water. |
| african warriors in history: Amazons of Black Sparta, 2nd Edition Stanley B. Alpern, 2011-04-11 The only thoroughly documented Amazons in world history are the women warriors of Dahomey, an eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Western African kingdom. Once dubbed a 'small black Sparta,' residents of Dahomey shared with the Spartans an intense militarism and sense of collectivism. Updated with a new preface by the author, Amazons of Black Sparta is the product of meticulous archival research and Alpern's gift for narrative. It will stand as the most comprehensive and accessible account of the woman warriors of Dahomey. |
| african warriors in history: Njinga of Angola Linda M. Heywood, 2019-02-25 “The fascinating story of arguably the greatest queen in sub-Saharan African history, who surely deserves a place in the pantheon of revolutionary world leaders.” —Henry Louis Gates, Jr. Though largely unknown in the West, the seventeenth-century African queen Njinga was one of the most multifaceted rulers in history, a woman who rivaled Queen Elizabeth I in political cunning and military prowess. In this landmark book, based on nine years of research and drawing from missionary accounts, letters, and colonial records, Linda Heywood reveals how this legendary queen skillfully navigated—and ultimately transcended—the ruthless, male-dominated power struggles of her time. “Queen Njinga of Angola has long been among the many heroes whom black diasporians have used to construct a pantheon and a usable past. Linda Heywood gives us a different Njinga—one brimming with all the qualities that made her the stuff of legend but also full of all the interests and inclinations that made her human. A thorough, serious, and long overdue study of a fascinating ruler, Njinga of Angola is an essential addition to the study of the black Atlantic world.” —Ta-Nehisi Coates “This fine biography attempts to reconcile her political acumen with the human sacrifices, infanticide, and slave trading by which she consolidated and projected power.” —New Yorker “Queen Njinga was by far the most successful of African rulers in resisting Portuguese colonialism...Tactically pious and unhesitatingly murderous...a commanding figure in velvet slippers and elephant hair ripe for big-screen treatment; and surely, as our social media age puts it, one badass woman.” —Karen Shook, Times Higher Education |
| african warriors in history: The African Wars Chris Peers, 2010 Provides a graphic account of several of the key campaigns fought between European powers and the native peoples of tropical and sub-tropical Africa in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. [The author] describes in ... detail the organization and training of African warriors, their weapons, their fighting methods and traditions, and their tactics--Jacket. |
| african warriors in history: Of Warriors, Lovers and Prophets Max du Preez, 2010-11-05 South African history will never be the same again ... Shunning the predictable, Max du Preez has put on his investigative journalist’s cap and examined our past from a fresh perspective. The result is a collection of extraordinary and mostly unknown stories, all meticulously researched and written in an engaging and lively style. Instead of regurgitating the story of Jan van Riebeeck’s arrival at the Cape, he tells the tales of a Portuguese viscount killed on a Cape beach in 1510, of the Khoikhoi chief who was kidnapped and taken to England in 1610, and of the saucy goings-on between slave women and their European settler lovers. There’s the story of King Moshoeshoe’s remarkable conduct when cannibals ate his beloved grandfather, and Shaka’s sexuality is explored via his relationship with his mother and the woman who loved him without ever touching him. Sidestepping the old clichés about the Anglo-Boer War, Du Preez recounts the story of an Afrikaner broedertwis - General Christiaan de Wet and his brother Piet, who joined the British forces and fought his own people. The reader is taken through every stage of our history, up to the story of apartheid South Africa’s nuclear bombs, and the secret dealings and intrigue during the negotiations leading up to the 1994 elections. This is South African history as you’ve never seen it before: a colourful mosaic of our rich heritage. |
| african warriors in history: Reconstructing the Black Image Gordon De la Mothe, 1993 This books aims to develop curriculum approaches and material appropriate to black students that can enhance their personal development, self-esteem, competence, and understanding of society, while it helps young whites develop a greater understanding of the contributions made by black people to history and social development. The context is that of the English school system. Images from art are used as stimuli, and the social and historical realities relating to images are linked to produce departure points for further study and research. Section 1 focuses on White History and the Distortion of Black History. In section 2, the topic is African Reactions to Slavery and Colonisation, while section 3 concentrates on Religion and the Role of Black People. Section 4 considersThe Centuries of Struggle. A concluding chapter explores Reconstructing the Black Image in the History National Curriculum. |
