Brief History Of Africa Before Colonialism -- How did we get there?

Support African Elements via Patreon; / africanelements
Ad Free Videos for as little as $1/Month Subscription!!
Africa was riding high before colonialism, so how did the history of Africa take such a dramatic turn from the wealthy empires of Egypt, Ghana, Mali, and Songhai to the Atlantic slave trade and the colonial era? Key events in history of Africa before colonialism help to explain the rise and fall of the continent.
Related:
What Is Africana Studies? (Full Episode); • What Is Africana Studi...
Why African Culture Matters: A Survival Toolkit; • Why African Culture Ma...
"Person Of The Year For 1324" www.forbesafrica.com/extreme-...
Table of Contents:
01:01 - Intro
03:11 - Egypt and World Trade
03:44 - Greece and Rome in North Africa
05:38 - Islamic Expansion
06:28 - West Africa's Rise: Ghana Mali & Songhai
09:15 - West Africa's Demise
13:32 - Question of the Day

[@Pokefan3332]

I alway was interested in learning early African history before European colonialism. Very helpful and entertaining video on the subject

[@AfricanElements]

Thank you for watching!

[@Snipersounds]

That was the GREATEST 14mins 12seconds of KZbin that I've had in a while! Thanks for sharing!

[@christoph3187]

Excellent lecture, I love how he interweaves the history of different parts of the world, something I missed in my history lessons. It’s all connected, we are all connected.

[@AfricanElements]

Thanks for watching! Just recorded another lesson. Should be up next week.

[@johnkevill470]

I love your analysis. Great focus on the importance of that trans-saharan/“silk road” nexus in rise/fall of empires. Also fantastic analysis of the formation of the slave trade. This lesson you give here should be far more widely known

[@sandraguzman4394]

Agreed!

[@theafricantriforce8878]

In my opinion, I do think the downfall of Africa could have been avoided. The Wagadu empire( Also called the Ghana empire) had much contact with the islam world, but never converted themselves which history foretold. So what if, in an alternate timeline, the Ghana empire sent diplomats to the swahili coast which had direct contact and trade with Asia! The swahili were excellent ship makers, which would benefit the Ghana empire immensely. Soon enough, the Ghana empire would create their own ships to travel to Asia, have more connections with the rest of southern and eastern Africa, and that way they wouldn't have to depend on the saharan trade routes! Now with an easier way to get to Asia, west Africa would develop way more faster before the Europeans would even arrive in the 15th century!

[@joannaansah4957]

Huh? You re-writing history, DeSantis?

[@jrad410]

I’m a history nerd myself and learned some stuff. Excellent work here!

[@AfricanElements]

Thank you for watching! I have a new video coming out tomorrow afternoon, I hope you find it interesting.

[@TouchofShunshine]

I love how you are able to give information on how everything in human history is interwoven. You gave an understanding of how what happens in one part of the world affects another. Wonderful and understanding teaching, thanks.

[@AfricanElements]

Thank you so much! More content is coming up...

[@harry.flashman]

i concur. great teaching

[@stratospheric37]

Seconded!

[@spontaneousexpress]

My man did it again! I find your works incredibly informative. Thanks!

[@JR-vy4zp]

Great video :) I was looking for just this kind of video for my inquiries and I came out learning a lot more

[@OlegMissikoff]

An amazing lecture! Very truly, history is far from being a straight line of parallel but distinct swimming lanes. Rather, it's a web of interconnected and interdependent socio-economic and cultural ecosystems. With highly recursive patterns, as Giambattista Vico said. Such a powerful tool for interpreting the disruptive events that are taking place around us in these strange but exciting days. Knowing history can also allow us to peer over the fog that blurs our immediate future...

[@AfricanElements]

Thank you so much for watching! I appreciate your comments!

[@austinmoore7502]

Absolutely nailed it! The synthesis of major world events and how they culminated within one another was seamlessly woven. Loved this analysis

[@AfricanElements]

Thanks for watching! More content coming soon.

