The vastness of the African
continent contains many mysteries, not the least are those that surround the
origins of the human race. Some of the world’s more spectacular and mysterious
monuments built of everlasting stone are found in the majestic ruins of Great
Zimbabwe and in the awesome grandeur of the great pyramids and the enigmatic
sphinx.
Against these enormous panorama
of Africa’s past, one glimpses outstanding empires and great centres of
learning and technological advancement at a time when the future’s master civilisations
were still in their infancies. The rise, decline and fall of bygone
civilisations are now often obscure and in the realm of myth, barely defined
under mountains of sand. The vast sweep of peoples the African continent
contains, ranges from proto-stone age to the genius of those who had mastered
the mysteries of advanced astronomy, mathematics and other sciences, wome of
which have not yet been discovered by western man and are still considered by
him as occult.
It is from this world that
millions were snatched, stolen, sold, sent or banished over a period of close
to 400 years to another continent an ocean away, never to return. It was their
fate, their unbelievable misfortune to become enslaved. It was the destiny of
their descendants to form a significant proportion of the New World’s
population. Their descendants’ challenge is to view themselves as heroic
survivors of this terrifying passage, and not as its victims.
The great West African kingdoms,
in fact empires of Ghana, Mali and Songhay, were centres of learning, science,
political order, social progress and trade. It was from this cradle that many
of our people - in fact, half of the population of Trinidad and Tobago - have
come.
In ancient days, the migrations
of people escaping the encroaching desert established a state that was later
called Ghana by the west - the word ‘ghana’ meaning ‘king’ or ‘leader’.
“The people who migrated into the
country from all directions had every reason to believe that they were far
enough into the interior to be free and secure at last in a kingdom that had
never been conquered either by the forces of nature or of men,” writes
Chancellor Williams in his book ‘The destruction of black civilisations’.
The history of this reign goes
back into time to well beyond recorded history, and may be glimpsed from its
lists of kings dating from a period before the Christian era. This list of some
44 rulers takes on back to a period of about 700 B.C. Some claim the founding
fathers came following the trade routes from ancient Ethiopia, the mother of
Egypt. And some havew speculated whether it was an outpost in the west of that
empire.
The kingdoms of Ghana, Mali and
Songhay were known as the ‘Land of Gold’ and had expanded their territories by
both peaceful alliances and conquest. Its dependencies included Sama, Garantel,
Gadiano, Galam, Diara, Soso and Tekrur. The empire was a vast source of gold,
but was also famous for its iron mining and iron manufacture for more than 1000
years. Leadership in this industry made her dominant over less progressive
peoples and provided the impetus for a powerful army with enough gold to equip
and support it.
Williams describes the caravan
trade routes to the north east, Ethiopia and Egypt, and concludes that this was
the most important factor in the ever growing wealth of this nation. There were
import and export taxes, a system of weights and measures and the control of
inflation by limiting the supply of gold.
At its heart were the twin cities
of Kumbi-Kumbi, built of stone, with mansions for the nobles, temples, mosques
and schools. The great Niger river was the road for trade, travel and conquest.
The most famous schools were at
Kumbi-Saleh and Djenne. The world renowned university of Sankore was at
Timbuktu.
The agricultural economy was
mixed: wheat, millet, cotton, corn, yams, cattle raising. The guilds or
societies of craftsmen included blacksmiths, goldsmiths, stonemasons, water
diviners, carpenters, weavers, dyers, potters and cabinet makers, to name just
a few.
The chief exports were gold,
ivory, rubber and slaves. Its imports were salt, textiles, cowqrie shells,
brass, dates, figs, pearls, sugar and dried raisins amongst others.
Under the emperor Tenkamenin, the
imperial army stood at 200,000, of which 100,000 were mounted and 40,000 were
bowmen.
The changing climate conditions
over the millennia would affect this great nation, drying up its lakes, causing
its rivers to vanish and its people to disperse. This was followed by Muslim
conquest. But the memory of its greatness, its majesty and its genius will
survive forever.
The inheritors of this great tradition
now live still in their African homelands. They also live on in these islands
on the world’s western rim. You may glance their souls in the eyes of the
children. You may hear their wisdom in the worlds of the elders. All you need
to do is look and listen!
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