AFRICAN SOCIETIES TO 1500

“AFRICAN SOCIETIES BEFORE THE TRANS-ATLANTIC SLAVE TRADE.”

Professor: Scott Rosenberg History 171

Hollenbeck Hall 305 MWF 12:40-1:40

MWF 1:50-2:50

Office Hours: MWF 11:10-12:10 and 3-4, TTH 10-11,3-4.

Phone #7846

Course Aims

The goal of this course is to enable you to learn the major themes and issues of African history before the arrival of Europeans and the Atlantic Slave Trade. Topics covered will range from the African roots of human society, placing Egypt within African history, to its influence on the kingdoms of Nubia and Ethiopia. We will also examine the role of Islam in the rise of Imperial west Africa and the city-states of the Swahili Coast. The course will conclude with the impact which the arrival of Europeans had upon these societies. You should expect to learn the main historical themes of Africa prior to 1500. In particular, this class will explore the role of oral traditions and "myth" in African societies and will attempt to ascertain their usefulness as historical documents. Additionally, in our examination of these societies we will focus on the roles of trade, environment, and religion in the process of state-formation in Africa. We will contrast these to Africans who chose "state-less" formations. We will also explore other aspects of African culture and society. This class is primarily concerned with Africa prior to the return of Europeans. From our current bias and stereotypes we often assume that Africa has always been "behind" the west, yet in this class we will see how African kingdoms and civilizations rose and fell long before their European equivalents emerged. By exposing students to ancient Africa, I hope that students will be able to form their own opinions. Lastly, our investigation of African societies should raise fundamental questions about the nature of human organization and historical methods.

Course Requirements

Each student will be required to write two short 1-2 page reflections, worth 10% of your grade, (all papers handed in for this course must be typed and double-spaced), the first from Intellectual Traditions of Pre-Colonial Africa and the second from Epic Traditions of Africa. There will also be two (3-4 page) papers for this class. Every student in the class will be required to read and write a paper on Not Out of Africa. The second assignment will be based upon your reading of, Sundiata: An Epic of Old Mali and Ibn Buttuta. For all paper assignments suggested topics will be handed out 5-7 days in advance. Each of the longer papers will count for 15% of your final grade.

There will be a mid-term exam and a final exam (Both are take-home and worth 20% of your final grade and should be 4-5 pages).

Late Papers

A late paper will be marked down a whole grade for each day that the paper is late.

Discussion will play a major role in this class, it is my hope to devote most Fridays to discussion of both lecture material and assigned readings. Class participation is not restricted to discussion days and you are encouraged to raise questions at anytime. In order to help prompt you to participate, class participation will count for 10% of your final grade.

Attendance

Attendance is strongly encouraged, and more than three unexcused absences will have a detrimental effect on your grade, excessive absences will result in failure of the course. More important, as much of this material will be new to you repeated absences will make it impossible to fully understand the ideas and information presented in class, borrowing another student’s notes will not be enough.

A Few Helpful Hints

When writing papers I urge you to avoid using contractions. In general, when grading your papers I will be judging how well you use the “evidence” to support your argument.

A Word About Plagiarism and Cheating

Both are forbidden, unethical, and against college rules. See “Academic Dishonesty” in student handbook and the “Honor Council Web Page” for definition and possible penalties. I reserve the right to inflict the maximum penalty.

Required Texts:

Constance B. Hilliard, Intellectual Traditions of Pre-Colonial Africa

Mary Lefkowitz, Not Out of Africa

D.T. Niane, Sundiata: An Epic of Old Mali

Said Hamdun, Ibn Battuta in Balck Africa

Thomas Hale, The Epic of Askia Mohammed

Steven Belcher, Epic Traditions of Africa

There will also be occasional handouts.

Week One- Introduction: “Human Origins,” hunting and gathering societies and the food revolution.

Week Two and Three- Egypt in the Pharonic Era: Culture and Trade in the Old and Middle Kingdoms.

Readings: Hilliard, pp.1-61

*Reflection (due sept.19^th): Write a 1 to 2 page paper discussing your reactions to the primary texts included in the Hilliard book, did they surprise you in any way, provoke new ideas?

Week Four- Culture, Society, and Trade in Egypt and the Middle East during the Middle and New Kingdoms.

Week Five and Six- Finish Egypt.

Readings: Start NOT OUT OF AFRICA

*Paper on Not Out of Africa is due Oct.8th

Week Seven-Nubia and Kush in Pharonic times, North Africa and the Nile Valley. Cultural similarities and differences, and the influence of trade. The occupation of Egypt by foreign powers.

Readings: Hilliard pp.72-98

Week Eight- The rise of Ethiopia: African or Arab origins? The spread of Christianity in Africa and its struggles with Islam in the Horn.

Readings: Hilliard 238-258

Week Nine- The Bantu Migration, East Africa and the Swahili Coast Trade, the Indian Ocean World Trading system, and Great Zimbabwe. Who are the Swahili? Africans or Arabs?

Readings: IBN BUTTUTA , pp.1-25

* Mid-Term Exam is Due Oct .24th

Week Ten- The Rise of Imperial West Africa, Trade and the Coming of Islam. The rise of Ancient Ghana

Week Eleven- Imperial West Africa Cont., the rise of Mali, Jenne and Timbuktu. Myth and stories of origin, interpreting West African history.

Readings: SUNDIATA: AN EPIC OF OLD MALI and IBN BUTTUTA , pp. 29-75

Paper on SUNDIATA and IBN BUTTUTA is due Nov.10th

Week Twelve- The Rise of Songhai and the Islamic Influence in the Central Sudan.

Readings: THE EPIC OF ASKIA MOHAMMED

Week Thirteen- African Systems of Thought and State-less Societies and Trade and Environment in the Forest regions of west and central Africa.

Readings: Handout “Women in African Society,”

Week Fourteen-Selected readings from “EPIC TRADITIONS OF AFRICA” and “Anansi” folktales

Reflection on Epic Traditions and Anansi is Due Dec. 4th

Week Fifteen- The Coming of Europeans.

Week Sixteen - The Origins of the Slave Trade and new West African Kingdoms.

*FINAL EXAM (Take-home) is due Dec. 17th