Medieval Africa

Pick up almost any book on early and medieval world history and empire, and where do you find West Africa? On the periphery. This pioneering book tells a different story. Interweaving political and social history and drawing on a rich array of sources, Michael Gomez unveils a new vision of how categories of ethnicity, race, gender, and caste emerged in Africa and in global history. 

This audiobook reveals a truth that has too often been overlooked: Africa was home to sophisticated empires, powerful rulers, and legendary cities of gold and scholarship. Inside, you'll uncover the rich history and untold tales of a continent shaping its own destiny.

Recent research has revealed that the richest person of all time lived in the 14th century in West Africa and went by many names, including Kankan Musa Keita, Emir of Melle, Lord of the Mines of Wangara, Conqueror of Ghanata, and the Lion of Mali II, but today he is usually referred to as Mansa Musa. Adjusting his wealth to modern values, he was worth about an estimated $400 billion as the Sultan of ancient Mali, which controlled the trade routes across the Sahara Desert.

Beginning in prehistoric times, West Africa has always been an incredible region. Early nomadic tribes settled into some of the earliest communities on Earth and learned how to work with metal. Various West African tribes then became adept at working with metal and were some of the most skilled artisans in the world. As civilizations developed in West Africa, nomadic tribes turned into urban societies that built kingdoms. Eventually, some of the greatest leaders in the world created mighty West African empires.

He gave away so much gold that he crashed the economy of an entire region — and history spent five centuries pretending his empire never existed. In the summer of 1324, a caravan tens of thousands strong crossed the Sahara toward Mecca. At its center rode Mansa Musa, ninth emperor of Mali, master of an empire larger than Western Europe and the gold fields that supplied half the medieval world. When he reached Cairo, he spent and gave on a scale the richest city in the Mediterranean could not absorb. The price of gold there stayed depressed for a dozen years. One act of pious generosity ...

In just over a hundred years - from the death of Muhammad in 632 to the beginning of the Abbasid Caliphate in 750 - the followers of the Prophet swept across the whole of the Middle East, North Africa, and Spain. Their armies threatened states as far flung as the Franks in Western Europe and the Tang Empire in China. The conquered territory was larger than the Roman Empire at its greatest expansion, and it was claimed for the Arabs in roughly half the time.

What if one of the most powerful empires of the medieval world rose not in Europe or Asia—but in the heart of West Africa? At its height, the Mali Empire controlled vital trade routes, commanded enormous wealth, and produced one of history’s most famous rulers: Mansa Musa, whose legendary pilgrimage to Mecca astonished the medieval world. But the story of Mali is far bigger than one king and his gold. The Mali Empire for Beginners takes you beyond the legends and into the remarkable civilization that made them possible. Written in clear, engaging language for readers with no previous ...

Who were the Moors—and why does their story still matter today? For centuries, the Moors have been misunderstood, misrepresented, and often erased from mainstream history. Yet they were one of the most powerful and influential civilizations to ever shape Europe, Africa, and the Mediterranean world. From their African roots in North Africa to their rise as rulers of Spain, the Moors built a civilization that transformed cities, preserved knowledge, and ignited intellectual progress that would later fuel the European Renaissance. But their story is more than conquest and empire—it is a ...

While it would not have been unsurprising to see a black knight in King Arthur's multicultural court, few people today realize that this would be for the same reason there were so many black Roman colonists of Londinium. The noble and antiracist chivalry demonstrated by King Arthur and his knights traces back thousands of years to the most elemental hopes of the Roman people for a more civilized world, and remains relevant even today. The Story of Sir Morien dates to those dark ages when racism and negrophobia were first encouraged and took hold in Europe. Children and adults alike will ...

Many people know about the Mali Empire and its famous ruler, Mansa Musa. But did you know there was a major empire that came before it? Medieval African history tends to get ignored in favor of medieval European history. However, there is so much rich history to uncover, especially in the region of West Africa. The Ghana Empire is considered one of the greatest empires in African history. There was an abundance of gold in the region, and the Ghana Empire was a powerful trading partner. Advancements were made in administration, allowing it to become a dominant power in the region.

In the year 1282, after their daring heroics liberating Sicily, Esmeray and Bastone find a haven on the island of Favignana. But the War of the Sicilian Vespers reignites, dragging them into their prior roles as spies. Finding strength in each other, they once more join the patriots to rid the Angevins from Sicily. They return to their sanctuary in Favignana, sharing the welcome challenge of raising their adventurous daughter, Aspasia. Esmeray and Bastone, however, long for the open sea, and she accepts command of a trading vessel, but questions if the sea is the best home for their ...

