7. The Songhai Empire - Africa's Age of Gold
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Today, the Songhai Empire is all but forgotten by history. But this medieval kingdom was once the most powerful force in Africa.
Find out how this civilization grew up on the fringes of the Sahara Desert, among some of the most extreme conditions that nature can throw at us. Discover how it grew and flourished, passing through a process known as the imperial cycle, and learn about what ultimately caused its sudden and dramatic collapse.
** Fall of Civilizations the book is now available to pre-order: linktr.ee/fallofcivilizations **
SOURCES: / 29534736
Credits:
Sound engineering by Thomas Ntinas
Voice Actors:
Jake Barrett-Mills
Rhy Brignell
Bryan Tshiobi
Pip Willett
Music by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Artist: incompetech.com/
Title theme: Home At Last by John Bartmann. johnbartmann.com/
Special thanks to the Trust for African Rock Art (TARA) and Emma Silvester at Royal African Safaris for footage of the Dabous Giraffe: www.africanrockart.org
Last year I decided to start watching History Videos while I walk 1.5 miles each day on my treadmill, 3, 30 minute sessions each day. I am up to close to 500 hours of viewing. Mentally I have been all over the world. Focused on all the different World Cultures. I will say that these videos are the absolute best I have seen, Few come close to the standards exhibited here. Thank you, you made me a richer 70 year old man.
Keep it up Jerry!
and a richer 72-year-old woman. thank you so much for this production.
I do the exact same thing!! Listen to history while walking on the treadmill
@@LiliRoseMcKayMusic l worked in Nigeria for 5 years and know something about their history and culture. But this video gave me a real insight in to the West African Culture. Thank you for the wonderful efforts!
I hope everything you watch is accurate!
I am so happy to see this. I am Songhai and we were taught about this in school. I was always raised to know that I come from great people and great civilization. I am glad more people are taking about it.
From this documentary I gathered the songhai was only really prosperous for a single generation... is that true?
Well for hundred years to be exact. However the kingdom of Songhai (that will later become the empire) has been around much longer. The problem with many of these empires (Songhai and Mali before it) is that they had great leaders that improved them and very mediocre ones that led them to their ends
@@hadjaragado1458 its a shame your history isnt more well known i hope more people learn about this incredible civilisation!
@@hadjaragado1458 Book burning and city purges are greatness?
@@xDarkjoy bro/sis don't come for me I am not your mate
Pretty cool that you can find such thorough, high quality documentaries on KZhead these days. Compared to the made for TV documentaries that have obnoxious sound effects and loud, unfitting music the quality of this series is truly impeccable.
Not to mention those horrrrribly cringe-worthy reenactments.
You can also find tons of cultists and extremists. I see them in the recommendations all the time even though I never click on them.
yeh and don't get me started how they always dumb things down to the point it gets insulting.
In the old times, before the Internet and global media conglomerates, this is what documentaries used to be like. On PBS they were even this long and had zero adverts. This series is a standard to which we used to hold informational content. The world as it exists today feels like the tail end of one of these fallen civilizations.
Don't be so gullible Mcfly!
PBS is and always has been full of government/statist propaganda.
@@othellotyrant3152 you just provided more evidence. Trolling is a low bar
@@thebitcoingarden mm
Our civilization checks all the boxes of a civilization that has reached it's zenith and is on it's way down the bell curve to collapse and ruin, and is taking the Earth's systems that allow for existence with it.. There is a horrible danger in recounting the names and dates and battles, but never learning the lessons that have always led to our self destruction, glorifying all the wrong things.."The Earth is littered with the ruins of civilizations and empires that thought they were eternal" "All of our exalted technological progress, civilization for that matter, is comparable to an axe in the hand of a pathological criminal"--ALBERT EINSTEIN
I can't binge this. There is so much quality that I ponder over every video for a couple of days before moving on.
Same for me
I don't understand. Why can't you binge this? What's wrong with pondering over beautiful content?? Please keep watching and please share this with young ones. They need to see how nature works.
@@rachaelb. I will watch all but I cannot binge this either. I just feel like these videos can provide lots of time for imagination in between.
@@rachaelb.I understand because I am that way with books. The very best books I've read (which are rare), I will consciously slow down my reading so as to savor the words. I also get the same effect from this channel. 3rd time I've listened to just this episode
Read my response
As a West African, I really love this and how you've put this in proper context, laying it out in a way that helps us understand the geography of the place, its people and their society. This is amazing, even more so for someone like myself who knows this history and I must say, well done. There is a lot lot more African history that's just as intriguing as this. Please do more like this. Bravo! 👏🏾
Thank you Akay, very kind of you!
Are there any channels or videos you recommend on the history on Africa as a whole pre-coloniazation?
@@FallofCivilizations this work is incredible sir!!!!!
Totally agree. Like ethopia!