| african warriors in history: Empires of Medieval West Africa David C. Conrad, 2010 Explores empires of medieval west Africa. |
| african warriors in history: Blacks in Antiquity Frank M. Snowden, 1970 Investigates the participation of black Africans, usually referred to as Ethiopians, by the Greek and Romans, in classical civilization, concluding that they were accepted by pagans and Christians without prejudice. |
| african warriors in history: African Founders David Hackett Fischer, 2022-05-31 A ... synthesis of African and African-American history that shows how slavery differed in different regions of the country, and how the Africans and their descendants influenced the culture, commerce, and laws of the early United States-- |
| african warriors in history: The African Wars Chris Peers, 2011-01-26 A military history of native sub-Saharan African armies during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, exploring their training, weapons, tactics and more. In The African Wars, Chris Peers provides a graphic account of several of the key campaigns fought between European powers and the native peoples of tropical and sub-tropical Africa in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. His pioneering and authoritative study describes in vivid detail the organization and training of African warriors, their weapons, their fighting methods and traditions, and their tactics. He concentrates on the campaigns mounted by the most successful African armies as they struggled to defend themselves against the European scramble for Africa. Resistance was inconsistent, but some warlike peoples fought long and hard—the Zulu victory over the British at Isandhlwana is the best known but by no means the only occasion when the Africans humiliated the colonial invaders. |
| african warriors in history: Thunder at the Gates Douglas R Egerton, 2016-11-01 An intimate, authoritative history of the first black soldiers to fight in the Union Army during the Civil War Soon after Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, abolitionists began to call for the creation of black regiments. At first, the South and most of the North responded with outrage-southerners promised to execute any black soldiers captured in battle, while many northerners claimed that blacks lacked the necessary courage. Meanwhile, Massachusetts, long the center of abolitionist fervor, launched one of the greatest experiments in American history. In Thunder at the Gates, Douglas Egerton chronicles the formation and battlefield triumphs of the 54th and 55th Massachusetts Infantry and the 5th Massachusetts Cavalry-regiments led by whites but composed of black men born free or into slavery. He argues that the most important battles of all were won on the field of public opinion, for in fighting with distinction the regiments realized the long-derided idea of full and equal citizenship for blacks. A stirring evocation of this transformative episode, Thunder at the Gates offers a riveting new perspective on the Civil War and its legacy. |
| african warriors in history: Freedom Journey Edythe Ann Quinn, 2015-01-31 Through wonderfully detailed letters, recruit rosters, and pension records, Edythe Ann Quinn shares the story of thirty-five African American Civil War soldiers and the United States Colored Troop (USCT) regiments with which they served. Associated with The Hills community in Westchester County, New York, the soldiers served in three regiments: the 29th Connecticut Infantry, 14th Rhode Island Heavy Artillery (11th USCT), and the 20th USCT. The thirty-sixth Hills man served in the Navy. Their ties to family, land, church, school, and occupational experiences at home buffered the brutal indifference of boredom and battle, the ravages of illness, the deprivations of unequal pay, and the hostility of some commissioned officers and white troops. At the same time, their service among kith and kin bolstered their determination and pride. They marched together, first as raw recruits, and finally as seasoned veterans, welcomed home by generals, politicians, and above all, their families and friends. |
| african warriors in history: African Princess Joyce Hansen, 2004-07-26 What was it like to live as a queen in ancient Egypt, or as an Amazon warrior in western Africa? African Princess tells the stories of six remarkable royal women and the eras in which they lived, from 1473 B.C. to the present. Some lived in great luxury; others lived in exile as freedom fighters. The rise of the slave trade and the arrival of European colonists unsettled the entire continent and forced rulers to find ways to govern and protect their kingdoms. Consequently, many of these royal women ruled in extremely difficult times, marked by palace intrigue, foreign invasion, and harrowing adventure. |