Cuando la mayoría de la gente piensa en la Edad Media, piensa en Europa. Las imágenes de caballeros, justas e incluso el cristianismo parecen arraigadas en nuestra percepción de la época medieval. Sin embargo, la Edad Media se extendió mucho más allá de Europa, que luchaba por reconstruirse tras la caída del Imperio romano. Puede que Europa avanzara a tientas durante unos mil años, pero África se convirtió en una potencia del comercio y la riqueza.

The Richest Man Who Ever Lived... But His Greatest Legacy Was Not His Wealth. When people hear the name Mansa Musa, they often think of unimaginable riches. His legendary pilgrimage to Mecca in 1324 became so famous that historians recorded how his generosity affected the economy of Cairo, and medieval mapmakers placed him on their maps holding a massive nugget of gold. But the true story of Mansa Musa is far greater than gold. In Mansa Musa: The Richest Man Who Ever Lived, Abdul Raheem Muhammad takes readers on an unforgettable journey into the heart of the medieval Mali Empire—one of ...

IF LOVE IS A BATTLE, CARRY A BLADE. Book 3 in the prize poly Sleeping Lotus series.... War has come to Soma, but the spy prodigy Raena Barren is stuck in the capital, surrounded by secrets she can’t seem to crack. One of those enigmas is the man she loves, Jorr Portent, who still rejects her despite his desire. To earn a place in his bed, Raena will have to appeal to his kinks… even if they take her out of her comfort zone. But going down that path leads Raena to an unexpected discovery: the secret organization which imprisoned her fellow spy, Shenni Null, may be closer than she thinks....

As the world progressed through medieval times, great empires rose and fell across Europe and Africa. However, in the 15th century, trans-oceanic voyages were allowing imperialism to reach distant shores. This new form of control became rampant, and untamed capitalism put the slave trade at its core.

What if one of history's greatest stories has never been fully told? When people think about the foundations of Western civilization, they often think of Ancient Greece, Rome, the Renaissance, and the Enlightenment. Rarely do they think of Africa. Yet Africa helped shape many of the institutions, ideas, resources, and cultural traditions that influenced the Western world. In How Africa Built the West, historian Frederick Amakom takes readers on an extraordinary journey across thousands of years of history, revealing the often-overlooked connections between Africa and the rise of Western ...

LET NOTHING HOLD YOU BACK. A companion novel to the Sleeping Lotus series. Loren Stone wasn't always a powerful general. Once, he was simply a victim. And Lassyne True wasn't always the Thorns' most hated spy. Once, she was the heir to a duchy and a fortune... and the favorite target of a murderous lunatic. They have so much in common. They've both been kept in a cage. Lassyne knows this, because she was there. As a child, she saw what happened to Loren... and for ten years of her life, she has watched him from afar, obsessing over a future that they'll never have. But when her parents ...

The Moors are well-known for their presence on the Iberian Peninsula during the Middle Ages and for the conflicts they fought in Europe, but the term Moor is a historical rather than an ethnic name. It is an invention of European Christians for the Islamic inhabitants of Maghreb (North Africa), Andalusia (Spain), Sicily, and Malta, and it was sometimes used to designate all Muslims.

The richest man in history was not Rockefeller, Rothschild, or Bezos—his name was Mansa Musa, and his story has been forgotten... until now. Few people realize that in the 14th century, a king from West Africa commanded such immense wealth that his pilgrimage to Mecca disrupted economies for decades. But Mansa Musa’s true legacy was not gold—it was vision. He built universities, preserved knowledge in Timbuktu’s secret libraries, and left behind lessons on leadership, faith, and legacy that still matter today. What you’re about to discover is the hidden truth behind the Mali ...

Long before the rise of Mali and Songhai, a powerful West African kingdom was already controlling trade, collecting tribute, and building its wealth on one of the most valuable commodities in the medieval world: gold. The Ghana Empire for Beginners takes you inside the remarkable civilization known to the Soninke as Wagadu—a state that rose along the southern edge of the Sahara and became one of the earliest great empires in West African history. How did a kingdom far from the Mediterranean become famous for extraordinary wealth? Why did merchants cross the dangerous Sahara to reach its ...