Page 77 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 13

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“A Moorish nobleman who lived in Spain the most minute detail; powerful
by the name of Al-Bakri questioned rulers, flourishing industries-civilised
merchants who visited the Ghana Empire to the marrow of their bones. And
in the 11th century and wrote this about the condition of the countries of
the king: “He sits in audience or to hear the eastern coast-mozambique, for
grievances against officials in a domed example-was quite the same.”
The beautiful city of Kumasi was blown up, destroyed pavilion around which stand ten horses Another example is the Kingdom of
by fire, and looted by the British at the end of the 19th covered with gold-embroidered materials. Congo in the 15th Century was the
century.
Behind the king stand ten pages holding epitome of political organization.
shields and swords decorated with gold, and It “was a flourishing state in the 15th
sword bearing the inscription From on his right are the sons of the kings of century. It was situated in the region of
Queen Victoria to the King of his country wearing splendid garments and Northern Angola and West Kongo. Its
Ashantee. A copy of the Times, their hair plaited with gold. The governor population was conservatively estimated
17 October 1843. With these were of the city sits on the ground before the at 2 or 3 million people. The country was
many specimens of Moorish and king and around him are ministers seated fivided into 6 administrative provinces and
Ashanti handicraft.” – Robin Walter likewise. At the door of the pavilion are a number of dependancies. The provinces
dogs of excellent pedigree that hardly ever were Mbamba, Mbata, Mpangu, Mpem-
In 1331, Ibn Battouta, described leave the place where the king is, guarding ba, Nsundi, and Soyo. The dependancies
the Tanzanian city of Kilwa, of the him. Around their necks they wear collars included Matari, Wamdo, Wembo and
Zanj, Swahili speaking people, as of gold and silver studded with a number the province of Mbundu. All in turn
follows ” one of the most beautiful and of balls of the same metals.” – http:// were subject to the authority of The Mani
well-constructed cities in the world, the en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghana_Em- Kongo (King). The capital of the coun-
whole of it is elegantly built”. The ruins pire#Government – the source of the try(Mbanza Kongo), was in the Mpemba
are complete with `gothic` arches and quote is given on wikipedia as p.80 of province. From the province of Mbamba,
intricate stonework, examples of exquisite Corpus of Early Arabic Sources for West the military stronghold. It was possible
architecture. Kilwa dates back to the 9th Africa by Nehemia Levtzion and John to put 400,000 in the field.” – Excerpt
century and was at its peak in the 13th F.P. Hopkins) from “The Invisible Empire” by PD
and 14th centuries. This international Lawton
African port minted its own currency in
the 11th -14th centuries. Remains of
artefacts link it to Spain, China, Arabia
and India. The inhabitants, architects and
founders of this city were not Arabs and
the only influence the Europeans had in the
form of the Portuguese was to mark the
start of decline, most likely through small- Here is a depiction of the Ghana Empire.
pox and influenza.” – Source: UNES- Depiction of old Congo
CO World Heritage Centre, excerpt from In 15th when the Portuguese, the
“The Invisible Empire” byPD Lawton first Europeans to sail the Atlantic Until the end of 16 century, Africa
coasts of Africa “arrived in the was far more advanced than Europe
coast of Guinea and landed at Vaida in term of political organization,
in West Africa, the captains were science, technology, culture. That
astonished to find streets well laid prosperity continued, despite the
out, bordered on either side for European slavery ravages, till the
several leagues by two rows of trees, 17th and 18th century.
for days they travelled through a
country of magnificent fields, inhab- The continent was crowded with

Tanzanian city of Kilwa, of the Zanj, Swahili speaking ited by men clad in richly coloured tens of great and prosperous cities,
people. garments of their own weaving! empires and kingdoms with King
Further south in the Kingdom of Askia Toure of Songhay, King
In 1505 Portuguese forces destroyed the Kongo(sic), a swarming crowd Behanzin Hossu Bowelle of Benin,
and burned down the Swahili cities dressed in fine silks’ and velvet; Emperor Menelik of Ethiopia, King
of Kilwa and Mombasa. great states well ordered, down to Shaka ka Sezangakhona of South

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