Thread by @xspotsdamark

Not much is known of Pre-Colonial African metropolitan life. You seldom hear about city life & culture of the era. Historians Walter Rodney & Robin Walker show that Europeans destroyed over 100 major cities during the conquest of Africa. A thread on great Pre-Colonial cities.

1- Kilwa.

Renowned world traveler Ibn Battuta said of Kilwa: "Principal city on the coast the greater part of whose inhabitants are Zanj of very black complexion.”
"One of the most beautiful and well-constructed cities in the world, the whole of it is elegantly built”

Kilwa was a medieval African City-State in East Africa on the coast of what is now the nation of Tanzania. Kilwa was founded around the 9th century A.D & reached it's peak between the 13th & 15th century. At it's height, Kilwa was a major trade hub.

They minted their own coins, some of which have been found in many other parts of Africa, including the ruins of Great Zimbabwe, & as far as India, China, Iraq etc. Traders from all over Africa brought their goods to Kilwa, for shipping to India & China.

In 1505, Kilwa was besieged from the Indian Ocean, by a Portuguese Naval fleet, that sought control of trade between Africa & India. Portuguese ships bombarded & destroyed the entire city. A Portuguese ground force soon invaded from Mozambique, captured & enslaved the survivors.

2 - Mbanza Kongo

"A great state well ordered, down to the most minute detail; powerful rulers, flourishing industries, civilised to the marrow of their bones. And the condition of the countries of the eastern coast of Mozambique, for example was quite the same.”- Dutch explorer

Mbanza Kongo was the Capital of the Great Kindom of Kongo, which flourished between the 9th - 17th centuries. Portuguese explorer Diogo Cao, the first European to enter Kongo, believed he had discovered the Biblical garden of Eden, when he reached Mbanza Kongo.

Not long after the arrival of Europeans, a civil war broke out over succession to the throne of Kongo, with one faction backed by the Portuguese & the other supported by the Dutch. This led to the destruction of Mbanza Kongo & the enslavement of millions of Bakongo people.

3- Ngazargamu.

Ngazargamu was the Capital city of the Kanem-Bornu Empire, which existed in what is now the Republic of Chad, Niger & the Northern halves of Cameroon & Nigeria. Kanem-Bornu also holds the distinction of being the longest lasting African Empire.

Kanem-Bornu reached her peak in the late 16th century under the leadership of the Great Mai Idris Aluma. During Aluma's reign, Ngazargamu surpassed Timbuktu in wealth & prestige.The Caliph of the Ottoman Empire even sent a delegation of over 200 members to pledge loyalty.

One Arab scholar described the wealth of Ngazargamu as such. "The Emperor's Calvary has Golden stirrups, spurs, bits & buckles. Even the dogs had chains of the finest gold" . "A lone woman clad in gold might walk alone at night, with none to fear but God."

Towards the end of the 18th century, Kanem Bornu began to decline due successive waves of Fulani Jihads. Finally, in the closing of the 19th century, Ngazargamu was destroyed & looted by French forces, who divided the territory between their colonies of Chad, Cameroon & Niger.

4- Edo

Edo was the Capital of the Kingdom of Benin (not to be confused with the modern nation of Benin), which existed in what is now southwestern Nigeria from the 11th century until it was destroyed & her territory annexed by the British Empire in 1897.

Benin was renowned for it's great wall, which surpassed that of China in grandeur, totalling over 10,000 miles in length. The Guinness book of records once described the walls of Benin as "The largest earthworks in the world prior to the mechanical era".

A European explorer described the Benin Bronze artwork as such "These works from Benin rival the finest examples of European casting techniques, Cellini himself could not have casted them better. These bronze works represent the very highest possible human achievement"

In 1897, Benin was destroyed & looted by British Forces after the King of Benin refused to relinquish control of Palm oil trade, which was then used as the main lubricant for European industrial machines. It's great wall was mostly destroyed & it's bronze statues stolen.

The Kingdom of Benin holds a special place in my heart, as my Twitter avatar depicts the flag of Benin Kingdom.

5- Timbuktu.

Timbuktu was the largest city in the Mali Empire which existed in what is now the West African nations Mali, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Senegal & Gambia. At it's peak in the 14th century, Timbuktu was the wealthiest city in the world & the center for knowledge.

Timbuktu in this period was 5 times larger & more populated than London, Europe's biggest city at the time. The great Library of Timbuktu housed over 5 million text on a wide variety of subjects, including Science Mathematics, Astronomy etc.

The University of Sankoré in Timbuktu had at least 25 thousand students a year, the largest of any learning institution of the period.

In 1591, Timbuktu, then under the domain of Songhai Empire, was invaded, occupied & looted by Moroccan forces under the command of Judar Pasha. Most of the territory of Mali & Songhai will later fall to Fulani Jihads & European slave raids, finally being colonized by France.

Stay tuned, I'll continue adding great cities to this thread.