The Five Greatest African Empires and Kingdoms That You May Have Never Heard Of
The Slightly More Obscure of Africa’s Great Civilizations of The Past
African history is kick-ass. So kick-ass in fact that it could do with a bit more coverage. Unfortunately, between the often oral tradition of many African cultures, the effects of colonialism, and just the inevitable passage of time, many of the great civilizations of yesteryear on this vast, diverse continent don’t get their due in the modern discourse.
We all know of the more popular ones: the Egyptians because their architecture has stood the test of time, the Carthaginians because they were a menace to Rome, the Zulus because of their famous victory against better-equipped British Imperial forces at Isandlwana, and the Ethiopians because of their consistent appearance in historical annals across millennia but several other empires have risen and fallen in Africa and are often shrouded in mystery. Here are a few of the most influential ones that you may have never come across in your standard reading:
1. The Mali Empire (1275 to 1670 AD)
The second of three great empires that dominated West Africa between the 9th and 16th centuries, this powerful kingdom was a juggernaut in its day. Rising to…
