History of Africa
Take a deep dive deep into African history with this in-depth podcast. From Casablanca to Cape Town, tune in to this podcast to learn about the magnificent and oft-forgotten history of Africa. To access more free resources about African history, provide feedback, or support the show, check out our associated website at https://historyofafricapodcast.blogspot.com
Episodes
Season 7 Episode 1: Welcome to Senegambia
Explore the history of the Wolof Empire with us this season. In this episode we set the stage for what is to come by examining the geography and prehistory of Senegambia. From the evolution of its archaeological cultures to the famous Senegambian megaliths, let's encounter this fascinating tale.
Season 6 Episode 18: The Omani Empire
Kilwa is brought to its knees by one final foreign invasion, which leads the island into an irreversible decline and the eventual dissolution of the sultanate.
Season 6 Episode 17: The (Brief) Portuguese Conquest of Kilwa
The Portuguese have conquered Kilwa. Let's see how much pain their victory causes them in the long run.
Season 6 Episode 16: The Portuguese Arrive
The Portuguese arrive in Kilwa. This should go well.
From the Vault: Zengjiani, the Zanzibari Traveler in China
As my voice recovers, please enjoy this "from the vault" episode about Zengjiani, a famous East African traveler who reached numerous impressive destinations.
Season 6 Episode 15: The Unstable 15th Century part 2: Emir Muhammad the Powerful
After decades of civil strife and conflict, a powerful leader finally emerges in Kilwa Kisiwani as the 14th century reached its climax. With the power of the sultanate waning, a powerful judge named Muhammad Al Kawab asserts himself as the true power behind the throne. The age of powerful monarchs is over, and Kilwa's era as an oligarchy begins.
Season 6 Episode 14: The Unstable 15th Century Part 1: Age of the Viziers Arrives
Today, we enter into an age of transformation. For a prominent period in Kilwa's history, the city and its many satellites will no longer be under the reign of the centuries-old monarchy. Instead, a new apparatus of bureaucratic elites will begin to exert control over the state, and eventual make the monarchy little more than a shadow of its former self.
Season 6 Episode 13: The Stone City of Songo Mnara
Urban sprawl and social instability leads Kilwa to develop a sister city on a nearby peninsula. Songo Mnara grows rapidly to become a major urban center on the Eastern Coast of Africa.
Season 6 Episode 12: Ibn Battuta’s Kilwa Vacation
The great traveler Ibn Battuta arrives in Kilwa, and paints a tale of a country at the peak of its power, wealth, and prestige...but with a potentially bleaker future awaiting.
Season 6 Episode 11: The Father of Gifts
Every historic civilization has one or two famous leaders who rise above all others in their fame and prestige. Kilwa's most famous ruler was certainly Abu al Mawahib, the Father of Gifts.
Season 6 Episode 10: The Mahdali Coup
The Sultanate of Kilwa influenced Zanzibar. Today, Zanzibar influences Kilwa back.
Season 6 Episode 9: The height of the Shirazi Dynasty
In today's episode, we examine the height of the Shirazi Dynasty - with Kilwa's absorption of several nearby islands and territories, as well as the transformation of Kilwa from an island of wooden buildings to an island of coral limestone structures.
Season 6 Episode 8: The Age of Rebellions
The 11th century: a period of tumult in Kilwa's history. The sultanate overthrows the yoke of the Xanga, only to find that this rebellion is not the last.
Season 6 Episode 7: Kilwa is Conquered
In today's episode, a mysterious conqueror from the mainland captures the island of Kilwa. In this episode, we examine the story of the matata mandalin, and the mysterious kingdom of Xanga, a mysterious great power that brought the nascent kingdom of Kilwa to its knees.
Season 6 Episode 6: Lime, Iron, and Salt
In today's episode, we chart the growth of Kilwa as a major economic center, from its growth as a manufacturer of lime and iron, to its rise as a middleman in the trade of gold from Africa's southern reaches, as well as its blossoming into a maritime power.