| african warriors in history: Warrior Chiefs of Southern Africa Ian Knight, 1994 |
| african warriors in history: Africans John Iliffe, 2017-07-13 An updated and comprehensive single-volume history covering all periods from human origins to contemporary African situations. |
| african warriors in history: Women Warriors Pamela D. Toler, 2019-02-26 Who says women don’t go to war? From Vikings and African queens to cross-dressing military doctors and WWII Russian fighter pilots, these are the stories of women for whom battle was not a metaphor. The woman warrior is always cast as an anomaly—Joan of Arc, not GI Jane. But women, it turns out, have always gone to war. In this fascinating and lively world history, Pamela Toler not only introduces us to women who took up arms, she also shows why they did it and what happened when they stepped out of their traditional female roles to take on other identities. These are the stories of women who fought because they wanted to, because they had to, or because they could. Among the warriors you’ll meet are: * Tomyris, ruler of the Massagetae, who killed Cyrus the Great of Persia when he sought to invade her lands * The West African ruler Amina of Hausa, who led her warriors in a campaign of territorial expansion for more than 30 years * Boudica, who led the Celtic tribes of Britain into a massive rebellion against the Roman Empire to avenge the rapes of her daughters * The Trung sisters, Trung Trac and Trung Nhi, who led an untrained army of 80,000 troops to drive the Chinese empire out of Vietnam * The Joshigun, a group of 30 combat-trained Japanese women who fought against the forces of the Meiji emperor in the late 19th century * Lakshmi Bai, Rani of Jhansi, who was regarded as the “bravest and best” military leader in the 1857 Indian Mutiny against British rule * Maria Bochkareva, who commanded Russia’s first all-female battalion—the First Women’s Battalion of Death—during WWII * Buffalo Calf Road Woman, the Cheyenne warrior who knocked General Custer off his horse at the Battle of Little Bighorn * Juana Azurduy de Padilla, a mestiza warrior who fought in at least 16 major battles against colonizers of Latin America and who is a national hero in Bolivia and Argentina today * And many more spanning from ancient times through the 20th century. By considering the ways in which their presence has been erased from history, Toler reveals that women have always fought—not in spite of being women but because they are women. |
| african warriors in history: UNESCO General History of Africa, Vol. I, Abridged Edition Jacqueline Ki-Zerbo, Unesco. International Scientific Committee for the Drafting of a General History of Africa, 1990 This volume covers the period from the end of the Neolithic era to the beginning of the seventh century of our era. This lengthy period includes the civilization of Ancient Egypt, the history of Nubia, Ethiopia, North Africa and the Sahara, as well as of the other regions of the continent and its islands.--Publisher's description |
| african warriors in history: The Fiddler on Pantico Run Joe Mozingo, 2012-10-02 In this gorgeously written and “vividly fascinating” (Elle) account, a prize-winning journalist digs deep into his ancestry looking for the origins of his unusual last name and discovers that he comes from one of America’s earliest mixed-race families. “My dad’s family was a mystery,” writes journalist Joe Mozingo, having grown up with only rumors about where his father’s family was from—Italy, France, the Basque Country. But when a college professor told the blue-eyed Californian that his family name may have come from sub-Saharan Africa, Mozingo set out on an epic journey to uncover the truth. He soon discovered that all Mozingos in America, including his father’s line, appeared to have descended from a black man named Edward Mozingo who was brought to America as a slave in 1644 and, after winning his freedom twenty-eight years later, became a tenant tobacco farmer, married a white woman, and fathered one of the country’s earliest mixed-race family lineages. Tugging at the buried thread of his origins, Joe Mozingo has unearthed a saga that encompasses the full sweep of America’s history and lays bare the country’s tortured and paradoxical experience with race. Haunting and beautiful, Mozingo’s memoir paints a world where the lines based on color are both illusory and life altering. He traces his family line from the ravages of the slave trade to the mixed-race society of colonial Virginia and through the brutal imposition of racial laws. |