@@TheKlecker1 wdym
As a Songhai, I am so grateful for this video. If it wasn't for it, I would of still been clueless of the Greatest Empire that my ancestors had built in west Africa. Thank you!
I have written 23 books on African history and I can tell you that most of the accounts in this video are either racists or false. You should not rely on a european to tell you about your history because he will do so from an european centric world view. You should rely on african writers who live and breathe the african culture to tell you about your history. I hope you understand that. Should you want to know the true history, type my name in the KZhead search engine.
@@afriquesupremeMr. how do you want Fatima to watch your videos instead for the true history when your videos are in French? Or you assume she and other Africans speak and understand French??
@@afriquesupremeYou sound racist and false to me. I hope you understand that.
Dr. Edward Robinson shared a recording & a Book titled The Songhai People .... His is a beautiful awakening ... recorded in the 1970s❣💥🤗👍🏽🤩
@@afriquesupreme What specifically do you think is racist in this video?
Can we PLEASE get another one of these... This is amazing content! African empires don't get enough attention and these stories need to be shared.
i highly disagree, no one cares about african empires, besides ptolemic egypt and carthage. maybe, i would throw kush in there too, but that is just a maybe.
They are gettin suppressed for a reason…
@@OkOk-sx7tx Longevity and scale? Egypt and Carthage get a lot of attention.
@@zzrhardy Bahahhahah…. This is exactly what I mean. Forgot Ethiopia and Sudan? What about them they built literally Egypt before egypt.
@@OkOk-sx7tx This sounds interesting, I only know about Kerma and Kush. Are there any others you would recommend me reading up on?
This reminds me of what history channel used to be like. Back before ice road truckers and gold diggers. You have made my long work hours so much easier by giving me something to consume and research when I get home. I appreciate you Mr. Cooper!
History of Cleopatra
Or Jade Fever to sell it to China. Why would Communists want so much jade, imperial jade, including from The United States of America? Oh, believe that are imperial lineages ancestry families leadership? I don't think so.
Read books instead.
@@spudwesthexactly, nothing beats reading.
Absolutely brilliant! I spent a semester in Mali while in college and learned a lot about its history. I am always so disappointed with any documentaries of this region as they tend to be very condescending and Euro-centric. Finally, this documentary provides a more matter of fact and deeply researched and highly intelligent view.
In the early days of youtube you couldn't find documentaries about African or middle eastern civilizations that did not feature ancient aliens. This website has come a long way.
@@ronsock1795 It's not the site that's changed, it's the people loading content onto it. Particularly, you can find content uploaded by the peoples themselves rather than content through the perspective of outsiders.
This is also very Eurocentric
@@nomaddiaries9790 The internet is Eurocentric... because without Europe you wouldn't have it.
@@martyollier7536 lies!!!!!🤡
I think this is one of the most impressively written, researched, and put together video programs on youtube.
Yeah we get it you don’t have to keep commenting on different accounts
@@3rd.Eye.Saw.Destruction -I only have 1 account there, sunshine.
Yeah, this series (Fall of Civilizations) is brilliant.
I just discovered this channel and I got to admit I'm amazed. This should be played in school, not joking.
All of them seem to be
I absolutely love this narrator.....he’s clear and concise ,and gives an interesting story to all his videos ! I’m 75 and enjoy learning about history especially presented by this wonderful man. Thank you 🙏 so much. Blessings from Australia 🇦🇺.
As a scholar of Art History and Geology and Climatology I have been taught to have a healthy skepticism of Western and European views of history. When you talk about the histories and chronicles of the Songhai Empire and the selective memory and recounting bias, it made me laugh. Some things never change. However this much seems true, you have much of this skepticism as well, and never have i seen the completeness of coupling geology and climatology, religion and culture into such a clear history. You leave us with room for discovering more, because you tell us exactly where the gaps in information are. You point out the flaws and biases likely to color the available history. As a result, your history is respectful, measured, and modest while at the same time rich and enlightening. Truly a pleasure to devour. I was equally awed by your history of the Sumerian Civilization. I can't wait to learn more.
Go pay your tribute then... instead of only criticizing what you yourself cannot do. Pitty.
@@mcgurupro I'm not sure how you were able to construe this babble from what the comment above stated. His comment was very complementary in such a fluent and honorable way.
THANKS! Precolonial African history used to be an absolutely blind spot for me for far too long. And then fidning this jewel of a documentary -absolutely great!
This is just west Africa, the East and South have their own history. The oldest civilisation know to man is in the south.
@Wpz Rpd If you say so.
Could you do a video about Ancient Nubia? It has a long rich history and its criminally underrated and has been overlooked.
Yes that would be cool
Third that!
Fourth
Fifth
Sixth
Your documentaries are the only series that I can wholeheartedly recommend to my students. Impeccable work. Your videos have a production quality above and beyond what is shown on any TV network.