Season 6 Episode 5: Make Way for Prince Ali - The Mysterious Kilwa Chronicle
It seems unlikely that he had 75 golden camels, but it's hard to say much else about Prince Ali of Shiraz. This historical figure has semi-historical origins, attested to in a mysterious document known as the "Kilwa Chronicle." In today's episode, we assess various interpretations of the Kilwa Chronicle, as well as the Sultanate's origins.
Season 6 Episode 4: Second Fiddle In East Africa
Throughout the early middle ages, Kilwa remained a small settlement, laying in the shadow of the much greater city of Mogadishu.
Season 6 Episode 3: The Lost Cities of Azania
Hidden in the brackish estuary of the Rufiji River, one of the greatest archaeological finds of the modern era might be waiting: the remains of a still poorly understood ancient trade hub referred to in ancient texts from across the world.
Rhapta, a maritime metropolis, was likely the most influential city of its region, and one which still remains enigmatic.
Season 6 Episode 2: The World's Oldest Trade Route?
In this episode, we explore the origins of farming in East Africa, as well as some of the oldest evidence for long-distance trade reaching the region.
Season 6 Episode 1: The Swahili Coast
Despite being the most widely spoken African language on Earth, KiSwahili originates from a people who are shockingly small in number. However, what the Swahili lacked in numbers, they made up for in influence and fascination. Join us for our sixth season, as we dive into the history of the Swahili coast, and the fascinating history of how its residents became adept city-builders, advanced maritim
Season 5 Episode 7: The Fezzan After the "Collapse"
Most histories of the Garamantian kingdom end after its political collapse in the 4th century. However, the archaeological and written record seem to indicate that while the Garamantian kingdom may have died, the civilization that it spawned persisted well into the middle ages.
Season 5 Episode 6: The Mysterious Garamantian Collapse
Pop histories of the Garamantian civilization often posit that Garama died of thirst: the Garamantes used up the fossil water reserves they had depended on for centuries, sealing the destruction of their advanced irrigation system. However, various pieces of historical evidence cast doubt on this narrative, and the reality is far more complex. Today, we discuss the possibility of rebellions, slave
Season 5 Episode 5: Life During the Garamantes' Golden Age
As trade intensifies across the Sahara, the Garamantes become an ever-wealthier civilization. This episode examines how the growth of the Garamantian kingdom influenced the architecture, living standards, religion, and burial practices of the Garamantes.
Season 5 Episode 4: The Roman Invasion of the Sahara
When Garamantian raids and control of trade routes become too much to bear, the Romans do what they do best: invade their neighbors. In this episode, Roman administrator Lucius Balbus leads a series of legions against the Garamantes in battle.
Season 5 Episode 3: Trans-Saharan Trade in the Garamantes Civilization
Horses, carbuncles, gold, salt, and more. What do all these things have in common? They were first traded across the Sahara by the Garamantes. Today's episode discusses the earliest rise of Garamantian trans-Saharan trade, the first documented example of trade across the vast desert.
Season 5 Episode 2: Fossil Water Farming
Brought to the Sahara following the Persian conquest of Egypt, the spread of a new irrigation technology allowed Garamantian civilization to expand dramatically
The earliest evidence of a unique Garamantian culture comes from the settlement of Zinkekra, located at the top of a rocky plateau near the Wadi al Ajal. However, settlements gradually drifted further down the valley.
The location at th
Season 5 Episode 1: Paintings in the Libyan Sahara
Today we begin our journey into the history of the Garamantes, a civilization from the Libyan Sahara. This fascinating civilization transformed the barren wasteland of the Idehan Ubari into an impressive metropolis of late antiquity.
Our current episode examines the prehistory of Libya through close inspection of rock art.
