African empires

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African empires is an umbrella term used in

Listed below are known African empires and their respective capital cities.

Historical development

Sahelian kingdoms

The Sahelian kingdoms were a series of medieval empires centred on the Sahel, the area of grasslands south of the Sahara.

• The first major state to rise in this region was the
  Malinke kingdom of Mali to the south, and the Songhai Empire centred on Gao
  to the east.
• When Ghana atrophied in the face of invasion from the
  Sosso (Susu); after 1235, the Mali Empire rose to dominate the region completely filling the imperial vacuum left by the once powerful Ghana Empire. Located on the Niger River to the west of Ghana in what is today Niger and Mali
  , it reached its peak in the 1350s, but had lost control of a number of vassal states by 1400.
• The most powerful of these states was the Songhai Empire, which expanded rapidly beginning with king Sonni Ali in the 1460s. By 1500, it had risen to stretch from Cameroon to the Maghreb, the largest state in African history. It too was quite short-lived and collapsed in 1591 as a result of Moroccan musketry.
• Far to the east, on
  Kanem-Bornu, founded as Kanem in the 9th century, now rose to greater preeminence in the central Sahel region. To their west, the loosely united Hausa
  city-states became dominant. These two states coexisted uneasily, but were quite stable.
• In 1810, the Sokoto Caliphate rose and conquered the Hausa, creating a more centralized state. It and Kanem-Bornu would continue to exist until the arrival of Europeans, when both states would fall and the region would be divided between France and Great Britain.
• The
  Jolof Kingdom. It was largely conquered by the imamate of Futa Jallon in 1875 and its territories fully incorporated into French West Africa
  by 1890.

From the 15th century until the final Scramble for Africa in the late 19th century a number of empires were also established south of the Sahel, especially in West Africa.

West Africa

The West African empires of this period peaked in power in the late 18th century, paralleling the peak of the Atlantic slave trade. These empires implemented a culture of permanent warfare in order to generate the required numbers of captives required to satisfy the demand for slaves by the European colonies. With the gradual abolition of slavery in the European colonial empires during the 19th century, slave trade again became less lucrative and the West African empires entered a period of decline, and mostly collapsed by the end of the 19th century.^[9]

• The Kingdom of Dagbon was founded by Naa Gbewaa circa 11th Century. The Kingdom is one of the largest and oldest in modern Ghana. This kingdom spanned across Northern Ghana, North East Ivory Coast, Southern Burkina Faso and North West Togo. It is the progenitor of the Mossi Kingdoms of Burkina Faso founded by Yennega, the Bouna of Ivory Coast and the Dagaaba states. The kingdom is known for its fierce resistance to slavery.
• The
  eze Nri
  . The eze Nri managed trade and diplomacy on behalf of the Igbo people, and was the possessor of divine authority in religious matters.
• The
  West African empire of what is today western Nigeria. The empire was established by the Yoruba in the 15th century and grew to become one of the largest West African states. It rose to prominence through wealth gained from trade and its possession of a powerful cavalry. The Oyo Empire was the most politically important state in the region from the mid-17th to the late 18th century, holding sway not only over other Yoruba states, but also over the Fon kingdom of Dahomey (located in the state now known as the Republic of Benin
  ).
• Benin Empire was one of the oldest and most highly developed states in the coastal hinterland of West Africa
  , The empire offers a snapshot of a relatively well-organized and sophisticated African polity in operation before the major European colonial interlude.
• Kaabu Empire (1537–1867), a Mandinka Kingdom of Senegambia (centered on modern northeastern Guinea-Bissau but extending into Casamance, Senegal) that rose to prominence in the region thanks to its origins as a former province of the Mali Empire. After the decline of the Mali Empire, Kaabu became an independent kingdom.
• Aro Confederacy (1690–1902), a trading union orchestrated by the Igbo subgroup, the Aro people, centered in Arochukwu in present-day Southeastern Nigeria.
• Bonoman
  (11th century–19th century), earliest known Akan state. Gold trading and Kola nut trading with Northern Neighbors brought wealth and prosperity to Akan creators of this state. Culture influenced much of modern Akan culture.
• Gbokpoe Dynasty was founded in 1700. This dynasty ruled Djanglanmey, Grand-popo. In the region this clan was the famous slave trader.
• The Kingdom of Wémè was founded during the height of the slave trade in the late 17th century. Nowadays it is centred in modern-day Benin, ruled by its own traditional legitimate monarch in the Ouémé Valley.
• Côte d'Ivoire, bordered by the Dagomba kingdom to the north and Dahomey to the east. Today, the Ashanti monarchy
  continues as one of the constitutionally protected, sub-national traditional states within the Republic of Ghana.
• Various states by Akan people (11th century–19th century)
• Côte d'Ivoire that also encompassed much of present-day Burkina Faso
  .
• Umar Tall
  .
• Fulani Jihad
  in the early 19th century, it was one of the most powerful empires in sub-Saharan Africa prior to European conquest and colonization. The caliphate remained extant through the colonial period and afterwards, though with reduced power.
• Samori Ture
  and destroyed by the French colonial army.
• Oron
  to the west.
• Ife Empire (1200 - 1420) The Ife Empire was the first empire in Yoruba history. It was founded in what is now southwestern Nigeria and eastern Benin today. The Ife Empire lasted from 1200 to 1420. Its capital city, Ilé-Ife, was one of the largest urban centers, the biggest emporium, and the wealthiest polity south of the Niger River during the mid-14th-century.

