User:4shizzal

Hey this is 4shizzal, some of y'all know me as Scott Free. Happy lovely (always wanted to say that). I specialize in (obsessed with) African history. If you're researching anything on pre-colonial Africa on here, i've probably contributed to it. My biggest interest is the Mali Empire. I think it is one of the most overlooked empires in history and of great importance. I've also done a fair amount of net research on the dynamics of the Atlantic Slave Trade. I've produced a lot of statistics (who was selling, who was buying and how many were dying). Holla at ya boi if you have any useful info or just for questions. One luv to everyone at WIKI keepin the info FREE.

--Scott Free 16:36, 31 July 2006 (UTC)

I am mainly devoted to compiling info on the Mandé civilization. I am a Black American with hereditary ties to these great people, which has boosted my zeal for researching them. Last year I discovered via African Ancestry DNA testing that my maternal heritage stretches back to the Mendé (a branch of the Mandé of Sierra Leone). It was amazing to find that I came from the same people I had been researching for the past five years! Also, my paternal heritage is shared with the Igbo people of Nigeria (don't know which dialect, but probably northern or central) and also the Mbundu of Angola. I've been told the Mbundu match is likely just due to sharing fragments of DNA contributed to those populations during the Bantu Migration. In all likelyhood, my ancestors were taken directly from northern and central Igboland to Louisiana via French slave vessels.

What I'm Working on Right NOW

 * Kongo-Portuguese War of 1622
 * Battle of Mbanda Kasi

Recently Completed

 * Battle of Mbumbi

Library
Here is a list of my private library on African and African-American history. It's forever increasing. I put this list here for folks looking for good data on hard to find subjects.


 * 1. "Africa: a short history" by Robert O. Collins (Markus Wiener Publishers, 2006)
 * 2. "Introduction To African Civilizations" by John G. Jackson (Citadel, 2001)
 * 3. "Peoples and Empires of West Africa: West Africa in History 1000-1800" by G.T. Stride & C. Ifeka (Nelson, 1986)
 * 4. "Slavery and African Ethnicities in the Americas: Restoring the Links" by Gwendolyn Midlo Hall (University of North Carolina Press, 2005)
 * 5. "Exchanging Our Country Marks" by Michael A. Gomez (University of North Carolina Press, 1998)
 * 6. "Africa and Africans in the Formation of the Atlantic World, 1400-1680" by John K. Thornton (Cambridge University Press, 1998)
 * 7. "Warfare in Atlantic Africa, 1500-1800" by John K. Thornton (Taylor and Francis, 2005)
 * 8. "African Arms and Armour" by Christopher Spring (British Museum Press, 1993)
 * 9. "Warfare and Diplomacy in Pre-colonial West Africa" by Robert S. Smith (University of Wisconsin Press, 1989)
 * 10. "AFRICAN KNIGHTS: The Armies of Sokoto, Bornu and Bagirmi in the 19th Century" by Conrad Cairns (Foundry, 2006)
 * 11. "SUNDIATA: An Epic of Old Mali" by D.T Niane (Longman, 1995)
 * 12. "Amazons of Black Sparta: The Women Warriors of Dahomey" by Stanley B. Alpern (Hurst & Co Ltd, 2001)
 * 13. "Fall of the Asante Empire: The Hundred Year War for Africa's Gold Coast" by Robert. B. Edgerton (Free Press, 1995)
 * 14. "The Kongolese Saint Anthony: Dona Beatriz Kimpa Vita and the Antonian Movement, 1684-1706" by John K. Thornton (Cambridge University Press, 1998)
 * 15. "Blacks in Antiquity" by Frank M. Snowden (Belknap Press, 1971)
 * 16. "Medieval Africa, 1250-1800" by Roland Oliver (Cambridge University Press, 2001)
 * 17. "Black Africans in Renaissance Europe" by T. F. Earle and K. J. P. Lowe (University of Oxford, 2005)
 * 18. "Central Africans, Atlantic Creoles, and the Foundaton of the Americas, 1585-1660" by Linda M. Heywood and John K. Thornton (Cambridge University Press, 2007)
 * 19. "Forged In Battle: The Civil War Alliance of Black Soldiers and White Officers" by Joseph T. Glatthaar (Free Press, 1990)
 * 20. "Africa In History: Themes and Outlines, Revised and Expanded Edition" by Basil Davidson (Phoenix Press, 2003)
 * 21. "Great Zulu Battles 1838-1906" by Ian Knight (Castle Books Press, 2003)
 * 22. "History of Slavery" by Susanne Everett (Chartwell Books, Inc., 2006)
 * 23. "Equiano, the African: Biography of a Self-Made Man" by Vincent Carretta (Penguin Booka, 2005)
 * 24. "Monsieur De Saint-George; Virtuoso, Swordsman, Revolutionary: A Legendary Life Rediscovered" by Alain Guede (Picador, 2003)
 * 25. "African States and Rulers: An Encyclopedia of Native, Colonial and Independnt States and Rulers Past and Present" by John Stewart (McFarland, 1989)
 * 26. "Timbuktu: The Sahara's Fabled City of Gold" by Marq De Villiers & Sheila Hirtle (Walker, 2007)
 * 27. "History of Africa" by Kevin Shillington (St. Martin's Press, 1995)
 * 28. "Historical Atlas of the Ancient World: 4,000,000 BC - 500 BC" by John Haywood (Barnes & Noble, 2000)
 * 29. "Historical Atlas of the Classical World: 500 BC - AD 600" by John Haywood (Barnes & Noble, 2002)
 * 30. "Historical Atlas of the Medieval World: AD 600 - 1492" by John Haywood (Barnes & Noble, 2002)
 * 31. "Historical Atlas of the Early Modern World: 1492 - 1783" by John Haywood (Barnes & Noble, 2002)
 * 32. "Historical Atlas of the 19th Century World: 1783 - 1914" by John Haywood (Barnes & Noble, 2002)
 * 33. "Historical Atlas of the 20th Century World: 1900 - 1999" by John Haywood (MetroBooks, 2001)