[@7g7na7]

Terrific video! You did an exceptional job of describing the cause-and-effect relationships. We, humans, tend to look at history as singular events without considering the circumstances that led up to and contributed to future connected actions and responses to such actions.

Wow, It would take me a long time to come up with questions that you answered by this great lesson!

[@jamesomoz529]

Todays topic was well versed , bless for sharing this content 🙏🏿😎

[@florespedgar]

Man I thought I knew some history but you just blew my mind. Thank you. Subscribed.

[@AfricanElements]

Thanks for watching!

[@dr.shaneendials-corujo6575]

This was phenomenal. Thanks so much for sharing this valuable information.

[@AfricanElements]

Thank you so much for watching!

[@pretzelbat.m]

I’m currently reading Trevor Noah’s book Born A Crime and wanted to review African history for better context. I’ve learned so much with your video! The Texas public education system left out a lot in world history, and it can be hard to find real history content on KZbin. I appreciate your dedication to putting the information out there on this open platform. Thank you! Immediately subscribed! I’m looking forward to learning more from your channel overall!

[@joannaansah4957]

Thank You for this video. My son and I are (re-reading) Dr Chinua Achibe: Things fall apart. Your video really helps with putting the books environment the context

[@joannaansah4957]

I just finished the video . Thank you for your channel. You've answered so SO SOOOO many questions ..even b4 I asked them (some I didnt know J needed to ask). Lol

[@kenspina6093]

Thank you Darius for your time and knowledge. Wish I had more teachers like you. Learned more than the article before coming here. You gave full context as to what was going on around the world. Sad there is a decimal behind the 2 in number of views. Thanks again.

[@AfricanElements]

Thanks so much for watching, and for your comment! It's all good. I'd love more views, but I'm honored that the views in getting are largely from educational institutions. I really think this curriculum should bev freely available to everyone. The fact that they're using it and it's also out for the general public is really the position I want to be in. It means people are getting for free what other folks are paying thousands of dollars for.

[@scathatch]

Thankyou so much for this informative and stimulating lecture. Has certainly given some window of light into Africa before European colonisation. Also the underlying principles you apply offers such a wide sweep of understanding to the rise and fall of cultures, empires and nation states.

[@ager126]

Great video!! I was just think that like about how Eurocentric world history is often presented and showing how everything is interconnected is really interesting!

[@carobbean7971]

Good presentation! Very interesting & makes sense! Thank you!

[@EQPaunders]

Keep up the good work !

[@mish0214]

I love that you explained why slavery was prevalent during conquest. There is no emotional tie to labels people did not self identify with. I am not sure if the collapse of the Saharan slave trade was avoidable bc it’s business. Leaders are always finding ways to be on top or “survive”.

[@kevingross4141]

An outstanding and well-paced survey. Have a subscription. Looking forward to learning more.

[@AfricanElements]

Thank you for watching!

[@Erica-ls7bp]

Great video. But not mentioned is the impact of technology on cultures and their continuing advancements.. The Europeans had refined ancient war & exploration technologies and that gave them a competitive advantage. Africa's stagnation in the technological arena was a MAJOR contribution to its decline imo.

[@davidlloyd-jones8519]

Yes, technology.. Nothing he mentioned could have happened without shipping and navigation technologies that sidestepped the sahara trade routes.

[@grendahramjee9643]

The ignorance is embarrassing. Before commenting get an education

[@Erica-ls7bp]

@@grendahramjee9643 Yes, your ignorance is astounding and I wholeheartedly agree, you could benefit from an education. If you'd like I could recommend some great resources on 16th & 17th century war and naval technology. The Europeans quite literally outgunned the Africans, that's not up for debate.

[@grendahramjee9643]

@@Erica-ls7bp well I recommend you read it and educate yourself you need it. Probably never even heard of many wars won by Africans with spears and shields. But then again being non African you probably have never been educated by diluted history.