| african warriors in history: A History of Modern Africa Richard J. Reid, 2020-01-09 The new, fully-updated edition of the acclaimed textbook covering 200 years of African history A History of Modern Africa explores two centuries of the continent’s political, economic, and social history. This thorough yet accessible text help readers to understand key concepts, recognize significant themes, and identify the processes that shaped the modern history of Africa. Emphasis is placed on the consequences of colonial rule, and the links between the precolonial and postcolonial eras. Author Richard Reid, a prominent scholar and historian on the subject, argues that Africa’s struggle for economic and political stability in the nineteenth century escalated and intensified through the twentieth century, the effects of which are still felt in the present day. The new third edition offers substantial updates and revisions that consider recent events and historiography. Greater emphasis is placed on African agency, particularly during the colonial period, and the importance of the long-term militarization of African political culture. Discussions of the postcolonial period have been updated to reflect recent developments, including those in North Africa. Adopting a long-term approach to current African issues, this text: Explores the legacies of the nineteenth century and the colonial period in the context of the contemporary era Highlights the role of nineteenth century and long-term internal dynamics in Africa’s modern challenges Combines recent scholarship with concise and effective narrative Features maps, illustrations, expanded references, and comprehensive endnotes A History of Modern Africa: 1800 to the Present, 3rd Edition is an excellent introduction to the subject for undergraduate students in relevant courses, and for general readers with interest in modern African history and current affairs. |
| african warriors in history: Africa's Armies Robert B. Edgerton, 2002-11-06 Merging anthropology and history, describes the roots of civil-military imbalances in sub-Saharan Africa and suggests solutions for reducing poverty, crime, disease, and genocide. |
| african warriors in history: The Blacks of Premodern China Don J. Wyatt, 2012-02-28 Premodern Chinese described a great variety of the peoples they encountered as black. The earliest and most frequent of these encounters were with their Southeast Asian neighbors, specifically the Malayans. But by the midimperial times of the seventh through seventeenth centuries C.E., exposure to peoples from Africa, chiefly slaves arriving from the area of modern Somalia, Kenya, and Tanzania, gradually displaced the original Asian blacks in Chinese consciousness. In The Blacks of Premodern China, Don J. Wyatt presents the previously unexamined story of the earliest Chinese encounters with this succession of peoples they have historically regarded as black. A series of maritime expeditions along the East African coastline during the early fifteenth century is by far the best known and most documented episode in the story of China's premodern interaction with African blacks. Just as their Western contemporaries had, the Chinese aboard the ships that made landfall in Africa encountered peoples whom they frequently classified as savages. Yet their perceptions of the blacks they met there differed markedly from those of earlier observers at home in that there was little choice but to regard the peoples encountered as free. The premodern saga of dealings between Chinese and blacks concludes with the arrival in China of Portuguese and Spanish traders and Italian clerics with their black slaves in tow. In Chinese writings of the time, the presence of the slaves of the Europeans becomes known only through sketchy mentions of black bondservants. Nevertheless, Wyatt argues that the story of these late premodern blacks, laboring anonymously in China under their European masters, is but a more familiar extension of the previously untold story of their ancestors who toiled in Chinese servitude perhaps in excess of a millennium earlier. |
| african warriors in history: Black Warriors: the Buffalo Soldiers of World War II Ivan J. Houston, Gordon Cohn, 2011-03 Ours was the only Negro division to fight as a unit in Europe during World War II--Author's note (p. xi) |
