In her impressive latest publication, Zeinab Badawi offers in-depth insights into Africa’s history, both contemporary and ancient, which is often profoundly unacknowledged. This highlights the harsh reality that while great empires may rise and fall over hundreds or even thousands of years, it often takes even longer to alter historical perceptions. One such persistent misbelief is the false narrative of an ‘undeveloped Africa’.
Her experiences during a trip to the Great Zimbabwe world heritage site provide a clear example of how the accomplishments of Africa have been belittled over time. Badawi recounts how the skepticism concerning the origins of Great Zimbabwe mirrors the misguided prejudices that Africans were mere bystanders in their own history. She draws similarities with Ancient Egypt, underlining that it’s difficult for later European generations to comprehend such significant achievements as being part of African civilisation.
Badawi expresses her frustration with the presumption of Sir Hugh Trevor-Roper, a past regius professor of history at Oxford University, who downplayed Africa as ‘ahistorical’. In his 1965 writing, Trevor-Roper rashly proposed that there was little to no African history to teach, claiming that it was mainly European history in Africa, and the rest remained in obscurity, which he deemed unsuitable for historical analysis.
This stimulated an undeniable drive within the author, culminating in her book – An African History of Africa, which makes a powerful case for not only acknowledging but also relying heavily on the academic findings of African scholars and incorporating local perspectives to enrich the contributions of western historians. This led Badawi, who currently presides over the SOAS University of London and was previously the chair of the Royal African Society, to embark on an extensive journey spanning seven years through over 30 African nations to bring this substantial work to fruition.
Over the course of 17 engaging chapters, we accompany Badawi on her captivating journey through the intriguing history of Africa. She takes us from the tomb of Thutmose III, ascended via steep metal stairs, down into the King Tutankhamen’s burial chamber, and then to Ethiopia’s ancient rock-hewn churches in Lalibela. The reader is left pondering the enigmatic existence of a solitary monk, unseen by anyone, reportedly safeguarding the equally hidden Ark of the Covenant in a diminutive appendage of a church in Aksum.
Badawi does not disregard the legends of mysterious clerics in her historical narrative. Despite contradictions from facts and archaeological finds, the story of Ethiopia’s tie to the Queen of Sheba holds a crucial role in maintaining and elucidating history, as well as forming present identities. Badawi utilises the knowledge collected in the 13th century by the Kebra Nagast, the source of the Queen of Sheba tale, to underline the importance of African knowledge systems.
Predominantly, Badawi’s “An African History of Africa” utilises the Unesco General History of Africa (GHA), often described as “one of the continent’s best-kept secrets”. In contrast to many western-authored African histories, Badawi opts for largely African and non-European sources, guided by the GHA.
She argues that Egypt, a dazzling civilisation which is often not acknowledged as African, does not risk being forgotten by history. As per Badawi, the emphasis should not be on depicting ancient Egypt as African or otherwise based on the race of its inhabitants, but on challenging our preconceptions and possibly our prejudices about Africans. With the aid of the Rosetta Stone, ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics have given us deep insights; Badawi furthers this knowledge by exploring the deeds of notable figures, contrasting their achievements with Europe of the same era in a collectively impactful manner.
Badawi also seeks to grant overdue recognition to African historical figures who have been overlooked or vilified in western mentions, citing Cleopatra as an example. She writes, “Our understanding of Cleopatra largely comes from Roman historians such as Plutarch, who documented her life nearly two centuries posthumously.”
The author embarks on a walk with Dr Bahia Shaheen from Alexandria University, whose portrayal of Cleopatra is largely influenced by medieval Islamic manuscripts. These documents contrast sharply with the Roman narratives and current western perceptions of the cunning seductress. Dr Shaheen’s theories have shifted the author’s perspective on Cleopatra, suggesting she may have been subjected to Roman fabrication. These theories also challenge readers to reassess their views on her.
The novel becomes controversial when it confronts ethnic sensitivities through its exploration of the Kingdom of Benin, and the looting of its historical art by British soldiers in 1897. The narrative seems to heavily depend on single scholars’ interpretations, often risking oversights or inaccuracies.