Thanks James, I appreciate you spreading the word!
this comment made me subscribe before the show started
Your students are lucky to have a teacher, who is so concerned about the quality of educational materials provided to them. I would agree that this series, all with a common theme of the demise of great empires around the world during the human history, excels with amazing details of the people, places and issues as well as incredible visuals that reinforce the story. I love history and I love this Channel!
To all involved with creating these docus from "Fall of civilisations" i have only one thing to say: "Thank you, your content is spectacular."
Just Imagining the battle between the Moroccans and the Songhai through the amazing narrating sends chills throughout my entire body. Great documentary and story telling
"I have witnessed the ruin of learning, and its utter collapse." Man, I teared up at that. At least some people still valued it enough to preserve what works they could. I kind of wondered if Timbuktu was a real place or not as a kid, can't believe I never knew it was basically a city sized library. And I thought the library of Alexandria was a big deal. Learn something new everyday, huh? Some things can't collapse forever.
Going there with a friend, name is Tim. You can come along as I booked a ticket and Tim booked two.
Yeah its amazing we have people writng that 500 years ago and now people are trying to not get vaccinated as they are dumb and are easily scared by other idiots.
Jokes aside, there are some more contemporary stories of how it's inhabitants managed to smuggle out scriptures during the more recent fanatic onslaughts (don't remember exactly but if you google it should be during paaste decade).
@@MrPeachblossom how is that different from any other era of human history
@@connycontainer9459 quality joke!! here is your trophy🏺
As a distant relative of Musa the 9th Mansa of the Mali empire, I must say, incredible work by Paul. Thank you for bringing my people's great, long lost civilization back to the attention of the world.
Do you wish to regain your empire one day
Any knowhow about some gold stashed in Africa 🤑🤑
This is by far one of the most captivating channels on KZhead. Most history channels just regurgitate known/unknown knowledge in the most mundane attitude, like they dont even find it exciting. I appreciate your dedication to create quality content. Thank you.
It’s like a history lecture at a university. I wondered if he’s is a professor.
A great documentary about Africa's history; a history which had been denied until recent years. I can't wait for your narratives about the other kingdoms and city states- Great Zimbabwe, Hausa Fulani, Kush, Aksum, City States of the East African coast, etc. which predated colonialism by hundreds of years. It's only when we recognized Africa's contribution to human history that we might start respecting our human species. You are the best historian I have ever listened to!
One of the most profound and compassionate presentations on the history of West Africa I have ever seen. Thank you once more, Paul Cooper, for your excellent care in this series. I dearly hope you will return , here in the year 2020, some time with new stories of humanities attempts at being and surviving as cultures.
So eloquently stated.
Many lies. Is he a Muslin.
Amazingly presented, I can’t express how much this video has been life changing for me. It kicked off my personal research to map my family tree, and through sheer coincidence, I tracked it back to a captured soldier from the Songhai region, who came to the America in the late 1500’s. Discovering this part of my family’s story started with this video years ago, and it has brought so much to my life to learn about my connection to this phase of history. Thank you, this is the least that I can do.
Do you know if he was a hebrew?
@@danielcruz5700 Also there was a detail that he was seized after being captured while raiding neighboring villages. I’m not sure if it was a large scale battle or just a group of bandits, either way he might have ended up a victim of the same trade that he was involved in.
As far down as I can scroll down in the comments, people are thanking you, and just saying what I'm saying. What an awesome job. Extremely professional, detailed, and you touch on many sensitive topics pertaining to Africa, which is a continent not often talked about. A continent that has a connection with all of us. A continent that holds the key to our beginnings. Definitely a five-star production, my friend. Once again, excellent job.😁
I guess I'm a glass-half-empty guy because I see a lot of ignorance and hate here. That Like/Dislike ratio also tells the story. Eventually Cooper is going to stop posting here for free, if only to get away from the mouthbreathers.
@@classiclife7204 the hate are from white people, obviously
@@classiclife7204 P
Too many lies. Read books.
I have been facinated by history since I was a small child and searching for quality documentaries is a struggle. I previously finished the Sumarian episode and I am instantly in love with this series. This is the first time I will probably become a patreon supporter. The sheer quality of research, length, and subject matter is beyond match. Thank you so much for doing this.
This series made me a Patreon supporter too.
@Nathan Fry I conquer with your comment absolutely, respect MJB SHROPSHIRE...
The quality of this series is unmatched. 5 stars!
Profound understanding of African history... this opened my eyes to the truth of the African civilization was not limited to Egypt alone... but many in interior too
❤ Thank you Truth African history.
I’m so proud to be Malian and African . This presenter is 💯 great and the quality is just waouhhhh 👑 !
I've been studying (as an amateur) this history of the Sudanic empires for years, and this is by far them most lucid, yet informative telling of the story I've heard OR read. Fantastic! You have a new subscriber.