| african warriors in history: How to Write About Africa Binyavanga Wainaina, 2023-06-06 From one of Africa’s most influential and eloquent essayists, a posthumous collection that highlights his biting satire and subversive wisdom on topics from travel to cultural identity to sexuality “A fierce literary talent . . . [Wainaina] shines a light on his continent without cliché.”—The Guardian “Africa is the only continent you can love—take advantage of this. . . . Africa is to be pitied, worshipped, or dominated. Whichever angle you take, be sure to leave the strong impression that without your intervention and your important book, Africa is doomed.” Binyavanga Wainaina was a pioneering voice in African literature, an award-winning memoirist and essayist remembered as one of the greatest chroniclers of contemporary African life. This groundbreaking collection brings together, for the first time, Wainaina’s pioneering writing on the African continent, including many of his most critically acclaimed pieces, such as the viral satirical sensation “How to Write About Africa.” Working fearlessly across a range of topics—from politics to international aid, cultural heritage, and redefined sexuality—he describes the modern world with sensual, emotional, and psychological detail, giving us a full-color view of his home country and continent. These works present the portrait of a giant in African literature who left a tremendous legacy. |
| african warriors in history: African History: A Very Short Introduction John Parker, Richard Rathbone, 2007-03-22 Intended for those interested in the African continent and the diversity of human history, this work looks at Africa's past and reflects on the changing ways it has been imagined and represented. It illustrates key themes in modern thinking about Africa's history with a range of historical examples. |
| african warriors in history: The Women Soldiers of Dahomey Sylvia Serbin, Edouard Joubeaud, Joseph C. E. Adandé, 2015 Elite troops of women soldiers contributed to the military power of the Kingdom of Dahomey in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Admired in their country and feared by their adversaries, these formidable warriors never fled from danger. The troops were dissolved after the fall of Behanzin (Gbehanzin), the last King of Dahomey, during French colonial expansion at the end of the nineteenth century. |
| african warriors in history: African Creeks Gary Zellar, 2007 A narrative of the African Creek community |
| african warriors in history: Africa from the Sixteenth to the Eighteenth Century Bethwell A. Ogot, 1992 The result of years of work by scholars from all over the world, The UNESCO General History of Africa reflects how the different peoples of Africa view their civilizations and shows the historical relationships between the various parts of the continent. Historical connections with other continents demonstrate Africa's contribution to the development of human civilization. Each volume is lavishly illustrated and contains a comprehensive bibliography. This fifth volume of the acclaimed series covers the history of the continent from the beginning of the sixteenth century to the close of the eighteenth century in which two themes emerge: first, the continuing internal evolution of the states and cultures of Africa during this period second, the increasing involvement of Africa in external trade--with major but unforeseen consequences for the whole world. In North Africa, we see the Ottomans conquer Egypt. South of the Sahara, some of the larger, older states collapse, and new power bases emerge. Traditional religions continue to coexist with both Christianity (suffering setbacks) and Islam (in the ascendancy). Along the coast, particularly of West Africa, Europeans establish a trading network which, with the development of New World plantation agriculture, becomes the focus of the international slave trade. The immediate consequences of this trade for Africa are explored, and it is argued that the long-term global consequences include the foundation of the present world-economy with all its built-in inequalities. |
| african warriors in history: African Military History John Lamphear, 2017-05-15 This collection of essays on pre-colonial sub-Saharan African military history is drawn from a number of academic journals and includes some which are considered milestones in African historiographical discourse, as well as others which, while lesser known, provide remarkable insight into the unique nature of African military history. Selections were made so as to produce an introduction to the understudied field of pre-colonial African military history that will be useful to specialists and non-specialists alike. The volume also contains an introduction which presents one of the first significant reviews of pre-colonial African military historiography ever attempted. |
| african warriors in history: A Glorious Age in Africa Daniel Chu, Elliott Percival Skinner, 1990 Illustrated by Monetta Barnett. Tells the story of the rise of the great African empires - Ghana, Mali, and Songhay - and charts their progress from the eighth to the sixteenth century. |
| african warriors in history: The Warrior Tradition in Modern Africa Mazrui, 2022-04-25 |
| african warriors in history: African Icons Tracey Baptiste, 2021-10-19 Every year, American schoolchildren celebrate Black History Month. They study almost exclusively American stories, which are not only rooted in struggle over enslavement or oppression, but also take in only four hundred years of a rich and thrilling history that goes back many millennia across the African continent. Through portraits of ten historical figures - from Menes, the first ruler to be called Pharaoh, to Queen Idia, a sixteenth-century power broker, visionary, and diplomat - African Iconstakes readers on a journey across Africa to meet some of the great leaders and thinkers whose ideas built a continent and shaped our world. |
