Introductory description

In the last sixty years, there has been an increasing interest in the history of Sub-Saharan African history before European colonial rule. In the 1960s, after African countries became independent, many scholars moved away from Eurocentric paradigms to explore the African past in order to enhance the historicity and agency of African societies, from the Middle Ages to the Early Modern period. This module seeks to study the African continent within the wider context of Global history, by studying Africa's place in the First Globalization (14th-18th c.).

Module web page

Module aims

Outline syllabus

This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.

The module seeks to integrate new historiographical advances in our reflexion on the history of African societies. It explores interrelated questions such as the impact of the “little ice age” in Africa on human and material circulations, the bureaucratisation of African states, along with the economic, cultural and political consequences of slavery in and out of Africa. The history of Islamic societies will be an important consideration in this course, which also will consider the history of other religious groups in Africa, including Christian societies, from Ethiopia to Congo, and other faith systems, as for Asante and Dahomey. Finally, the course will focus on the interactions between African societies and non-African societies, from the Europeans to the Ottomans.

Learning outcomes

By the end of the module, students should be able to:

• Obtaining knowledge on the different networks in which African societies and actors were engaged
• Identifying major themes and methodologies in African Early Modern History
• Establish intellectual bridges between African and non-African historiographies
• Classifying the environmental, political and cultural diversity of Early Modern Africa
• Critically evaluate and interpret a variety of primary sources and historiographical traditions
• Developing research skills, historiographical engagement, presentation skills, and critical analysis through individual and group work

Indicative reading list

• General history of Africa, abridged edition, v. 4: Africa from the twelfth to the sixteenth century [Online]
  https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000134377?posInSet=17&queryId=N-fc556350-9356-472a-a0d0-7e3836a8ca4c

• General history of Africa, abridged edition, v. 5: Africa from the sixteenth to the eighteenth century [Online]
  https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000134396?posInSet=14&queryId=N-29ea702a-ec40-421b-9177-09541fcb3597

Interdisciplinary

This module will explore the relation between historical analysis and archaeology, climatology and geography

Subject specific skills

Application of knowledge and skills that have been learnt to the analysis of historiographical debates.
Development of skills in connecting different fields of research and to adopt transversal methodologies.

Transferable skills

Development of skills in using library resources (including short loan, journals, electronic, and online resources), seminar communication (listening and talking), seminar preparation and managing own learning, and group work.
Capacity of taking a step aside in problem analysis