7 African Kingdoms in Ancient Times That Were Ever Discovered, Have Extraordinary Histories

7 Kerajaan Afrika di Zaman Kuno yang Pernah Ditemukan, Punya Sejarah Luar Biasa

"7 Ancient African Kingdoms That Were Ever Discovered, Have Extraordinary Histories"

"1. Kingdom of Zimbabwe"

The Kingdom of Zimbabwe was established by the Shona tribe in southern Central Africa around the year 1200 and lasted until around the year 1600. The large abandoned city, made of stone without mortar, is the largest stone structure in pre-colonial southern Africa; it covers several square miles and was home to 18,000 people.

Most of it is still unexplored, but recent research shows that city builders dealt with severe water shortages by storing it in pits called dhaka. Advanced irrigation systems allow for crop cultivation, and Greater Zimbabwe traded gold, copper, and ivory among other parts of Africa and the Middle East.

"2. Kingdom of Garamantes"

The Garamantes Kingdom thrived in the Fezzan region in southwestern Libya after around 400 BC. This kingdom consisted of several large cities that were irrigated by a unique irrigation system that channeled water through underground tunnels from nearby ancient aquifers in desert sandstone, which had formed millions of years earlier.

"3. Kingdom of Benin"

The Kingdom of Benin is located in the southern region of Nigeria from around the 12th to the 19th century. It is also known as the Edo Kingdom, based on the name of its capital and the ethnic group that founded it. The Kingdom of Benin was a major center of learning and trade; however, in the 17th century, the Kingdom of Benin also became a primary source of slaves for colonization in America.

"However, since the 15th century, Benin has been famous for its "bronze" statues made from metal rings called manilla that were imported by the Portuguese. These statues often depict prominent individuals in a unique style, and thousands of these statues were stolen and exported around the world after the kingdom was conquered by the British in 1897."

"4. Zulu Kingdom"

The Zulu kingdom developed from the Zulu ethnic group in southern Africa with the arrival of a man named Shaka in the late 18th century, and it still endures today as part of modern South Africa.

According to James Gump, an emeritus professor of history at the University of San Diego and author of The Dust Rose Like Smoke: The Subjugation of the Zulu and the Sioux (Nebraska Press, 1994), Shaka was the illegitimate son of an exiled Zulu chief who lived among the ruling Mthethwa clan.

"5. Mali Empire"

The Mali Empire dominated much of West Africa starting in 1235, when a confederation of kingdoms overthrew the Sosso Empire in the region. At its peak in the 14th century, the Mali Empire controlled over 400 cities in modern-day Senegal, Gambia, Guinea, etc.

"6. Aksum Kingdom"

The Aksumite Kingdom was one of the most powerful kingdoms in the ancient world. Located next to the Red Sea in the northern regions of Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Yemen, the Aksumite Kingdom was a center for the trade of ivory, gold, spices, and textiles from the first century BC to the ninth century and traded with the Roman Empire.

"7. Kingdom of Kush"

The Kushite Kingdom is located along the Nile River in the region known as Nubia, in what is now northern Sudan and southern Egypt. The Kushites worshiped Amun as the supreme god and buried their honored dead in pyramid tombs. However, they had a very different language, ethnicity, and culture, including their own writing system.

The Kingdom of Kush developed from the Kerma culture, which occupied Nubia around 2500 BC. After their defeat in Egypt, the capital of Kush was Meroë, the ruins of which can now be seen about 120 miles (200 kilometers) northeast of Khartoum in a place now called Sudan.

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