| african warriors in history: Warrior Mindset Michael J. Asken, 2018-12-05 If you constantly wake up tired and stressed and you feel like life is very hard, this guide will change your mindset and apply it to modern life. This is about knowing what you want and going for it. It’s about being tough and it’s about not... |
| african warriors in history: West African Challenge to Empire Mahir Şaul, Patrick Royer, 2022-11-08 West African Challenge to Empire examines the anticolonial war in the Volta and Bani region in 1915–16. It was the largest challenge that the French ever faced in their West African colonial empire, and one of the largest armed oppositions to colonialism anywhere in Africa. How such a movement could be organized in the face of European technological superiority despite the fact that this region is generally described as having consisted of rival villages and descent groups is a puzzle. In this jointly written book the two authors provide a detailed political and military history of this event based on archival research and ethnographic fieldwork. Using cultural and sociological analysis, it probes the origins of the movement, its internal organization, its strategy, and the reasons for its initial success and why it spread. In 2001 the authors of West African Challenge to Empire were awarded the Amaury Talbot Prize for African Anthropology by the Royal Anthropological Institute. |
| african warriors in history: Flight Path Jonathan Scott Gration, 2016-07-10 Captivating experiences from my unique childhood jump start the book. Human-interest vignettes punctuate fascinating accounts of developing the Predator drone, conducting the 2003 scud hunt in Iraq, and accompanying Senator Obama to Africa. I painfully describe surviving several terrorist attacks and then recount efforts to birth South Sudan. |
| african warriors in history: African American Faces of the Civil War Ronald S. Coddington, 2012-08-20 A renowned collector of Civil War photographs and a prodigious researcher, Ronald S. Coddington combines compelling archival images with biographical stories that reveal the human side of the war. This third volume in his series on Civil War soldiers contains previously unpublished photographs of African American Civil War participants—many of whom fought to secure their freedom. During the Civil War, 200,000 African American men enlisted in the Union army or navy. Some of them were free men and some escaped from slavery; others were released by sympathetic owners to serve the war effort. African American Faces of the Civil War tells the story of the Civil War through the images of men of color who served in roles that ranged from servants and laborers to enlisted men and junior officers. Coddington discovers these portraits— cartes de visite, ambrotypes, and tintypes—in museums, archives, and private collections. He has pieced together each individual’s life and fate based upon personal documents, military records, and pension files. These stories tell of ordinary men who became fighters, of the prejudice they faced, and of the challenges they endured. African American Faces of the Civil War makes an important contribution to a comparatively understudied aspect of the war and provides a fascinating look into lives that helped shape America. |
| african warriors in history: African Warriors Thomasin Magor, 1994 The Samburu of notrthern Kenya are one of the last survivng warrior peoples of Africa. |
| african warriors in history: King Shaka , 2019-06 Shaka struggles to retain power as challenges at home and from across an ocean threaten his new rule. |
| african warriors in history: Ancient Civilizations of Africa G. Mokhtar, 1981 The result of years of work by scholars from all over the world, The UNESCO General History of Africa reflects how the different peoples of Africa view their civilizations and shows the historical relationships between the various parts of the continent. Historical connections with other continents demonstrate Africa's contribution to the development of human civilization. Each volume is lavishly illustrated and contains a comprehensive bibliography. |
Warrior Peoples of East Africa 1840-1900 - Archive.org
warriors or of being annihilated. The Masai and Ngoni were descended from migrant conquerors who for generations had developed aggressive warfare into a way of life. The Hehe and Ruga …
Precolonial Africa - University of Michigan
difficult than the general problems of precolonial African history. In this study of the warrior and the state in Africa, I have relied on first, oral tradition.