What Does Bantu Mean: A Historiography of Bantu Linguistics and History (Part 2)
The Bantu Migration is one of the most important and seminal events in the history of the African continent. But what if this theory of Bantu origins, concocted by a European colonial administrator trying to understand the history of the continent he was colonizing, was entirely off base? What are some of the holes in the theory of Bantu expansion? What are its strengths which have withstood throu
What Does Bantu Mean: A Historiography of Bantu Linguistics and History
Bantu is a term which has become one of the most contentious in the study of African history. The name of a language family stretching across much of the southern half of the African continent, the term has been used in many distinct ways. In anthropology, it has often extended beyond mere linguistics into an idea of a larger shared culture and history across southern and central Africa. In aparth
Season 4 Episode 29: The Fall of the Twelve Hills
In a betrayal of previous commitments to Madagascar, Britain revoked its recognition of Malagasy sovereignty in a deal with France, in exchange for French recognition of a British protectorate over Zanzibar. Soon after this deal, the French invaded Madagascar, landing troops in Mahajanga and Toamasina. The final war to conquer Madagascar had begun.
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Season 4 Episode 28: The Malagasy Gold Rush
Rainilaiarivony makes a desperate bet to try and repair his nation's floundering economy following the end of the French blockade of Madagascar. His desperate solution: to open Madagascar's long dormant gold mines for business.
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Season 4 Episode 27 Madagascar’s Independence (Partially) Defended
As the French begin their invasion of Madagascar's major ports in 1883, the queen of Madagascar falls deathly ill. In this atmosphere of chaos, the prime minister Rainilaiarivony must mount a desperate attempt to protect Merina sovereignty with the help of an unexpected ally.
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Season 4 Episode 26: The Malagasy Take Manhattan
As Malagasy prime minister Rainilaiarivony tries to distance his kingdom from French commercial interests, the French strike back. Eager to avenge his country's recent defeat in Europe, the French head of state becomes increasingly invested in colonial conquest. In an effort to drum up international support, Malagasy diplomats make a trip to London, Paris, and New York City.
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Season 4 Episode 25: Ranavalona II - Madagascar’s Christian Queen
As Rainilaiarivony radically reforms the government, educational system, and economy of the Kingdom of Madagascar, queen Ranavalona II radically reforms its religion when she officially converts the Merina Kingdom to Christianity.
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Season 4 Episode 24: The Brother’s Coup and Malagasy Constitution
In the aftermath of the controversial coup against Radama II, the new head of state, prime minister Rainivoninahitriniony, was in a tumultuous position. He and the fellow orchestrators of the coup had committed the unprecedented act of overthrowing the mpanjaka Imerina. He attempted to legitimize the bureaucratic takeover by marrying one of Radama's wives, Rasoherina, as well as drafting a new con
Season 4 Episode 23: Radama II
Radama II had a short reign over Madagascar, and his legacy is heavily debated. Charitable accounts of his reign paint him as a forward-thinking and humanitarian reformer, the "Renaissance Prince of Madagascar." However, more critical accounts highlight his capitulation to foreign interests and unwillingness to adhere to Merina norms of power sharing, leading to a dysfunctional government.
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Season 4 Episode 22: The Lambert Coup
Ranavalona reluctantly begins to thaw the relations between her island kingdom and her long-time French adversaries. However, when a French businessman immediately tries to take advantage of the thaw, and prepares a coup to overthrow Ranavalona, place her son in power, and create a company with a monopoly on the Malagasy economy.
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Season 4 Episode 21: How Mad was the ”Mad Queen” of Madagascar?
Ranavalona has a reputation that precedes her as Madagascar's most unhinged and cruel despot. However, while this narrative is based in some truth, it severely lacks in an understanding of the nuances of her reign. This episode examines the truth and fiction behind Ranavalona's reputation as the "mad empress" of Madagascar
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Abraham Samuel: From Lowly Pirate to King of Madagascar - FROM THE VAULT
Due to sickness, I'm releasing a premium episode from the vault while I take the time to recover. This premium episode focused on Abraham Samuel, a mixed-race Caribbean man who joined a pirate crew seeking adventure, freedom, and riches, only to suddenly find himself king of his own small country in southern Madagascar.