The stolen treasures of Benin, known as the Benin Bronzes, play a pivotal role in the ongoing dialogue of art restitution. With their fame, it is unsurprising that the Kingdom of Benin receives considerable attention in such books. However, the large and distinct Yoruba group is minimised to incorrectly written paragraphs within a lengthy chapter about Benin, provoking questions about the author’s judgement.
The idea that the Yoruba people’s ancestor, Oduduwa, originated from Benin is highly debated. It contradicts many African and western scholars, as well as oral traditions, which argue that the Yoruba trace their roots to Ile-Ife, and from there, historical kingdoms branched out, including Benin. The Benin-focused argument was proposed as recently as 2004 by the late Oba Erediauwa of Benin.
While it isn’t expected that ‘An African History of Africa’ should take sides or make decisions regarding these counter theories, it would have been comprehensive to present them both in the narrative. Readers could then form their own interpretations. Future versions of this book should take into consideration this method, as adopted by other recent historical publications.
The book “An African History of Africa” has the unusual perspective of representing the royal residence of Lagos, originating from Benin, as the epitome of the Yoruba people as a whole. In reality, Lagos is not among the predominant Yoruba kingdoms despite the population estimating around 40 million. This includes a record of famous battles and a 17th-century empire. Therefore, the assertion “Yoruba people still respect Oba of Benin along with their artwork” is intriguing because Yoruba people have their own appreciated monarchs and historical artifacts including the renowned Ife sculptures.
Interestingly, in a section where the author diligently counteracts the Western predilection to denounce African culture by alleging cannibalism and human sacrifice, it is surprising that Erelu Abiola Dosunmu’s flippant comment about the Yoruba crowning figure of speech, “eating the king,” is permitted.
Setting Yoruba critiques aside, the book is an outstanding resource for its broad insight and comprehensibility to laypersons, particularly in its revealing of eras seemingly buried in history. For instance, the kingdom of Kush existed for 3,000 years, yet it’s scarcely known, even among Sudanese natives. This civilization is credited for building 1,000 pyramids and numerous Egyptian monuments.
Badawi accounts for the limited recognition of Kush, indicating one reason to be scholars focused on Egypt who deemed ancient Sudan as an insignificant “branch” of Egypt. Further adding to this obscurity, the Kushite pharaohs from Egypt’s 25th Dynasty are often incorrectly labelled as “Nubian”, a term which did not exist when Kushites ruled. Moreover, the Kushite writing system remains undeciphered, and many monuments await excavation, particularly in a continent where resources for archaeological work are scanty, and where peace and security are prerequisites for any significant discovery.
The book highlights the significant roles of ‘founding mothers’ who substantially contributed to the formation of the continent’s history, yet remain underappreciated. This diverse group of inspiring women include the Hatsheput, a female pharaoh; the Kanakas of Kush; Queen Elyssa, otherwise known as Dido, who founded Carthage; Abena Pokou and Yaa Asantewaa from Asante; and Njinja of Kongo, whose life story is quite extraordinary.
Badawi’s work is presented as a brief but complete historical overview of Africa, the continent with the world’s deepest human history. The extensive roster of eminent African personalities included in the book can lead to a reassessment of many preconceived notions about our common ancestral continent.
For further exploration, ‘African and Caribbean People in Britain: A History’ (published by Penguin) is a seminal work from Hakim Adi, the first African descent individual to hold a professorship of history in Britain. The book tracks the history of African settlers in Britain over a span of 2,000 years.
‘Untold Histories of Nigerian Women: Emerging from the Margins’ by historian Tayo Agunbiade is another well-researched book. It shines a light on the obscured stories of the significant contributions Nigerian women made to their country’s struggle for independence and nation-building process.
In ‘Operation Legacy: Looting & Losing Africa’s Kingdoms’, Olasupo Shasore delves into the longstanding issue of the pillage of African historical records and artefacts during colonial times. The book reveals the often violent and wilful destruction that transpired, and how it impacts African people’s recognition and understanding of their own history.
Finally, ‘Great Kingdoms of Africa’ edited by John Parker is an innovative publication designed to be accessible for general readership. Each section of the book critically examines a separate ancient African kingdom in its own context, instead of viewing it as an indistinguishable ‘precolonial’ era.