A Military History of South Africa - South African History Online
state-to-state conflict.2 South African military history contains all these ele-ments including British involvement during the nineteenth century, South Africa’s role in the world wars, and a …
Journal of African History, XIII, 2 (I972), pp. 27I-290 27I
Journal of African History, XIII, 2 (I972), pp. 27I-290 27I Printed in Great Britain THE MAASAI WARRIORS: PATTERN MAINTENANCE AND VIOLENCE IN COLONIAL KENYA BY …
WARFARE IN PRE-COLONIAL AFRICA: AN EXAMINATION …
In pre-colonial Africa, war was fought for a range of reasons, including territorial expansion, self-preservation, defense, protection against external aggressors, etc. War has been profoundly...
Name: Date: Dr. Livingstone, I Presume?
by a lion and fought African warriors. He got to know the native languages and cultures of the regions he explored. Livingstone fell in love with Africa. In best-selling books, Livingstone …
Recognition of the Place of Women in 19th-Century African …
The paper found that the role of women in pre-colonial African warfare is understudied; this denies adequate representation of the female warriors in the historiography of African warfare. The …
A Short History of Africa - Stanford University
This is a short history of Africa excluding Egypt, Ethiopia and (Dutch and British) South Africa, which are the subjects of separate histories.
The Creation of the Zulu Kingdom, War, Shaka, and the …
arrative and analysis of the events and people of the era of Shaka’s rule. The oral traditions portray Shaka as rewarding courage and loyalty and punishing failure; as ordering the targeted …
The Resurrection of the Warrior Tradition in African Political …
and Amin in African history. THE WARRIOR IN SOCIETY African societies differed in their modes of self-defence and security arrangements, and in their conceptions of the rights and duties of …
SHAKA ZULU S LINKAGE OF STRATEGY AND TACTICS: …
leader, Shaka – King of the Zulu, who changed Zulu and African history forever. In the space of twelve years during the early nineteenth century, he transformed the small Zulu chieftains into …
The Kano Chronicle Revisited - Brill
The Kano Chronicle is one of the classic texts of African history.1 It appears to represent a combination of oral tradition and Arabic text that has often been cited as primordial to African …
Gandhi, Marx and the Warrior - University of Michigan
African symbols and drawn inspiration from African heroes. This is the form of resistance associated with the warrior tradition. The second form of struggle has been partly inspired by …
The Military in Traditional African Societies - JSTOR
In well-established kingdoms, such as Dahomey4 and Ashanti, there existed a core of professional sol-diers5 whose number was supplemented by the calling up of able-bodied …
Njinga of Angola: Africa’s Warrior Queen. Linda M. Heywood …
gender studies, gender history, world history, and general African history to the role of women in precolonial Africa. Western historiography often has an approach that could be best described …
AFRICAN DRAMA - humanitiesinstitute.org
The study begins by locating African drama in the context of oral performance and then examines how the genre has been impacted by the infusion of European literary traditions while retaining …
The True Story of Yasuke, a Legendary Black Warrior
proximately one hundred seventy thousand warriors took part (on the day itself; tens of thousands of others were delayed or fighting on related battlefields), was a decisive victory and decided …
John Laband, Zulu Warriors: The Battle for the South African …
1873 introduces certain key events and themes in South African history during the 1870s. The author’s stress here on the concepts of honor and masculinity sets the stage for his later …
West Africa: The Paper - Universities of Wisconsin
Through an extensive review of the available sources this study will examine the changing roles of the various factions (French and African) of the military and the effects they have had on …
Black Africans in World War II: The Soldiers' Stories
General) Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck's vaunted African askaris, warriors or infantry, were besting British, white South African, and Indian soldiers in a prolonged guerrilla war.