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Season 4 Episode 20: Progress for the Few, Misery for the Many
The economic progress made under Ranavalona's early reign was seemingly awe-inspiring. The country had rapidly transformed from a feudal state pumping endless sums of cash into perpetually failing companies, into a more coherent system of state-run capitalism. However, this economic progress came at an enormous human price and was propped up by a system of horrifically brutal exploitation.This epi
Season 4 Episode 19: Western Technology, Malagasy Spirit
Ranavalona hires a new group of foreign artisans like Jean Laborde and James Cameron to hasten the transformation of Madagascar into a modern, industrialized economy. Will the Merina Kingdom become the first industrialized country in Africa?
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Season 4 Episode 18: The Rise of the ”Mad Queen” of Madagascar
When Radama I died without a clear heir, his wife, Ranavalona I, allied with a group of military officers to secure her place as the new queen of Madagascar. Almost immediately, she was faced with numerous challenges, including revolts from conquered peoples, criminal lynch mobs attacking Christians, growing resentment against missionary schools, a stumbling economy, and a French invasion of the l
Season 4 Episode 17: The Forges of Amoronkay
An industrial revolution in Southeast Africa?
Following the abolition of the slave trade in 1817, the future of the economy of Imerina was in flux. Looking for a replacement for the system of slave trading, the Merina king Radama initiates a strategy of industrialization, one of the first intentional industrialization initiatives in history. Large iron forging complexes, agricultural processing
Season 4 Episode 16: The Conquest of Toamasina
Prior to his coronation, the king of Imerina, Radama, promised to his father that he would expand the kingdom towards the coast. In 1817, he accomplished this goal, conquering the largest port on Madagascar's eastern coast, Toamasina.
But this was only the beginning. With a new coastal possession, Imerina was launched into a global world of international politics. Starting in 1817, Radama initiat
Season 4 Episode 15: Radama the Great
If his father is the most remembered king in Madagascar, Radama is probably the best-known Malagasy king in the rest of the world. Radama is famous not only for leading the first major push to unify his home island but also for his later efforts to modernize and industrialize the Merina Empire. But how did this fascinating man come to power in the first place? Today, we track Radama's ascent from
Season 4 Episode 14: Andrianampoinimerina and the Birth of The Merina Empire
In our last episode, Andrianampoinimerina reunited the warring kingdoms of Imerina after seven decades of intermittent civil war. While this alone is a significant achievement, Andrianampoinimerina also had to shoulder the considerable burden of trying to repair his economically and socially devastated kingdom. Through smart and efficient use of the Fanamapoana corvee labor system, Andrianampoinim
Season 4 Episode 13: Andrianampoinimerina - The True Prince
Andrianampoinimerina is the most famous monarch in Malagasy history, and for good reason.
At a young age, Andrianampoinimerina, still then known by his birth name Rambosalamarazaka, quickly emerged as the favorite to inherit the kingdom of Ambohimanga. However, the kingdom was instead inherited by his uncle Andrianjafy. Throughout his rule, the king would enact several unpopular policies. His fai
Season 4 Episode 12: The Crisis of the 18th Century part 2: The Merina Civil War
After Andriamasinavalona's passing, his sons' feud will blossom into a 70-year long civil war. Communities will tear each other apart, slave raiding will reach new heights, and famine will re-emerge as a new threat. Meanwhile, Merina rulers will engage in some experimental policies, like the minting of the region's first local coins, but mostly just kill each other.
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Season 4 Episode 11: The Crisis of the 18th Century Part 1 - Andriamasinvalona’s Blunder
The 18th century will be a painful time for the people of Imerina. The once proud kingdom will devolve into a deadly multilateral civil war, splitting into dozens of smaller kingdoms, each suffering from intermittent famine and domination by foreign enemies. How could the kingdom of Andriamasinavalona, rapidly rising to become a major player in Madagascar, fall so far. The inciting incident lays a
Season 4 Episode 10: Andriamasinavaloa and the Hova Revolution
The class conflict of Imerina comes to a head, as the free peasants of central Madagascar overthrow the hated king Razakatsitakatrandria. In his place they elevate Andriamasinavalona, a king far more willing to listen and act on their concerns, ushering in a golden age of Merina history.
