Sao civilisation
The Sao civilization (also called So) flourished in
Origins
The Sao civilization is hypothesized to have descended from the earlier
Although some scholars estimate that the Sao civilization south of Lake Chad lasted until the fourteenth or fifteenth century, the majority opinion is that it ceased to exist as a separate culture sometime in the 16th century after the expansion of the
Culture
A widely accepted theory is that the Sao were indigenous inhabitants of the
G.T. Stride presented these important facts about the Sao civilization:
[T]he So people possessed considerable political and artistic genius. Although they never combined effectively to form an empire, they developed city-states which were the centres of intense local patriotism ... Each city was surrounded by strong defensive walls and dominated the life of the surrounding countryside which it both protected and governed. Government was by an elaborate hierarchy, headed by a divine ruler ... Except on ceremonial occasions, the rulers made few public appearances and even then remained concealed from the common gaze by a screen. Women occupied a respected position in society and the Queen Mother and senior sister of the ruler exercised considerable political influence on the government of the states. The So people were mainly settled farmers but among them were craftsmen of considerable industrial and artistic merit. They were able to work in both clay and metals to manufacture household utensils, tools, and works of art for religious purposes. Impressive objects found by archaeologists include burial urns and ... figures of animals and human beings both in clay and bronze. All this had been achieved ... before about A. D. 700 ... The vigour of the government and civilization is best demonstrated by their long resistance to the empires of
Ethnic groups in the Lake Chad basin, such as the
References
- ^ Walker (2011).
- ^ Hudgens & Trillo (1999), p. 1051.
- ^ DeLancey & DeLancey (2000), p. 237.
- ^ DeLancey & DeLancey (2000), p. 237; Walker (2011).
- ^ Fanso (1989), p. 18; Insoll (2003), p. 281.
- ^ Lebeuf (1969), pp. 53–120.
- ^ a b Fanso (1989), p. 18.
- .
- .
- JSTOR 25130590.
- ^ Fanso (1989), p. 19; Walker (2011).
- ^ Fanso (1989), p. 18; Hudgens & Trillo (1999), p. 1051.
- ^ Stride & Ifeka (1971), pp. 113–115.
- ^ Fanso (1989), p. 19; Lebeuf (1969), pp. 137–173.
Bibliography
- DeLancey, Mark W.; DeLancey, Mark Dike (2000). Historical Dictionary of the Republic of Cameroon (3rd ed.). Scarecrow Press.
- Fanso, Verkijika G. (1989). Cameroon History for Secondary Schools and Colleges. Vol. 1. Macmillan. ISBN 978-0-333-47121-0.
- Hudgens, Jim; Trillo, Richard (1999). The Rough Guide to West Africa (3rd ed.). Rough Guides. – Fifth edition (2008) at Google Books
- Insoll, Timothy (2003). The Archaeology of Islam in Sub-Saharan Africa. Cambridge World Archaeology. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-65702-0.
- Lebeuf, Annie M. D. (1969). Les principautés kotoko: essai sur le caractère sacré de lʼautorité [The Kotoko Principalities: An Essay on the Sacredness of Authority] (in French). Éditions du Centre national de la recherche scientifique.
- Lebeuf, Jean-Paul; Detourbet, A. Masson (1950). La civilisation du Tchad suivi d'une étude sur les bronzes Sao [The Civilization of Chad: Followed by a Study on Sao Bronzes] (in French). Paris: Payot.
- ISBN 978-0-521-22422-2.
- S2CID 197522624.
- Stride, G.T.; Ifeka, Caroline (1971). Peoples and Empires of West Africa: West Africa in History, 1000-1800. Nelson. ISBN 978-0-17-511448-1.
- Walker, Robin (2011). When We Ruled: The Ancient and Mediæval History of Black Civilisations. Black Classic Press. ISBN 978-1-58073-045-7.
- West, Ben (2011). Cameroon (3rd ed.). Bradt Travel Guides. ISBN 978-1-84162-353-5.