Warrior Peoples of East Africa 1840-1900 - Archive.org
warriors or of being annihilated. The Masai and Ngoni were descended from migrant conquerors who for generations had developed aggressive warfare into a way of life. The Hehe and Ruga …
Precolonial Africa - University of Michigan
difficult than the general problems of precolonial African history. In this study of the warrior and the state in Africa, I have relied on first, oral tradition.
A Military History of South Africa - South African History …
state-to-state conflict.2 South African military history contains all these ele-ments including British involvement during the nineteenth century, South Africa’s role in the world wars, and a …
Journal of African History, XIII, 2 (I972), pp. 27I-290 27I
Journal of African History, XIII, 2 (I972), pp. 27I-290 27I Printed in Great Britain THE MAASAI WARRIORS: PATTERN MAINTENANCE AND VIOLENCE IN COLONIAL KENYA BY …
WARFARE IN PRE-COLONIAL AFRICA: AN EXAMINATION …
In pre-colonial Africa, war was fought for a range of reasons, including territorial expansion, self-preservation, defense, protection against external aggressors, etc. War has been profoundly...
Name: Date: Dr. Livingstone, I Presume?
by a lion and fought African warriors. He got to know the native languages and cultures of the regions he explored. Livingstone fell in love with Africa. In best-selling books, Livingstone …
Recognition of the Place of Women in 19th-Century African …
The paper found that the role of women in pre-colonial African warfare is understudied; this denies adequate representation of the female warriors in the historiography of African warfare. The …
A Short History of Africa - Stanford University
This is a short history of Africa excluding Egypt, Ethiopia and (Dutch and British) South Africa, which are the subjects of separate histories.
The Creation of the Zulu Kingdom, War, Shaka, and the …
arrative and analysis of the events and people of the era of Shaka’s rule. The oral traditions portray Shaka as rewarding courage and loyalty and punishing failure; as ordering the targeted …
The Resurrection of the Warrior Tradition in African Political …
and Amin in African history. THE WARRIOR IN SOCIETY African societies differed in their modes of self-defence and security arrangements, and in their conceptions of the rights and duties of …
SHAKA ZULU S LINKAGE OF STRATEGY AND TACTICS: AN …
leader, Shaka – King of the Zulu, who changed Zulu and African history forever. In the space of twelve years during the early nineteenth century, he transformed the small Zulu chieftains into …
The Kano Chronicle Revisited - Brill
The Kano Chronicle is one of the classic texts of African history.1 It appears to represent a combination of oral tradition and Arabic text that has often been cited as primordial to African …
Gandhi, Marx and the Warrior - University of Michigan
African symbols and drawn inspiration from African heroes. This is the form of resistance associated with the warrior tradition. The second form of struggle has been partly inspired by …
The Military in Traditional African Societies - JSTOR
In well-established kingdoms, such as Dahomey4 and Ashanti, there existed a core of professional sol-diers5 whose number was supplemented by the calling up of able-bodied …
Njinga of Angola: Africa’s Warrior Queen. Linda M. Heywood …
gender studies, gender history, world history, and general African history to the role of women in precolonial Africa. Western historiography often has an approach that could be best described …
AFRICAN DRAMA - humanitiesinstitute.org
The study begins by locating African drama in the context of oral performance and then examines how the genre has been impacted by the infusion of European literary traditions while retaining …
The True Story of Yasuke, a Legendary Black Warrior
proximately one hundred seventy thousand warriors took part (on the day itself; tens of thousands of others were delayed or fighting on related battlefields), was a decisive victory and decided …
John Laband, Zulu Warriors: The Battle for the South African …
1873 introduces certain key events and themes in South African history during the 1870s. The author’s stress here on the concepts of honor and masculinity sets the stage for his later …
West Africa: The Paper - Universities of Wisconsin
Through an extensive review of the available sources this study will examine the changing roles of the various factions (French and African) of the military and the effects they have had on …
Black Africans in World War II: The Soldiers' Stories
General) Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck's vaunted African askaris, warriors or infantry, were besting British, white South African, and Indian soldiers in a prolonged guerrilla war.