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Season 4 Episode 9: Betsimitatra and the Wonders of Merina Agricultural Engineering
As Andrianjaka passes his stable but poor kingdom to his grandchildren, they undertake an enormous project to improve the agricultural output of Imerina. Their largest project, consisting of the miles of canals and terraces of Betsimitatra, would go on to transform the destiny of Imerina's history. This project, completed using the fanampoana system of conscript labor, would forever transform the
Season 4 Episode 8: Andrianjaka - The Indivisible Sun
Despite being the younger of Ralambo's sons, Andrianjaka inherited the kingdom of Imerina due to his brother's board gaming addiction. He would make the most of this time, with some of the most important developments during his rule including: the foundation of Madagascar's most important city in Antananarivo, the canonization of religious practices surrounding the sampy, and the final expulsion o
Season 4 Episode 7: Ralambo’s Wars
In the early 17th century, a raiding party of Sakalava soldiers entered Imerina. King Ralambo, faced with an existential threat, was forced to rely only on a combination of his own wit and divine assistance from the idol Kelimalaza. According to the Tantara, Kelimalaza assisted Ralambo in all of his shocking victories over his larger and better-equipped enemy armies.
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Season 4 Episode 6: Sakalava - Madagascar’s First Empire
While Imerina is our primary focus this season, they were far from the pre-eminent power in 18th Century Madagascar. In today's show, let's learn about the first empire to truly dominate Madagascar, the equally fascinating and enigmatic kingdom known as Sakalava. Since our show is primarily told from the Merina perspective, they will be the primary "antagonists" of this season. However, don't get
Season 4 Episode 5: Ralambo, the Miracle Child
Of all seven of the king's children, Ralambo was the only son to survive into adulthood. Emerging into a world through a miraculous birth, Ralambo's rule would be miraculous in its own right. From transforming his country's views on marriage, completely rewriting its system of religious worship, and setting up the foundations of its future class system, Ralambo's rule could be argued to be the tru
Season 4 Episode 4 - Andriamanelo, King of Alasora
With Rangita deceased, it is now time for her sons to live up to her promise to cooperate and share power. Which lasts about as long as you'd expect.
With his brother dead, Andriamanelo now has to decide the direction of his rule. He will certainly make a lasting impact.
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Season 4 Episode 3: The Vazimba, Hova, and the Merina
In today's episode, we examine the Vazimba, the mysterious original inhabitants of inland Madagascar. Are they fact, fiction, or somewhere in between?
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Season 4 Episode 2: Settlers from All Shores
This episode charts the numerous hypotheses and perceptions of Madagascar's confusing early history of migrations, its place in the economic system of the ancient Indian Ocean, and the demographics that eventually became the ancestors of the Malagasy.
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Season 4 Episode 1: Madagascar - The Eighth Continent
Today, we take our first steps into the history of Madagascar by looking at some unique features of the island itself, including the various topological and climatic regions within, as well as its unique flora and fauna.
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Sokoto Revolution ep. 4: A West African Caliphate
By the 1810s, the militant stage of the Sokoto Revolution was coming to an end. The Commander of the Believers, Usman Dan Fodio, had vanquished his enemies. What had started as a small social movement led by a charismatic iterant teacher had conquered the largest contiguous territory in the entirety of Africa. And, according to Fodio, this new state would be no ordinary empire, but a righteous sta
Sokoto Revolution ep. 3: From Shehu to Revolutionary
Just as tensions are heating to a fever pitch between Usman Dan Fodio and the Gobirawa Monarchy, the sudden death of Sarki Nafata seems like a sign of future relief. The young prince Yunfa, a former student of Fodio, comes to the throne. However, Yunfa's ascent would not mark the end of tension between the Jamaa and Gobir. Rather, it was the final step in the escalation of Gobir into a state of ci
Sokoto Revolution ep. 2: Usman Dan Fodio - Student and Teacher
In this episode we trace the beginnings of the empire of Gobir, the early life of Usman Dan Fodio, his intellectual and political influences, and the beginning of his rise to prominence during the rule of Sarki Bawa.