Thank you Craig, very kind of you!
@The Truth about Africa hurts Timbuktu was a small village before Mansa Musa built it up. Tuaregs did not develop anything. Still to this day, Northern Mali (where Tuaregs live) is a dustball. No offense but Berbers were mostly nomadic and did not settle anywhere to even try and develop. Much of North Africa was developed by Greeks and Romans not Berbers.
@Nomad Diaries the original berbers were not "Black". That area historically tens of thousands of years ago when the Sahara was green was inhabited by people descended from Central Europe the Levant and Subsaharan Africa. As the Sahara dried up most of these groups left but the most apparent ancestor for most Berbers are Iberomaurusians which we very much wouldnt refer to as "black". There are still remnants of the East African Haplogroup E in Berbers tho mostly from female gene flow which for further South Tuaregs can be high as 82% while for the further north Riffians on average around 3%. The Arabs Greeks and Romans diluting Berber DNA is for the most part a myth. I've seen little proof that these groups brought with them many settlers or people willing to mix with the entire population except maybe Arab traders who also did not mix with the entire population. My point here is that their DNA and history suggests most berbers( not all its a diverse group) were never black but rather Olive skinned individuals descended from North African Iberomaurusians.
I have written 23 books on African history and I can tell you that most of the accounts in this video are either racists or false. You should not rely on a european to tell you about your history because he will do so from an european centric world view. You should rely on african writers who live and breathe the african culture to tell you about your history. I hope you understand that. Should you want to know your true history, type my name in the KZhead search engine. There you will also learn to read hieroglyphs.
A great documentary about Africa's history; a history which had been denied until recent years. I can't wait for your narratives about the other kingdoms and city states- Great Zimbabwe, Hausa Fulani, Kush, Aksum, City States of the East African coast, etc. which predated colonialism by hundreds of years. It's only when we recognized Africa's contribution to human history that we might start respecting our human species. You are the best historian I have ever listened to!
I totally agree with the gentleman. I have seen many of your documentaries and you never cease to amaze me. You are a great historian!
dont break your arm
Who denies great African empires like Songhai, Mali or Ethiopia? No one. It's the stealing of non-black culture people dislike, like Egypt or North Africa, which has more in common with southern Europe and Arabia than Africa.
@@ThomasNoname native Egyptians are black, the Pharos where black. Those white “Egyptians” migrated into Africa from the Middle East.
@@ThomasNoname lower egypt has more in common with southern Europe and middle east upper egypt phenotype resembles more closely with nubia
The loss of the great library is tragic indeed.
The libraries of Timbuktu must have much more content that are lost forever in history. Kinda sad.
Sadly, I believe a lot of it will be permanently lost. However, there is a large project to digitize the manuscripts recovered. I'm going from memory, but I think that its the SAVAMA-DCI who was working on it in collaboration with a University here in the US. I took a look at some digitized copies a few years ago and was fascinated. I believe they've captured well over 100K manuscripts at this point.
Burning the truth is pretty standard, though. Hard to be a tyrant if people are going to use books to argue with you. Burning the books is the obvious solution...
@@kityac9810 but 97% of it is lost, you don't flee a place in a hurry and take the library with you, you take what you can in your hands, a few can manage to get some more in a bag, but at the end of the day most is lost....
@@_sunfish I'm well aware of that. My comment was pertaining to the manuscripts that had been recovered. In all, I believe that the amount lost is most likely higher than 97%. With a loss on such a massive scale, I'm thankful for any efforts of preservation, even if it's only a fraction of what was there.
Pretty much most of the scriptures of the ancient world are lost, it breaks your heart really...
These docs have been so valuable in homeschooling my grandkids during covid. Thank you
Excellent. In all my years of college and even grad school, I never learned much about the history of the African continent. Thank you.
I’m just
How's that 80k of student debt treating you?
These are the best history lessons I've had in my entire (long) life. He does better research then Jared Diamond.
maybe you should have chosen to study something other than chemistry.
@Skunk Ape True. And my specialty is Chile from about the 1960s. Thing is, in my master's in ethnomusicology, Africa seemed to be the priority of most professors. And at least half the students were well-educated about African culture. I was one of the minorities studying Latino music - La Nueva Cancion Chilena and Andean music.
Would you consider doing a video on the Ashanti Empire? Such an underrated civilization that never gets talked about.
Also Ja Rule Empire
or the Abbesinians and Kush?
@@Anglo_Browza 😂
@@Anglo_Browza😂😂😂😂
@@Anglo_Browzawhat’s the joke
Thank you for this . This is the first time I have seen anything as detailed as this on Mansa Musa and Askia the Great. This history is taught in African schools today, as i was partly educated in Nigeria I know this , but it is the first time I have seen a documentary as detailed and as accurate as this on that historical period. Nice work
Thank you for educating me about the history of my AFRICA that I have never known about all my life, I have been replaying this KZhead episodes over and over, you are a LEGEND!