Central Africa

• The
  Kongo Kingdom
  (1400–1888) was a quasi-imperial state as is evident by the number of people and kingdoms that paid it tribute. If not for the large amount of text written by the EssiKongo that repeatedly called themselves a kingdom, they would be listed as the "Kongo Empire".
• The
  Democratic Republic of Congo
  .
• Democratic Republic of Congo, north-eastern Angola and northwestern Zambia. Its central state was in Katanga
  .
• absolute monarch that replaced the Central African Republic
  and was, in turn, replaced by the restoration of the Republic.

The ancestors of the Kalanga/Karanga and Venda people found in South Africa, Botswana, and Zimbabwe today would intermarry with San Bushmen around the region of Limpopo, forming the first ever drystone walling^{[citation needed]}, which dates back to 200 BC and is still found in Chiredzi today. The purpose of this drystone walling was to protect the king from dangers related to population increase and agricultural expansion. This drystone walling eventually lost its original purpose of protecting the king; thereafter it became a symbol of unity of the people and of the power of the king^{[citation needed]}. This would give rise to the Kingdom of Mapungubwe^{[clarification needed]}, which was a sister city to the contemporaneous city Great Zimbabwe. The Mutapa Empire would rise in 1450^{[citation needed]}. The

• Zulu Kingdom
• Meroe
  .
• Kingdom of Mapungubwe
• Rozvi Empire
• Torwa Empire
• Xhosa Kingdom

East Africa

• The Empire of Kitara in the area of the African Great Lakes has long been treated as a historical entity^[10]
• The
  Buganda Kingdom (1500–present), home of the Buganda people of Uganda
• The medieval Swahili city-states
• The Wanga Kingdom, home of the Wanga (AbaWanga) tribe of the Luhya people. The largest empire in precolonial Kenya^[11]
• Ancient land of Punt (2500 BC)
• Ancient
  Barbara/Barbaroi cities and states mentioned in the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea
  (1st century).
  • Opone/Xāfūn (1000 BC – 5th century AD)
  • Mundus/Xīs
  • Mosylon/Bōsāso
  • Malao/Berbera
  • Nikon/Būr Gābo
  • Sarapion/Muqdisho
• Kingdom of Aksum (1st century – 9th century)
• Kingdom of Bazin (9th century)
• Kingdom of Belgin (9th century)
• Kingdom of Jarin (9th century)
• Kingdom of Qita'a (9th century)
• Kingdom of Nagash (9th century)
• Kingdom of Tankish (9th century)
• Sultanate of Mogadishu (10th century – 16th century)
• Ethiopian Empire (1137–1974)
  • Zagwe dynasty (1137–1270)
  • Solomonic dynasty (1270–1974)
• Sultanate of Ifat (1285–1415)
• Isaaq Sultanate (17th century –1884)
• Ajuran Sultanate (1300s–1700s)
• Adal Sultanate (1415–1555)
• Sultanate of Harar
  (1526–1577)
• Emirate of Harar (1647–1887)
• Sultanate of the Geledi (late 17th century – late 19th century)
• Majeerteen Sultanate (mid-18th century – early 20th century)
• Sultanate of Aussa (1734–present)
• Kingdom of Gomma (early 1800s–1886)
• Kingdom of Jimma (1830–1932)
• Kingdom of Gumma (1840–1902)
• Sultanate of Hobyo (1880s–1920s)
• Dervish state
  (1896–1920)