[@Erica-ls7bp]

@@grendahramjee9643 The fact that Africa was colonized for 100 years...Africans may have won some battles but ultimately lost their wars to technology. Just as the Japanese lost to America due to atomic bombs, technology won. This isn't a disparaging comment, it's just a fact to learn and grow from. And yet instead of learning that lesson, African leaders continue to fail to make science and technology a priority. A mistake the Asians took to heart and look at their societies now,, more technological advanced than those that once subjugated them. That should infuriate you not arguing with me.

[@lewisjakecrompton4459]

Very well composed and some very interesting points here, thank you for your hard work.

[@AfricanElements]

Thanks for watching!

[@TheMoneymakinmisses]

Very nice video. You presented a lot of history but in a interesting way, thanks.

[@AfricanElements]

Thanks much! I should have a new video dropping next week on the Black Panther Party. I hope you find that one interesting as well.

[@SelebogoMolefe]

Thank you for doing this research, so insightful!

[@jaewise6198]

Good Stuff! Thank you for this!

[@jussitapiorissanen]

This was hugely helpful and insightful video! Huge appreciation!

[@AfricanElements]

Thank you so much for watching!

[@bennybaker4926]

I wonder how things would be different if West Africans started building ships for trade back then.

[@mayu23325]

Man! Eye-opening video! Congrats! Amazing! Thanks!

[@jonthedon126]

You put it in a way I can understand. Good video, bro

[@AfricanElements]

Thanks for watching!

[@cybersecuritywithjo7318]

This is a great video. Thank you for making it!

[@AfricanElements]

Thank you for watching!

[@davidmcbrearty9813]

That was great ...very informative

[@montumeroe9593]

1850 BC Pharaoh Senusret III attempted to build the equivalent of the Suez canal unfortunately he gave up on it which was a great pity would have made Egypt very difficult to attack. I was born in Europe the narrator is being rather understated about the level of violence that was in Europe after the fall of the Roman Empire. With the Black death 1300 ending Feudalism and a new system coming in maybe we are going through the same thing now with Covid19 who knows.

[@RueBroadway]

Thank you for making this video!

[@AfricanElements]

Glad it was helpful!

[@ma001eb]

Great job keep it coming.

[@danepatterson8107]

This was a really well presented lesson in African culture, and I learned a good bit. I am subscribing. You deserve a larger audience.

[@AfricanElements]

Thank you so much! Teaching full time is really hard to publish regularly, but that's my goal.

[@sylviasworld9397]

No such thing as "African" culture though.

[@AfricanElements]

@@sylviasworld9397 every culture that exists on the African continent is an African culture.

Excellent video! Thank you for sharing your knowledge! Kind regards from Montevideo, Uruguay!

[@AfricanElements]

Wow! Thank you so much!

[@DeadlyHandle]

Thank you for this video, it was very informative!

[@sandrarthornton]

Thank you for the very insightful presentation!

[@joshuatall8165]

I really enjoy listening to you I .afrockan American and I've always loved researching history I general but especially African history it's the begenimg off humanity keep up the good work brother

[@chikumbiyumbe8065]

Excellent lecture. Very insightful.

[@leafeatingcow1109]

13:10 Thank you. Some people don't understand this part for some reason.

[@joannaansah4957]

I agree. Just as I was never considered Hispanic until I came to the 🇺🇸... in my home country we don't call each other Hispanic. Lol Also, Igbo, Hansa, Yorba etc ARE ACTUAL KINGDOMS. Each Tribe can distinguish themselves from each other (physically and through other attributes). Spoils of war/ debt/ orphanage are spoils of war/debt/ orphanage. Prisoners of war still exist in 2024

[@marcbastien1948]

Thank you for this. It would be nice if I learned this at my high school 5 years ago.

[@youjustgotburned3980]

History Teacher:Ok Class,What Led To Colonialism? Me:Greed and Envy

[@hxtraveller8295]

Well researched and informative perspective

[@AfricanElements]

Thank you for watching! Be sure to catch the live stream next Thursday on the African Roots of Black music.