Thanks Eric, glad you enjoyed!
They can't let you know how your ancestors were smart and inovative, they stole the best in Africa
@@kevineboso5671 maybe ‘they’ didn’t know either!
I just want to say, as a fan of historical media, this is one of the best documentary series I've ever seen. I love it I love it I love it!
Facts
Great contact
@@SuperPope69 0
@@SuperPope69 not really factual,just boarders on the edges of truth..or half truths.
all these docs are just mainstream knowledge..nothing interesting.part truths,nothing indepth.
It´s incredible how little I learned about african empires and history in school.
Schools are not the greatest place to learn history in general : D
Why would you? They were insular, short lived, and overall unremarkable
@@chriswicker6672 That's an opinion, not a fact. Does 800 years of existence sound short-lived to you? Do you even know what empire that I'm referring to? I doubt so. The Roman Republic lasted half of that timespan, so do you carry that same sentiment towards it and plenty of other examples? Try harder, and maybe you'll get a like and attention you always desired.
@@cavaugnsharkey2699 Songhai existed as a notable entity from 1410 until 1590. Not EIGHT HUNDRED YEARS, more like a solid 80 years plus. Short lived. Insular? You didn't contend it, it's true. No one bothered conquering the remnants of Gao until the French did. It also peaked at 310,000 sq miles and rapidly lost territory. The Romans peaked at two million square miles and bred a language into, in the present day, half the world's population. Comparing the two is laughable. It is the same thing one history channel did in profiling Zimbabwe: "this BEAUTIFUL gold sceptre" which looks like a three year old made it out of clay. That empire also lasted about 50 years and was more or less an offshoot of the Portuguese system.
@@chriswicker6672 go away , nobody wants your opinion get a lie
You've made a difference in how I view the world. More importantly, you have made a huge difference for the people who came from this part of the world.......just to know their history is enriching.
I'm learning more about history via entertainment than I ever did growing up watching Discovery or History Channel docs from this one KZhead channel alone.
You expect the Disney channel to educate you?!?!?!?
More than most undergrad history classes
History Channel is for people with short attention span and a juvenile mind set. 😄
I am not West African but was so glad to see African history shown in a positive light.
I agree! 1000% With so many lies told about Africa, especially the lie about sub-Saharan Africa not having any real civilizations. This video is a breath of fresh air.
Amber Williams In my history classes, the only African civilization we talked about was Egyptian.
Do you think Africa teaches about every Native American tribe?
@@hse6144 what?
I find it remarkable that this series has a truly global scope, with representation of practically every race/culture on earth.
The rise and fall of the Songhai Empire involves great human suffering. From the golden age to dust. Great presentation. I learned things I did not know about the history of Africa. Thank you .
This was a remarkable presentation. I was fortunate enough to have attended high school in West Africa (Liberia). So this was a wonderful refresher.
Thank you so much, it's how history should be taught - your documentaries are exciting, mysterious and captivating! You're doing an excellent job, it's wonderful that such people exist. People should know more about the truth, what really was in the past.
Thank you, glad you like it!
can only add my voice of praise and encouragement to fw's eloquent statements ... nuff said fo nau ...
Fall of Civilizations : this is the most accurate description yet.
Thank you 🙏🏾 for this video, I’m Ivorian and learned the history of Africa in high school so I remember some of the kings you mentioned. Videos like that are important because the history of Africa is ignored by many and worst some people think before colonization Africans were living in trees.
@@perceptionmanagement2116 seems you lack some important brain connections to be considered human
@@perceptionmanagement2116 you uneducated potato
I have written 23 books on African history and I can tell you that most of the accounts in this video are either racists or false. You should not rely on a european to tell you about your history because he will do so from an european centric world view. You should rely on african writers who live and breathe the african culture to tell you about your history. I hope you understand that. Should you want to know your true history, type my name in the KZhead search engine. There you will also learn to read hieroglyphs.
This is absolutely brilliant and might i say even far superior to even the best TV history productions. Ive watched many history videos but these are the best ive seen with so much new information and i keep coming back to them. Its so well produced, engaging, has intelligent insight and plausible suppositions where there may be gaps in history and beautifuly edited. I'd also like to say,as an african, thank you for your respect of african history and aknowledgement of those great cultures that need accurate presentation and preservation, as well as a rightful place among other revered empires.
Thank you Nomfundo, very kind of you.
I have written 23 books on African history and I can tell you that most of the accounts in this video are either racists or false. You should not rely on a european to tell you about your history because he will do so from an european centric world view. You should rely on african writers who live and breathe the african culture to tell you about your history. I hope you understand that. Should you want to know your true history, type my name in the KZhead search engine. There you will also learn to read hieroglyphs.