Africa At A Glance
I've decided to use my page as a crash course in African history for anyone that's interested. The biggest problem with African history is that most Africans don't have written language of their own. That doesn't mean they're stupid, however; it simply means they are very different from the rest of the world. From what I've garnered, literature wasn't really necessary for them so it was never invested in. Another startling difference between Africa and Eurasia is the value of land (or lack thereof). Africa is huge so land has little value. Things grow well so agricultural advancements weren't sought (like the plough for instance). Populations are dispersed into clumps around valuable tracts of land creating densly populated cities with complex systems of government tending toward strikingly republican types of rule. Very few absolute monarchs or leaders prior to Cold War. Slavery was big business since labor was more scarce than land. Chattel slavery was pretty much unheard of, but certain civilizations could be quite brutal. Africa was more or less a decent place to live prior to the 16th and 17th century. This was changed by the destruction of the big African Empires and the arrival of Europeans with their insatiable appetite for cheap labor. Both of these instances led to political instability that has never been fully resolved. The troubles of Africa continued as more African leaders fed into this irresistable chance at power and wealth. Between 1502 and 1853, some 20 million Africans died as a result of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade. By 1900, Europeans had the knowledge and firepower to conquer most of Africa. World War II pretty much killed Europe's hold on Africa and by 1975 about every colony was independent. Africa reemerged under a series of dictators and idealist who squandered their resources, slaughtered thousands and repressed the population. Africa's still going through its growing pains, and HIV/AIDs isn't making it any easier (thanks a lot Belgium). That's Africa in a nutshell. Below is a timeline of Africa based off of the wiki article on African History. I took the liberty of adding some dates to paint a clearer picture.


 * Stone Age Africa 150,000 years ago (Modern Humans Arrive) - 600 B.C. (Nubia begins spreading Iron technology)
 * Iron Age Africa 600 B.C. (Nubia begins spreading Iron technology) - 1600 (End of the great empires)
 * Transition Age Africa 1600 (End of the great empires) - NOW.

African Monuments
Here are some African structures/monuments of note. People always talk of going to Europe or Asia to see historical sites while Africa is largely slept on. Well, you don't know what you don't know. Take a look and hit me up if you have any other suggestions. I'm always adding stuff.


