For centuries, Arabs freely traded slaves across Africa, the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean, into every part of the Arab world. However, unlike the Westerners who invested in slavery for
The world has heard a thousand stories of the trans-Atlantic Slave trade—of how strange men with skin like milk rampaged the rich foliage of Africa’s lands and took
Every great empire that rises must eventually fall, or so history has shown. Across Africa and beyond, once-mighty civilizations have ascended to power, only to succumb to the tides of
Spread across East and Central Africa, but primarily in present-day Rwanda, the history of the Banyarwanda is a complex one—even the term itself carries layers of meaning. In the
Few cultural artefacts embody beauty and utility as well as the kiondo, a handwoven basket with deep cultural significance amongst Kenya’s indigenous communities. The art of weaving the kiondo
Before the arrival of colonial masters, the African landscape was home to an intricately organised economic system that reflected the creative cultures, dynamic lifestyle, deep-rooted traditions, timeless values and abundant
Summary
* Prior to the 4th century, Ethiopia was a Polytheist state majorly made up of the Aksum empire, a wealthy civilisation that controlled major trade routes in the region.
* In
You may have heard of the great Bunyoro-Kitara empire, known to be one of the most prominent kingdoms in East and Central Africa between the 16th-19th century. However, one closely
Summary
* The Denkyira Empire emerged in the early 16th century, rising to power through control of gold-rich regions and dominance in trade with Europeans, especially along the southwestern coast of
In the early 19th century, the Ashanti Empire, a prominent Akan kingdom in West Africa, found itself at odds with the expanding British Empire. On 21st January 1824, this friction
Summary
Muhammad Ahmad bin Abdullah, known as the Mahdi, was a key Sudanese leader who, in 1881, declared himself the Mahdi and established the Mahdist State. This vast Islamic state
On 2nd October, 1958, the West African country of Guinea won full independence from France. This was unprecedented as other French colonies on the continent had opted for partial independence