Two hours well spent. Bravo 👏. I've learned so much in this documentary, quite honestly it puts other documentaries to shame. Especially when it comes to African history. A documentary on Ancient Kush, is very much needed. From it's megalithic structures in the nubian desert that predates Stonehenge, From it's A-Group culture that was contemporary with predynastic Naqadan culture. From Kush conquering egypt and starting the 25 dynasty of egypt. To being kick out of egypt by the Assyrians, driven back to kush and ruling in nubia for another thousand years. When Meroe/Kush was finally delt it's end by another african Empire on the rise known as Axum. By that time it had already existed thousands of years, a Meroitic script still indecipherable and has even more pyramids than that of egypt. This kingdom remains in Egypt's shadow but it strongly deserves its own branch to stand on.
I totally agree, Nubia is so criminally underrated.
But how big are the pyramids ?
Laying in bed in Australia, watching your encapsulating-narrative documentary with intriguing images really makes this dead African empire come back to life with a new added meaning. Thanks for helping to preserve human history.
It was fascinating to listen... a big hole in my knowledge of African history was filled... never heard this in high school or college. Thank you.
my favorite channel on youtube at the moment ever documentary posted is pure gold worth of every second !
if they'd taught history like this at my school, I might have taken it a little more seriously - excellent production
100%
It’s because the people who are in charge of teaching us don’t even know their history REAL HISTORY...
@Ghost_Troupe Because those who do not know the past are doomed to repeat it.
History in schools have no passion like videos from history ch. Or some KZheadrs..
Thank you so much for doing this. I have loved history since I was 10 and have a bachelor's degree in history. But I know virtually nothing about history in Africa, especially outside Egypt and South Africa. I think that's why it's so easy to forget, Africa is a continent, not a country. It gets overlooked in academic discussions, for no reason that I can see. I learned so much from this episode and will be watching it again in the near future. Please do more if you can. The world needs to know more of Africa's story.
Thank you Dara, glad you think so!
It gets overlooked in academic discussions, for no reason that I can see. Realy!! Who wrote you history books look there.
The reason is obvious. I have a degree in education, social studies. White people write about their history, from their perspective. People aren't keen on writing about civilizations that were bigger or better then theres or want to give credit that Africans (black) are just like us and not "barbaric" or "primitive". Even in Egypt Hollywood casts white people asg Egyptians! Lol. We are just finding out Native Americans had huge empires of millions of people, and people accepting the obvious evidence/science instead of trying to hide this history.
@@marktyler3381 What he said is pretty accurate, but also because much research hasn't been done in Africa
@@rafaeltorre1643 I'm gonna assume either American or ignorant because reffering to 'whites' and 'blacks' as a collective group really shows you know diddly squat about history and are no better than the colonizers who drew borders without care for ethicities and culture because 'they're all black'.
Every nation and continent has hidden beauty and treasures. They just have to be found and revealed!😊🥰 Thanks for sharing these!🙏🏾💕💯
Fall of civilisation videos are the only thing on KZhead that can command my attention for such a length of time
Excellent. It leaves me speechless and in deep thought, I just never knew. I doubt many would me interested let alone care to listen. Africa has such a remarkable past and present. I’m shamed at how little I know.
I’d argue all places with human civilizations are like that. As westerners it makes sense that the history of the western civilizations are most explored by our people, but I agree, there is so much to learn about our species from isolated civilizations of the far reaches of the Earth. I took particular interest in the episode on Easter Island. Utterly fascinating to learn about civilizations that aren’t properly explored by a western centric world.
Its not too late to learn
Part of why you don't know is a lack of quality information like this.
As a African history enthusiast, I want to say thank you. Beautifully done.
The story of Mansa Musa deserves to be told in a grand way...how fascinating.
Can’t recommend this podcast highly enough. What wonderful stories.
I'm not even a history geek but these documentaries are addicting
You are now. ;p
rut
Duuuude agreed!!!!
I don't think being enthusiastic about human history or liking to hear about it makes you a geek
We live twice when we relish our history
I only discovered your channel three days ago, and subbed immediately due to the quality of your content. Watching this documentary now and really impressed with the research and presentation. I'm a Ghanaian with an MA in history, and I've often lamented the lack of visual representation of our history, a necessary complement to the literature. This docu-series as a whole is an invaluable asset to filling this vital but blank space in most classrooms in Ghana.
Not just Ghana but the rest of the world. I've been blown away by the tragedy that Africa could of had its own late medieval renaissance had not the library of Timbuktu been desecrated multiple times.
If there isn't enough representation of your history then maybe you should make some. There is nobody better to talk about your history than you.
@@guywelsh9589 Noted.
Or correspond with the maker of this video to share your learnings. He may well be eager to correspond about future scripts with interested knowledgeable people.
I so much love learning something new! I've had a brief, periphery, knowledge of the Kingdom of Mali & West Africa, but not to this detail! Thank you for teaching me so much!! Cheers!