[@fistoffreedomable]

Keep on going bro thanks so much

[@sankungsuwaneh3871]

Great pieces of work.

[@AfricanElements]

Thank you so much for watching!

Nice video, learned a lot from it.

[@danient120]

👌🏾good points, well explained

[@francoisbelanger6886]

There is an excellent video of Thomas Sowell who explain how Africa have so few access to the sea. Your video make an excellent job of describing the shift from land power to sea power, and Africa loose his advantage. In Europe easy sea access was a plague during Viking raids, but later become a net advantage. Good job.

[@harry.flashman]

Nice informative content very accessable. Subbed.

[@lmaomoofeq2505]

Africa could very well have been the first one to find the sea route to Asia to assert their dominance even more. They clearly did not have a lack of wealth so militarising the trade route through ports and strong navy would be the last nail on the coffin between there battle with Europe and the Islamic empires. However, their lack of need and an open mind ruined their hold on power. Classic human behaviour I reckon. I wonder how the history of the world would be with Africa being the global superpower, not Europe, would they fight them for their hold on the newly discovered America? What would happen if they would win? Being an Indian, I wonder what would the relation be between us and Africa. India was going through its own downfall during that time frame with a lack of good rulers and a slowly dying culture.

[@collinhenry9996]

This is very great work of history which people who look like me are included in world history which never mention it in history class.

[@IhsaanAdams]

Excellent summary!

[@AfricanElements]

Thank you so much! I'm going to be premiering a video later today along with a live Q&A. If you'd like to check it out, I'd love to see you there! kzbin.info/www/bejne/qqXJh5-knsZ4j80

[@danumba1son419]

great video!

[@BrooklynMB]

quality video good job

[@caincotterill5493]

Great vid👊🏻

[@AfricanElements]

Thanks for watching! There's a new video dropping next week (it's already out on Patreon).

[@FrodoL]

learnt a lot from this thank you

[@Officialbarz]

Very informative learned a couple new historical facts

[@AfricanElements]

Thanks for watching!

[@carsonaboneaaj8386]

Great work!

[@AfricanElements]

Thank you! More to come...

[@mikkokoskinen3851]

Exellent video. No political agenda…just plain history. Very nice job

[@nathanb7024]

Thanks for your video. Would love to see some article so I can read more around this topic

[@Ninergang702]

Love this info

[@SEANLJOHNSONSR]

Africa will rise again believe that

[@lawrencefearon6830]

This was so packed dense with history I had to stop it at each verse and meditate on the meaning of each sentence.

[@calebburrell1034]

Thanks man I really learned a lot. I’m gonna check out more of your videos. I was gonna call my friend and ask him questions and you save him a lot of trouble

[@AfricanElements]

Thanks for watching!

[@gaithkabakibi3214]

Thank you very much for your hard work sir! Greetings from Sweden:)

[@AfricanElements]

Thanks for watching!

[@ayoubgourram9011]

Thanks for the information! I hope you can work on the voice quality, otherwise everything is perfect! Thanks again mate!

[@000Southpaw000]

Brilliant 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾

[@TroyBrownTV]

Beautiful video

[@africandefenseforce2910]

Good job!

[@AfricanElements]

Thanks for watching!

[@natashandlovu5425]

Thank you so much bro

[@dblair1258]

Very good presentation. :)

[@AfricanElements]

Thank you for watching! Be sure to catch the premier on Thursday.

[@buaroembalomendelev8822]

Thank u so much

[@Yohahnhandz612]

Brother this documentary was excellent

[@seamusdoherty]

Love this video and your channel, your not bias and not trying to have an agenda.

[@AfricanElements]

Thank you so much for watching!

[@peacesupreme]

Thank you, this video was dope. Please keep them coming. I like the way you narrate too. You remind me of Neil DeGrasse Tyson a little bit. I’m diggin your style fam. peace

[@AfricanElements]

Thanks for watching!

