Lets Talk African History:"Sahel" West African Civilizations

[CEITEDMOFO]

Rep op.

 

[Badda_Bing]

Excuse my ignorance but how did places like Mali and people such as the Moors become Islamic were they under Arab rule?

 

[Apollo Creed]

Excuse my ignorance but how did places like Mali and people such as the Moors become Islamic were they under Arab rule?

Islam spread via Trade I believe. On top of that most West Africans already believed in a One Supreme Being so picking up Islam did not conflict with their traditional beliefs.

 

[Bawon Samedi]

Islam spread via Trade I believe. On top of that most West Africans already believed in a One Supreme Being so picking up Islam did not conflict with their traditional beliefs.

Yep. I heard in traditional African religion like Yoruba while it seems they may believe in many gods they actually believe in one supreme God like you said. Also I keep telling folks that West African Islam is VERY different than other Islam and I even pointed this out in this thread.

 

[Apollo Creed]

Yep. I heard in traditional African religion like Yoruba while it seems they may believe in many gods they actually believe in one supreme God like you said. Also I keep telling folks that West African Islam is VERY different than other Islam and I even pointed this out in this thread.

Many of the Spiritual Systems believe their is One "Creator" that is so powerful that humans can never reach it thus we "give thanks" to everything the Creator has made and understand every living thing contains energy from the Creator thus we must treat it with care. Europeans take it as us "worshiping" something like a river but in reality people are giving thanks to the Creator for that river as it may serve as a source of things that help the people of that area.

It's like the saying "never say the Lords name in vain", we only speak of the specific creator to honor him, but we give thanks daily to the things created as once again everything contains the energy of the creator.

Only Non Africans apply "spooky" things to it. Once again people confuse giving thanks for something to worshiping something.

 

[Bawon Samedi]

Many of the Spiritual Systems believe their is One "Creator" that is so powerful that humans can never reach it thus we "give thanks" to everything the Creator has made and understand every living thing contains energy from the Creator thus we must treat it with care. Europeans take it as us "worshiping" something like a river but in reality people are giving thanks to the Creator for that river as it may serve as a source of things that help the people of that area.

It's like the saying "never say the Lords name in vain", we only speak of the specific creator to honor him, but we give thanks daily to the things created as once again everything contains the energy of the creator.

Only Non Africans apply "spooky" things to it. Once again people confuse giving thanks for something to worshiping something.

Good post.

 

[Jammer22]

I like breh's take on this.
It never sat well with me that writing or at least ideograms and pictographs didn't reach the Sahel or West Africa.
That it was confined to the spiritual makes more sense.

 

[Poitier]

Islam spread via Trade I believe. On top of that most West Africans already believed in a One Supreme Being so picking up Islam did not conflict with their traditional beliefs.

This is partially true. People who converted to Islam did not have to pay poll taxes to Islamic Kingdoms. It should also be noted that Islam allowed indigenous religions to be practiced unlike say Christianity.

 

[Bawon Samedi]

This is partially true. People who converted to Islam did not have to pay poll taxes to Islamic Kingdoms. It should also be noted that Islam allowed indigenous religions to be practiced unlike say Christianity.

Certain people are NOT going to like this.

 

[Bawon Samedi]

For those who think West Africans were getting dominated by "superior" Arabs or North Africans...

The king of Zafun is stronger than the veiled people of the Maghreb and more versed in the art of kingship. The veiled people acknowledge his superiority over them, obey him and resort to him in all important matters of government. One year the king, on his way to the pilgrimage, came to the Maghreb to pay a visit to the commander of the Muslims, the veiled king of the Maghreb, of the tribe of Lamtuna. The Commander of the Muslims met him on foot, wheras the king of Zafun did not dismount for him. He was tall, of deep black complexion and veiled

"Medieval West Africa: Views From Arab Scholars and Merchants"

The prosperity of the Sudan, and its wealth and commerce, were known far and wide in the sixteenth century. Caravans returning along the coasts proclaimed its splendours in their camel loads of gold, ivory, hides, musk, and the spoils of the ostrich. The Portuguese (always the first traders of Europe), endeavoured at this time to enter into relations with these countries of the Niger, whose magnificence had become a proverb. ' As tar cures the gall of a camel, so poverty finds its unfailing remedy in the Sudan,' was the saying of northern Africa.

So many attractions gathered together under one sky could not fail to rouse the attention, and by-and-by the cupidity, of neighbouring territories. Chief among these was naturally that country nearest to the Sudan, Morocco. From the first their avarice assumed a harshly definite character, for the people of Morocco had not, and never did have, any desire to colonise and develop a commerce, nor even to institute a religious propaganda. They looked upon the Sudan in the light of a gold-mine, and their first aspirations, like their ultimate efforts, were concentrated upon the mere drainage of this precious metal. This covetousness of theirs was also the source of a new danger to the Sudan, as it became the means of jeopardising its salt-supply.

The interior of the Sudan lacks this most necessary of products, and salt represented, and always will represent, their principal article of commerce. It was the true gold of the Sudanese, their most precious commodity, and they obtained it from the mines of Thegazza, which were situated in the heart of the desert. These mines were nearer to Morocco than to the countries of the Niger, but Thegazza, as we have seen, was the property of the Songhois, and possessed its representative Emir.

Hostilities commenced towards the middle of the sixteenth century. In 1545 Mouley Mohammed El Kebir, the sultan of Morocco, sent an embassy to the king of the Songhois, claiming the mines of Thegazza, under the pretext that they were situated on his frontiers. Askia Ishak i. admitted neither the pretext nor the argument, and emphasised his denial of the claim by an army of Touaregs whom he despatched to pillage Draa, a town on the frontiers of Morocco, a plain intimation that he was strong enough to defend his own, and was quite prepared to do so should the sultan be inclined to dispute his rights.

http://books.google.com/books?id=OYELAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA122#v=onepage&q=&f=false



@Don Drogo @CashmereEsquire

I have more.

 

[BigMan]

Good thread

 

[BigMan]

Amazing pics in here


@Diasporan Royalty french Is a black language

 

[Bawon Samedi]

Amazing pics in here


@Diasporan Royalty french Is a black language

Yeah if we wanna be slaves.

 

[BigMan]

Yeah if we wanna learn our history.

Fixed

 

[Premeditated]

Amazing pics in here


@Diasporan Royalty french Is a black language

oh god, don't tell me you're one of those people