All I can say is 'thank you very much' for bringing this information to the fore! For too long we have not had such comprehensive works shown to us and so eloquently read. I was almost brought to tears though while contemplating the extent that humans will go to in order to exert power over one another, and the length time we have been doing this. Bravo! Great documentary work!
Great documentary. So often the story of Africa is told through the eyes of current news stories. A breath of fresh air to see a such a comprehensive story of an African region empire. The take away, as stated, history always will try to repeat itself. Those in power now need to learn from this. BUT THEY NEVER DO!!
"History doesn't repeat itself, but it often rhymes"
@@dnmurphy48 history always repeats itself
Actions speak louder than words. Current state of things are from the actions of the past
@@jahramika then why the Roman ,greek and Egypt are still talked even if they fall long ago ? If you look at present Italy ,greek and Egypt they are not longer the powerhouse ,in fact Italy and greek are in crisis while Egypt is a third world country .
within 10 mins of listening to this - it became clear this will be one of my favourite channels
Chels juga hamil saya tau dari kemarin
Carly Toto ppppppppppppppppppppppp
I love history, I am Nigerian I was in senior secondary 1 in the late 90's we studied all the west African empires including so many city states and caliphates. And history of all of Africa until present day. It was a beautiful time. Now children born btw 1990 to present day where been excluded from this subject what a pity. Songhai empire was a very great empire Askia the great. Mali Mansa Musa. Big ups to for this video
I was born in the 90s and we learned all these things in secondary school in Rivers State. My grandfather also told me a lot of stories and my mother and uncle bought me history books. I would say it's kids from the later 2000s and early 2010s to today that don't learn about this kind of history.
Here in the US most history involving African and people of color has been whitewashed. They would have you to believe Egypt is not part of Africa, and that those who lived in Egypt were all Arabians or Caucasians.
This documentary is too much brilliant.. Keep it up guys..
For the few years I spent in Ghana and went to school there, we learned about the various empires in West Africa in their full glory
Ppp
Thank you so much for this super informative and well paced documentary. I love learning more about Mali because it contains a large part of my ethnic background.
Glad you enjoyed!
I will always remember sitting through history lessons at school and learning about how Europe would bring goods from all around the world to be sold at the markets and thinking: so, when are we learning the history of those places? I always felt like we were only being taught such a small portion of the story. Later on in life, I would go to university to study Art History and find out there were maybe 4-5 optional classes about pre-columbian, Asian and African art, but the university still had the nerve to call it" Art history" as if it included the whole history of art and not just European and modern western art history. I guess it's easier for westerners not to think about the art, the riches, the knowledge and the grandeur of all the places they have conquered, plundered , enslaved and impoverished...
or maybe its just because you live there.. does it surprise you that your society focuses on itself? most do. go to china and they study chinese history in detail i promise you, and they dont call chinese food "chinese food", its just food, get it now?
I live in the US and my public high school world history classes were a bit different than yours. European history was largely neglected in favor of a study of world religions. Particularly Hinduism and Buddhism. Time was also spent on the basics of Islam, Christianity, Judaism, Zoroastrianism, Taoism, Confucianism and African animism. The Renaissance was the only European history that we spent any real time on, and those lessons mostly focused on art and architecture. We spent as much time learning about the Inuit and Australian aborigines as we did European history. American history was covered earlier in school and presented a largely rose-colored view of it. Atrocities of the settlers and government were mentioned without going into detail and the frequent brutality of native life was painted over with an idyllic facade. I'm not sure if it's possible to do justice to history in high school. There's no way to cover everything and people are afraid to traumatize kids with harsh truths. Unless we take it upon ourselves to study history independently or in university, we're going to have huge gaps in our knowledge.
yeah in canada we mostly learn about canadian history, and the bit of american and european history that overlaps ours lol
Erm, I hate to point this out, but history as a subject is HUGE. There is no way that even a brief overview of the entire worlds history can be taught in schools. Historians specialise for this very reason. As for Westerners conquering, plundering, enslaving and impoverishing, yes, they did, however if you were to actually take an UNBIASED look at world history throughout the age you will swiftly find that such things are universal. Great Empires rose and fell in South America for example long before Europeans even arrived on the scene. Anyone whining about how only a small proportion of history is taught in school is an idiot of the utmost calibre because of the HUGE scope of history. It is like someone in my Field of Evolutionary Ecology and Marine Ecology whining for example about school children not being taught the depths of Phenotypic Plasticity, or how entire Ecosystems and the organisms within them evolve and change over time.... Children need to learn to walk before they learn to run, that is as true of their academic learning as it is of the physical....
Another brilliant and clarifying document about a puzzling, important part of world history. You spare no effort. Thank you.
The only thing better than this documentary are the thoughtful and appreciative comments from everyone here. Well done!