[@littlehoss100]

That was wonderful.

[@AfricanElements]

Thanks for watching!

[@Erinya558]

I used to be a little unhealthily obsessed with European culture and its ‘preservation’ in my teen years, especially in regards to our African immigrant population, this is largely my own fault and I regret it immensely, but I feel my lack of knowledge of Africa played an enormous part in this. I am so happy to have found a good history channel that focuses on dispelling the exact kind of misinformation that turned me from a young history lover to a narrow minded nationalist. I wish you the best of luck in this channel and will be sure to recommend it!

[@AfricanElements]

Thank you so much!

[@ericmahone5468]

Honestly you can start the timeline where you please it just matter who is telling the story to choose what period they wanna focus on. But history can't be changed but it can be twisted to fit someone's person narrative.

[@pscottlivingnow]

You Teach.. King! Thank U for the Knowledge!

[@AfricanElements]

Thank you for watching!

[@mylesmulenga-uz6gd]

I have seen this video a couple of times and I like everything bit of it.

[@SirThomasJames]

Great video highlighting the importance of trade routes and money. Always money. Take it away and any empire or land will fall into disarray and cut itself from inside out.

[@drake5518]

The bigger picture of interconnected dependencies such as the effect of the fall of Rome or Constantinople on both Europe and Africa are taught far too little in history classes I think. The natural ebb and flow of empires and civilisations obviously happened the same in Africa as everywhere else and all of us here in the old world have been linked by trade and travel all throughout Asia, Africa and Europe since the neolithic. What made the last 500 years different was the perfect storm of rising empires combined with technological development at a pace that never occurred before. This made the world a lot smaller all of a sudden. The modern reading of our shared history quite often seems to suggest there was malice and a great plan involved, when in reality it was millions of big or small decisions by individuals as well as patterns way beyond the control of individuals or even nations.

[@King01589]

Helpful stuff 👏🏻👏🏻 I don’t know what to say but just helpful. Would you like to recommend some books on African history to me?

[@AfricanElements]

Thanks for watching! I would check your local community college bookstore. If they have a Black Studies section, they likely have some good used to textbooks that you can buy on the cheap.

[@MrDFJohnson]

All kingdoms rise and fall. As in The Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire, Britain (no longer GREAT Britain) and America itself is now "going through the change". Voluminous thanks to you for your information 👍🏿

[@freeman7079]

This is very interesting.

[@AfricanElements]

Thanks for watching!

[@nurudeen2881]

Great 👍

[@visiontv112]

Wow,really changed the way I think about colonization. It's a spirit,a force prompted by dominance and control. It's also business and a tool to rise to the top

[@juliemishol7107]

Redesign the way people learn about African History by creating a panel within the Dept of Education.

[@etumnumatthew2286]

Thank you

[@motivationalsuccess88]

Great contents

[@AfricanElements]

Thanks for watching!

[@matthewmann8969]

Prior to Middle Easterners And Europeans among other Non Africans many African Native groups had plenty of issues with each other and some friendships and alliances and partnerships and business deals and trade relations and frenemy moments

[@user-jw8hx9lr9u]

Answer to the question of the day : In my opinion, I think that the West Africa’s Decline was inevitable. If the slavery wasn’t common in West Africa’s and that the Fall of Constantinople wasn’t happening or in an another case, during that Vasco de Gama and Christopher Columbia was circumnavigate around the Africa’s continent or than the West-African Kings have would better protect their kingdoms and who has been more implicated in the politic and leading of those one, nothing of that would happened.

[@delliott8749]

you need more followers and subscribers! great video thanks

[@AfricanElements]

Thank you!

[@HebrewApologetics]

New subscribe. Great content.

[@AfricanElements]

Thanks for watching! Be sure to check out next week's 2K subscriber live stream special.

[@HebrewApologetics]

@@AfricanElements what times the livestream?

[@AfricanElements]

I'll be posting an announcement probably tomorrow, but most likely Thursday at 5:30 p.m.