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Sokoto Revolution ep. 1: The Seven Cities and the Seven Bastards
In the early 19th century, Northern Nigeria underwent a dramatic social, political, economic, and religious transformation. The cause: a revolution. Led by the charismatic Shehu Usman Dan Fodio, a small army of revolutionaries managed to topple the centuries-old kingdoms of Kasar Hausa and replace them with a new order. The Sokoto Caliphate was born.
How did this happen? How should we view the S
Season 3 Episode 30 - The War of the Golden Stool (Part 2)
As the War of the Golden Stool intensifies, the British suffer their biggest defeat in Ghana since Nsamankow at the Battle of Kokofu. Despite this unexpected defeat, the British re-evaluate their strategy and, between a daring escape attempt by the colonial governor and a readjustment of battlefield strategy, the British manage to reverse their floundering war effort. But even if the war is a defe
Season 3 Episode 30 - The War for the Golden Stool (Part 1)
In 1900, the War for the Golden Stool began when Ashanti militia companies attacked the occupying British garrisons and pushed them out of Asanteman. The few that remained were trapped in Fort Kumasi and besieged from all sides by Ashanti militiamen. What came next is the most famous war in Ashanti history, the War of the Golden Stool. Would this war turn out to be the easy victory that the Britis
Season 3 Episode 29 - Yaa Asantewaa
Outside of Ghana, Yaa Asantewaa is the most famous Ashanti historical figure by a wide margin. The queen-mother of Ejisu is widely cited as the pre-eminent symbol of Afro-feminism, a black African woman who advocated for the position of women and led Ashanti society in its last major resistance against British colonialism.
These depictions, while not necessarily incorrect, miss out on much of the
Season 3 Episode 28 - Prempeh: the Last Independent King of the Ashanti
After finally putting an end to the gruelling Ashanti Civil War, Agyeman Prempeh I goes to work trying to repair his country's economy through the importation of new industries. But, his reign is cut short by the gradual escalation of tensions between his kingdom and the British Empire.
Accompanying blog post: https://historyofafricapodcast.blogspot.com/2022/08/s3e28-prempeh-last-independent-king
Season 3 Episode 27 - The Ashanti Civil War
Tired of his despotic abuse, a coalition of disgruntled Ashanti elites overthrows Asantehene Mensa Bonsu. Rather than ushering in a new era of peace and prosperity, Mensa Bonsu's impeachment marked the beginning of an unprecedented period of misery and violence in the Ashanti Kingdom. In this episode, the Ashanti state falls apart into a brutal civil war.