 * Great Pyramid of Giza completed in 2560 B.C.
 * Abu Simbel built in 1284 B.C.
 * Yeha Ruins built around 800 B.C.
 * King Ezana's Stele built around 330 A.D.
 * Great Mosque of Djenné first built around 1200 A.D.
 * Bete Giyorgis Church built around 1200 A.D.
 * Sankore Madrasah first built in 1300 A.D.
 * Djinguereber Mosque built in 1327 A.D.
 * Ruins of Great Zimbabwe completed by 1400 A.D.
 * Sidi Yahya Mosque built in 1440 A.D.
 * Tomb of Askia built in 1538 A.D.
 * Fasil Ghebbi built in 1630s A.D.

Great Africans in History
Here's a list of some very interesting men and women in African history. I count many of them in my list of heroes.

Men

 * Mansa Sogolon Djata
 * Askia Mohammad I
 * MweneKongo Pedro II of Kongo
 * Mai Idris Alooma
 * Negus Yohannes IV of Ethiopia

Women

 * Kandake Amanirenas
 * Queen Gudit
 * Princess Yennenga
 * Gimbiya Amina
 * Ngola a Kiluanje Nzinga Mbande

African Military History
Below is an index of battles waged by African states. This list will grow as I get more organized and familiar with Wiki's current articles. I'm very interested in expanding info on lesser known wars such as the conflicts involving the Kingdom of Kongo and those of the Ethiopian Empire

African Wars

 * Abyssinian–Adal War (1529 - 1543)
 * Battle of Shimbra Kure (March 1529)
 * Battle of Antukyah (1531)
 * Battle of Amba Sel (October 28, 1531)
 * First Siege of Amba Geshen (November, 1531)
 * Second Siege of Amba Geshen (1533)
 * Sack of Amba Geshen (January, 1540)
 * Battle of Sahart (1541)
 * Battle of Baçente (February 2, 1542)
 * Battle of Jarte (April 16, 1542)
 * Battle of Wofla (August 8, 1542)
 * Battle of Wayna Daga (February 21, 1543)


 * War of Ndongo Succession (1624 - 1656)
 * Battle of Ngolomene a Keta (1644)
 * Battle of Kavanga (January, 1646)
 * Battle of Kombi (October 29, 1647)


 * Kongo Civil War (1665 - 1709)
 * Battle of Kitombo (October 18, 1670)
 * Battle of Säo Salvador (February 15, 1709)


 * Ashanti-Akim-Akwapim War (1814 - 1816)


 * Anglo-Zulu War (1879)
 * Battle of Isandlwana (January 22, 1879)
 * Siege of Rorke's Drift (January 22-23, 1879)
 * Battle of Intombe (March 12, 1879
 * Battle of Hlobane (March 28, 1879
 * Battle of Kambula (March 29, 1879
 * Battle of Gingindlovu (April 2, 1879
 * Battle of Ulundi (July 4, 1879


 * First Mandingo War (1883 - 1886)


 * First Franco-Dahomean War (1890)


 * Second Franco-Dahomean War (1892 - 1894)


 * Second Mandingo War (1894 - 1895)


 * First Italo–Ethiopian War (1895 - 1896)


 * Third Mandingo War (1898)

African Battles

 * First Battle of Dongola (642)
 * Second Battle of Dongola (652)
 * Battle of Garni-Kiyala (1507)
 * Battle of Mbanza Kongo (1509)
 * Battle of Tondibi (March 13, 1591)
 * Battle of Jenné (April 26, 1599)
 * Battle of Mbumbi (1622)
 * Battle of Mbwila (October 29, 1665)
 * Battle of Katole (September 4, 1681)
 * Battle of Feyiase (1701)
 * Battle of the Dindar River (1738)
 * Battle of Atakpamé (1764)
 * Battle of Tsuntua (1804)
 * Battle of Noukouma (March 21, 1818)
 * Battle of Segou (March 10, 1861)
 * Battle of Kansala (May 13, 1867)
 * Battle of Dekheule (1869)
 * Battle of Woyowayanko (April 2, 1882)
 * First Battle of Jenné (February 24, 1891)
 * Second Battle of Jenné (April 11-April 12, 1893)
 * Battle of Poredaka (1896)

African Empires
When the average western reader thinks of empire, they don't usually think of Africa. Well, they should. I've done a lot of research on African Empires. Hell, I was the guy that started the article. Below are a list of all the African Empires according to chronology. There are 34 here, but not all are native African empires (Ptolemaic and Fatimid for instance). Not all are "Black" African empires (Almoravid and Almohad are native Berber states). But they are all empires.


