The African continent has a very rich and captivating history. It is said that humans emerged on the African continent. The region has experienced several changes following the influence of foreigners. With the marvelous stories of empires in this continent, for sure it should be way ahead of other regions. However, we see that Africa lags. This article will try to explain historically why the African Continent fell.
#1 African Diversity
African Diversity is a natural occurrence that contributed to the demise of Africa. The continent has several sovereign states that are diverse in many ways. For example, there are different languages, communities, and religions in every state. People in the region are the most genetically diverse group of human beings. The ever 1st signs of bias started on the African continent.
Today, many people consider African diversity to be a good thing, but it was a bad thing in Africa. This is because it was hard to unite everyone into one group. Because of these varieties, the African region was not able to come up with a pan-African identity.
#2 Natural Resources
The world knows that the African continent is very rich in natural resources such as gold, bauxite, and diamonds. Most of these natural resources are important in the lives of all human beings globally. However, this is not a good thing because Africa acts as a target of exploitation for foreign nations. Then, Africans could build advancement fast because of these natural resources.
Gold, one of the most important resources in Africa, was a common interest in ancient times. People noticed and distinguished Africa from the rest of the world for its vast wealth in resources. During the old times, we see the Arabs aiming at the African continent in their oral literature. The Europeans always talked about the vast richness of the region.
Human labor was the most valuable resource then because it possessed genetic material to survive anywhere. Due to the African diversity, it was less challenging for foreigners to depopulate African areas during the slave trade era. This left the continent ruined, as foreigners used the young Africans for the improvement of their states.
#3 Desertification of North Africa
The African region turning into a desert was a disheartening issue for the Africans. The desertification resulted in forced movement and displacement among many Africans. These big movements made it simple for foreigners to take steps without getting any resistance.
#4 Human Error
The African men needed to uphold their moral uprightness even in the face of social destruction. Some African kings are great examples of this. Oba Ewuare, the king of the Benin kingdom, prophesied that foreigners would burn down the great Benin city. This prediction was accurate, as years later the British burnt down Benin.
From this incident, the king would be unwelcoming to foreigners. However, he opted to take a moral ground. In one of his quotes, he is saying;
“Never make a stranger suffer and whatever else you may do to a foreigner, you must not kill him. Forgive his transgressions because he does not know the laws by which you live. Give him time and teach him the laws of your land.”
King Mvemba Nzinga is the other king who was concerned with moral uprightness than the safety of a nation. The king converted to Christianity and was excited about his new religion. This made the Portuguese happy as they had a feasible African ruler that they could use. The king wrote letters to King Manuel of Portugal, and he referred to King Nzinga in his letter as his royal brother.
The behavior of the foreigners in the king’s land made him confused, and he wrote more letters. In one letter to King John of Portugal, the African king wrote to him saying:
“Each day the traders are kidnapping our people. This corruption and depravity are so widespread that foreigners are depopulating our land. In this kingdom, we need only priests and schoolteachers and no merch unless it’s a wine for Mass. It’s our wish that this Kingdom is not a place for the trade of slaves.”
The African king’s demonstrations bore no fruits as the Portuguese ruler had no mercy. The moral uprightness of the king trapped him he was blind to see that the Portuguese were manipulating him.
#5 Religion
The African people who converted to other faiths seemed to have loyalty to that particular faith over concerns about the safety of the nation. No matter our religious beliefs, people should not ignore the aspect of self-preservation.
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