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Season 3 Episode 26 - The Rise and Fall of the ”God’s Creativity” Cult
As the dust settles from the bloody war against Juaben, Asantehene Mensa Bonsu begins the hard work of trying to bring his crumbling empire back to a state of relative repair. Aiding him in this task is the radical reformer Owusu Ansah, a British-educated diplomat turned political advisor. As the duo struggles to reform the Ashanti Empire's civic and educational structures, the rise of a reactiona
Season 3 Episode 25 - The Juaben War
In the aftermath of the catastrophic Third Anglo-Ashanti War, Asantehene Kofi Kakari desperately tries to bring Ashanti finances into a state of normalcy and gets impeached for his efforts. The responsibility to stop the imminent economic and political collapse of the Ashanti Empire falls to Kakari's brother, an obscure prince named Mensa Bonsu. His first challenge comes when Juaben, the second mo
Season 3 Episode 24 - The Third Anglo-Ashanti War Part 2: the Burning of Kumasi
As the Ashanti armies retreated back across the Pra River, Kofi Kakari and the Ashanti legislature were forced to admit defeat. They offered to concede on all of the British demands. However, the British commander Garnet Wolesly was not willing to accept these terms. Despite the pleas of others in the British colonial authority, Wolesly decided that there was only one way that the Anglo-Ashanti Wa
Season 3 Episode 23: The Third-Anglo Ashanti War Part 1 - The Offensive of 1873
In 1873, Ashanti crowds celebrated as the nation's army marched through the streets of Kumasi. This army was en route to leave the city in a southern direction, where they would invade the British protectorate and force the British to relinquish their claims on Elmina. This celebration would not last long, as the Ashanti offensive of 1873 would soon devolve into a major military humiliation, and o
Season 3 Episode 22 - The Elmina Controversy
When the British annexed the Dutch Gold Coast in 1872, a new conflict kicked off between the Ashanti and British Empires. Allowing the British to possess a complete monopoly on the Ghanaian coast was not an acceptable option for the Ashanti government. In response, the Ashanti government debated its next move. Would it be war?
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Season 3 Episode 21 - The Rise of Kofi Kakari
In 1867, Asantehene Kwaku Dua passed away suddenly after four decades of ruling the Ashanti Empire. Shortly after, roving gangs of royal executioners would begin massacring thousands of civilians in Kumasi. Amidst this chaos and violence, an unlikely candidate ascended to the golden stool: a previously minor prince named Kofi Kakari.
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Season 3 Episode 20 - The Second Anglo-Ashanti War
Much more obscure than its earlier and later wars, the second Anglo-Ashanti war is certainly a fascinating topic. This brief conflict almost ended the British colonial project in Ghana altogether.
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Season 3 Episode 19 - Kwaku Dua Fixes a Broken Empire
Following the disastrous rule of Osei Yaw Akoto, the Ashanti Empire was not in its best spot. The refugee crisis of the people of Juaben was on the verge of boiling over into a full-blown civil war, the economy was in terminal decline, and an ever-growing number of Ashanti workers and peasants were becoming relegated to debt slavery. Into this mess rose Kwaku Dua, an obscure diplomat of vague roya
Season 3 Episode 18 - Osei Yaw Akoto and his Troubles with Palm Wine
After his humiliating defeat at Katamanso, the asantehene Osei Yaw Akoto attempts to drown his sorrows in Akpeteshie. However, as the king's behaviors become increasingly unhinged, a crisis begins to envelop the Ashanti Empire, leading to the first foundation of New Juaben.
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Season 3 Episode 17 - The First Anglo-Ashanti War Part 2: The Rockets’ Red Glare
After decimating a British invasion force at the Battle of Nsamankow, the asantehene Osei Bonsu passed away. The responsibility to finish his war fell to his younger brother Osei Yaw Akoto, who will struggle to live up to the enormous expectations created by his brother's success. At the coming Battle of Katamanso, the British and Ashanti will face off one final time, and the outcome of this battl
Season 3 Episode 16 - The First Anglo Ashanti War Part 1
In 1822, two empires clashed in the coastal forests of southern Ghana. When the British Empire dissolved their West African trade company, the previous treaties signed between the Ashanti and the company were made void. The British began to establish treaties of submission with the Ashanti's Fante vassals, provoking the Ashanti kingdom to war. Osei Bonsu mobilized his armies and the two most power
Season 3 Episode 15 - Daily Life in the Ashanti Empire
Throughout the show, we've covered the lives of Ashanti kings, queens, bureaucrats, merchants, and religious elites. What about the Ashanti average working-class Kwadwo? This episode attempts to paint a picture of the lives, labor, leisure, and education of the average Ashanti subject.
*Disclaimer* This episode covers a sensitive issue, namely enslavement. While, obviously, we all have great pas
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