 * Egyptian Empire (1570 BC - 1070 BC)
 * Kushite Empire (780 BC - 656 BC)
 * Carthaginian Empire (575 BC - 146 BC)
 * Ptolemaic Empire (305 BC - 30 BC)
 * Aksumite Empire (50 - 937)
 * Makuria 340s AD to 1312 AD
 * Kanem Empire (700 - 1376)
 * Wagadou Empire (750 - 1076)
 * Fatimid Caliphate (910 - 1171)
 * Almoravid Caliphate (1061 - 1147)
 * Almohad Caliphate (1121 - 1269)
 * Mali Empire (1235 - 1610)
 * Mamluk Sultanate (1250 - 1517)
 * Ethiopian Empire (1137 - 1974)
 * Songhai Empire (1340 - 1591)
 * Jolof Empire (1360 - 1549)
 * Bornu Empire (1396 - 1893)
 * Oyo Empire (1400 - 1835)
 * Adal Sultanate (1415 - 1555)
 * Benin Empire (1440 - 1897)
 * Sennar Sultanate (1502 - 1821)
 * Kaabu Empire (1537 - 1867)
 * Luba Empire (1585 - 1885)
 * Lunda Empire (1660 - 1887)
 * Aro Confederacy (1690 - 1902)
 * Asante Union (1701 - 1894)
 * Kong Empire (1710 - 1894)
 * Bamana Empire (1712 - 1861)
 * Sokoto Caliphate (1804 - 1903)
 * Liberian Republic (1847 - 1980)
 * Toucouleur Empire (1861 -1890)
 * Wassoulou Empire (1878 - 1898)

African Kingdoms
Beyond the great expires in African history, there are a plethora of kingdoms throughout the continent's history.


 * Old Kingdom Egypt 3150 BC to 2134 BC
 * Middle Kingdom Egypt 2040 BC to 1640 BC
 * Damot 800 BC to 400s BC
 * Numidia 202 BC to 46 BC
 * Nobatia 350 AD to 600 AD
 * Alodia 600 AD to 1504 AD
 * Takrur Kingdom 800 to 1280s
 * Hausa Kingdoms 998 to 1808
 * Mapungubwe Kingdom 1075 to 1220
 * Tengkodogo Kingdom 1120 to 1894
 * Marinid Sultanate 1215 to 1465
 * Zimbabwe Kingdom 1220 to 1450
 * Nri Kingdom 1225 to 1911
 * Mankessim Kingdom 1252 to 1873
 * Yatenga Kingdom 1333 to 1895
 * Bamum Kingdom 1394 to 1884
 * Kongo Kingdom 1395 to 1857
 * Wagadougou Kingdom 1441 to 1895
 * Mutapa Kingdom 1430 to 1760
 * Butua Kingdom 1450 to 1660
 * Gyaaman Kingdom 1450 to 1895
 * Kingdom of Fez 1472 - 1554
 * Saalum Kingdom 1493 to 1850
 * Mandara Kingdom before 1500s to 1902
 * Kingdom of Koya 1505 to 1896
 * Denanke Kingdom 1514 to 1776
 * Kingdom of Baguirmi 1522 to 1897
 * Cayor Kingdom 1549 to 1868
 * Kingdom of Loango 1550 to 1885
 * Kingdom of Ndongo 1556 to 1629
 * Dendi Kingdom 1591 to 1901
 * Anziku Kingdom before 1600s to 1880
 * Sultanate of Darfur 1603-1874
 * Kasanje Kingdom 1620 to 1911
 * Kuba Kingdom 1625 to 1900
 * Matamba Kingdom 1631 to 1744
 * Ouaddai Kingdom 1635 to 1912
 * Kingdom of Dahomey 1650 to 1894
 * Igala Kingdom 1650 to 1901
 * Kenedougou Kingdom 1650 to 1898
 * Khasso Kingdom 1681 to 1880
 * Orungu Kingdom before 1700s to 1927
 * Futa Djallon Kingdom 1725 to 1896
 * Kaarta Kingdom 1753 to 1854
 * Futa Toro Kingdom 1776 to 1891
 * Merina Kingdom 1791 to 1896
 * Zulu Kingdom 1817 to 1879