North Africa

Ancient North African empires

Pre-Islamic empires of North Africa:

• Ancient Egypt (3100–650 BC)
• Kingdom of Kerma
  (2500–1500 BC)
• Kingdom of Kush (1070 BC–350 AD)
  • Nobatia (350–650 AD)
  • Makuria
    (340–1312 AD)
  • Alodia (6th Century AD–1504 AD)
• Ancient Carthage (575–146 BC)
• Kingdom of Numidia
  (202 BC–40 BC)

Islamic North African empires

• In Algeria:
  • Rustamid dynasty (776–909)
  • Banu Ifran dynasty (830–1040)
  • Zirid dynasty (947–1090)
  • Fatimid dynasty (909–1171)
  • Hammadid dynasty (1014–1152)
  • Kingdom of Tlemcen (1235–1554)
  • Kingdom of Ait Abbas
    (1510–1872)
  • Kingdom of Kuku (1515–1638)
  • Ottoman Algeria
    (1515–1830)
• In Morocco:
  • Idrisid dynasty (789–974)
  • Almoravid dynasty (1061–1145)
  • Almohad dynasty (1145–1244)
  • Marinid dynasty
    (1244–1465)
  • Wattasid dynasty (1471–1554)
  • Saadi dynasty
    (1554–1666)
  • Alaouite dynasty
    (1666–present)
• In Tunisia:
  • Aghlabid dynasty (800-909)
  • Fatimid dynasty (Tunisian period) (921–969)
  • Zirid dynasty (973–1148)
  • Hafsid dynasty (1229–1574)
  • Husainid dynasty (1705-1881)
• In Egypt:
  • Tulunid dynasty (868–905)
  • Ikhshidid dynasty
    (935–969)
  • Fatimid dynasty (Egyptian period) (969–1171)
  • Ayyubid dynasty (1171–1254)
  • Mamluk dynasty
    (1250–1517)
• In Sudan:
  • The
    sultanate in the north of Sudan. It was named Funj after the ethnic group
    of its dynasty or Sinnar (or Sennar) after its capital, which ruled a substantial area of the Sudan region.

Vansina (1962) discusses the classification of Sub-Saharan African kingdoms, mostly of Central, South and East Africa, with some additional data on West African (Sahelian) kingdoms distinguishing five types, by decreasing centralization of power:

1. Despotic
   kingdoms: Kingdoms where the king controls the internal and external affairs directly. Examples are Ruanda, Nkore, Soga and Kongo in the 16th century
2. Regal kingdoms: Kingdoms where the king controls the external affairs directly, and the internal affairs via a system of overseers. The king and his chiefs belong to the same clans or lineages.
3. Incorporative kingdoms: Kingdoms where the king controls only the external affairs with no permanent administrative links between him and the chiefs of the provinces. The hereditary chiefdoms of the provinces were left undisturbed after conquest. Examples are the Bamileke, Lunda, Luba, Lozi.
4. Aristocratic kingdoms: The only link between central authority and the provinces is payment of tribute. These kingdoms are morphologically intermediate between regal kingdoms and federations. This type is rather common in Africa, examples including the Kongo of the 17th century, the Cazembe, Luapula, Kuba, Ngonde, Mlanje, Ha, Zinza and Chagga States of the 18th century.
5. Federations: Kingdoms (such as the
   Ashanti Union
   ) where the external affairs are regulated by a council of elders headed by the king, who is simply primus inter pares.

See also

• History of Africa
• Classical African civilizations

References