Pre-colonial Africa, Myth and Reality - Essay Example

Pre-colonial Africa: Myth and Reality In a lecture during 1837, George Hegel asserts that Africa’s own history is non-existent. He believes that a history is marked by either movement or development, and Africa has got none to represent its presence in past. The only evidence of historical movements showed its glimpse in northern part, which was under Asian and European influences. Hegel didn’t stop here as he attributed the continent as unhistorical with an underdeveloped spirit since people there rely on natural conditions alone (Hegel et al 98). Hugh Trevor Roper, a British professor and writer of, The Rise of Christian Europe, supports Hegel and further comments that Africa lacks its own future as of yet, if there is any future it’s because of European in the continent (Trevor-Roper et al 72).However, with extensive research about Africans in pre-colonization period, it is evident that commentary of both Hegel and Roper is somewhat deceptive, and misrepresented. A critique of Hegel’s and Hugh’s comments The continent of Africa was completely possessed by natives before white people arrived there. Africans used to perform their own customs, ceremonies, economics, and politics. Even with passage of time, everything stayed in their hands. The historical milestones were rituals, ceremonies, and discords. It was as brutal and primitive as we perceive it to be. Everything was purely African without the influence of any other external force (Nnoromele 43). With European arrival in Africa, everything came on the forefront. The difference with the rest of the world was so stark that they rejected Africa’s place in world’s history. George Hegel, Trover Roper and other Western philosopher attributed it as a land devoid of necessary norms that are required to be cultured. To be more accurate, they regarded Africa to a wild beast with no minimal knowledge of right and wrong, his own identity, and rights. Moreover, they argued that Africans are not equipped with any skill but hunt to eat and protect to live for their basic survival and resembled them to beast. Therefore, western philosophers find it vital to tame Africans with the help of religion and domestication which they believe African had no idea (Rodney 43). African Religious Beliefs European believed that Africans has no religion, therefore, they don’t have any idea of what God is. They regarded African beliefs as fetish which is the faith in inanimate objects. Owing to this perception, African religious objects were attributed as myths and artifacts and transported to Western museums to remind generations of people that Africans will never learn. Before European arrival, Africans were involved in various kinds of religious traditions. It is hard to generalize these religious traditions since Africa’s pre-colonial culture was very diverse; however, there are some similar patterns. Similar religious tradition include: belief in a supreme being, belief in spirits and other divine creatures , practice of traditional medicine, use of magic, veneration of forefathers, and an oral basing instead of scriptural one. One of the major beliefs was that humanity exists in order to harmonize physical world with supernatural world. These traditions and religious beliefs were transferred from one generation to another through art, rituals, festivals, word of mouth, myths, beliefs, customs, proverbs, and stories. African Self Determination When external forces, such as, Europeans entered the continent, Africans didn’t become the silent observers to the termination of their religious institutions. For instance, in southern Nigeria highly organized religious institution confronted Christian missionaries. On several instances, African religious societies, such as, Okigwe and Obgunoire had clashed with missionaries. One of the most prominent resistance to religious colonization was the maji maji(sacred water) revolt that happened in Tanzania during 1905-1907. The movement’s leader, Kinjeketile influenced and convinced African people that he had some kind of holy water that can make someone prone to European bullets upon drinking. However, this revolt met the same fate as several other African movements did. In the end, African had to submit to white men’s requirements. Despite failure in confrontations, they somehow convinced white missionaries to come to a standpoint where they collaborated with indigenous leaders and started African church. An African church followed African values and church’s norms (Achebe 23-54). African Economy and Trade Before European arrival, African economy and trade was also flourishing. For instance, in East Africa Africans used two kinds of trade: long distance trade and subsistence oriented trade. The long distance or non-subsistence oriented trade was employed due to irregular distribution of resources in the region. Through archeological evidence found from the region made it clear that the region flourished due to trade activity between coast and the interior. African commodities for trade included ivory, slaves, cloths and more. Moreover, subsistence trade incorporated exchange of commodities within African communities and in local markets. European arrival led to end of barter trade and slavery as well. They introduced money that led to banking system and eventually modern business taxing systems. African Governments and Systems Before European arrival, African society was fragmented into numerous tribes that had its own system to govern. To be more accurate, every tribe had its own law, rules, and code of conduct that ensured peace within the tribe and with other tribes as a whole. There were different kinds of political organizations with centralized ones as most important. They operated as massive empires and kingdoms or as small kingdoms and cities. Kings with absolute authority used to rule the centralized governments. They held the power to collect revenue and tribute, operate and control army and trade. Their organization was not less than any similar empire in Asia or Europe at that time. Even king used to appoint councils and advisors, they conducted executive, legislative, and judicial operations of the state. The centralized nature of these African governments is proved from the fact that only few influential individuals held power. Such kingdoms were Buganda, the Ethiopian empire, and the Kingdom of Mali. Moreover, there were many decentralized and or stateless government in pre-colonial Africa. These systems lacked a properly defined or centralized system, such as, king or some sort of ruling elite. Sometimes there was a council of chiefs with minimal authority operated some. Such societies were the units of neighboring towns and villages without any affiliation to kingdom or nation, for instance, Sans and Khoikhois were such societies. Europeans dissolved such local governments and rules and declared African lands as colonies of European countries. In the later period, Africa was divided into various nations, and many of them were declared sovereign or republic (Fyle 45-84). With all the evidence of African society, government, religion, and culture, Hegel and Hugh claims appear to be paradoxical. European attempted to teach Africans through their religion, culture, and civilization. However, they don’t realize that what they attribute as the beginning of African history is in reality the end of true African history. Modern African history is devoid of its glory since this is what external forces (Europeans) imposed on Africans. Contrary to their ancestors, modern Africans have no history. Since they lack history, they don’t have any share in future, thus they have no identity. Works cited Achebe, Chinua. Things Fall Apart. New York: Anchor Books, 2010. Internet resource. Fyle, C M. Introduction to the History of African Civilization: 1. Lanham, MD: University Press of America, 1999. Print. Hegel, Georg W. F, Aakash Singh, and Rimina Mohapatra. Reading Hegel: The Introductions. Melbourne: P.N. Ashton and C.U. Rafferty, 2008. Internet resource. Nnoromele, Salome, and Ogechi E. Anyanwu. (re) Tracing Africa: A Multi-Disciplinary Study of African History Societies and Cultures / Salome C. Nnoromele, Ogechi E. Anyanwu. Dubuque, Iowa: Kendall Hunt, 2012. Print. Trevor-Roper, H R. The Rise of Christian Europe. London: W.W. Norton, 1989. Print. Rodney, Walter. How Europe Underdeveloped Africa. Fahamu Kenya: Pambazuka Press, 2012. Print. Read More