So true! Thank you!
Yeah, plebs don't frequent these channels. Too busy watching garbage rather than learning
This is such a fine piece of work. l read a lot of history in books; l think this is an essential human responsibility. A movie like this puts blood in those arteries l am trying to pry open from books. Thank you to the makers of this.
Anyone remember when history, discovery and TLC put out content like this?
💔🤧
Best historical video I've ever seen on youtube, even for a french speaking like me this voice is so easy to listen to.....Awsome piece of work! Maybe you should have spoken of the legend that says that the founder of the songhai empire were two young boys, noble hostages at the court of Mali who escaped. Anyway that's the first time I see a video worth two hours of viewing!
I have written 23 books on African history and I can tell you that most of the accounts in this video are either racists or false. You should not rely on a european to tell you about your history because he will do so from an european centric world view. You should rely on african writers who live and breathe the african culture to tell you about your history. I hope you understand that. Should you want to know your true history, type my name in the KZhead search engine. There you will also learn to read hieroglyphs.
The Aksumite Empire - an African Empire that would really appreciate your incredible story telling skills. Coined currency, lasted over 900 years, built monolithic monuments (one that is the tallest of its kind till this day). I’m just sitting and waiting for you to please speak on Ethiopia. 😊. Most UNESCO world heritage sites in Africa are found in Ethiopia so I trust its only a matter of time lol. You’re work is fantastic brother. Keep them coming. 🙏🏾✊🏾
I seen via Graham Hancock the incredible church's dug out down into the bed rock back in a very ancient Ethiopia.
d ellingson yeah I’ve travelled to see them and they are truly incredible. Well worth a trip 😊
There is so many civilizations I can’t wait to see, there certainly isn’t a shortage of potential content for this channel.
Ethiopia. Mind shattering some times. How beautiful.
Pavlov's Blurple Cat `i`5c haha Ethiopian history and structures were the work of Caucasoids 😂😂🤦🏻♂️ not black people. Are you not familiar with the substantial admixtures of eurasians in east Africa?
This entire series is excellent. Recommend it to any and all.
Oh such a wonderful documentary 👍👍👍i am 73 years old and am learning so much from yourwork👍👍thank you👌
Wonderful work! I haven't touched on African history since undergrad. It's super important and needs much more attention by scholars. I'm a PhD myself I know the enormous amount of work that goes into researching this kind of stuff. Well done. You deserve a million subs. Cheers.
This is a great recounting of the rich history of African civilizations. It's an eye-opener to the less known fact that there is more to this magnificent continent than just the hackneyed Egyptian pyramids.
What happened?
I remember when NatGeo, History Channel, & BBC used to make stuff this good. Great regards good sir.
RIP History Channel.
BBC now just a political propaganda arm of the state. Sorry fall from grace for once such a proud institution people increasingly hate as being just another tax
Dennis Francis Pl
yeah,, they invented this bull too....
What y'all ain't bout that ancient alien life, what so it's just me and Alex Jones
What a narrative of African history and your style of presentation, it is simply fascinating.
Man I absolutely love African history and genetic research it’s such a fascinating continent it’s truly the last mystery on the planet. It’s a shame african history is so neglected I have to go to lesser known sources but their are a plethora of African historians that cover a lot of this history.
Just in time for bed in Australia. I can't believe you do this just for us! Legend ;) Top. Quality. Content.
Haha sorry.
@@FallofCivilizations No it is awesome. I listen to them to go to sleep; I usually get at least an hour or more in before I finally drift off. Then the next night I skip through to around the time before I went to sleep, and do it all again ;)
Indeed, I fell asleep to this one last night. Time to finish it now (:
@Barbara Mulvaney it has been rereleased, now with a video
@@FallofCivilizations bvvvvvvd
I don't like being interrupted when I am immersed in your films. And WHAT a beautiful rich mellow voice you have.... mesmerizing.
Truth Seekerz - I think you can delete them.
Given the incredible amount of research you have done and the amazing way this has been put together i would like to see you tackle the history of Great Zimbabwe
HOW can people be ignorant to this beautiful history! it is a crime!
@@oldmanfromscenetwentyfour8164 like everyone in the world, so?
You're the only content creator who promises to lengthen your content with continued support. I love it.
I love the most the documentaries on these channel that are 2h+
This is THE best presentation on the history of West Africa i have ever seen. I had come across books on the Songhai and other West African empires in our local library, but none with such well-researched and objective material. Incredible stuff!
Brilliant, absolutely brilliant production! I choose to watch your podcasts over and above anything mainstream TV offers. Thank you for the care and the dedication you demonstrate to public education.
18:25 I have worked in Death Valley. The daytime temperature can top 130 F. When the temperature is over 125 they air is so hot it hurts. With humidity below 1% you become dehydrated extremely quickly. In the summer time it is actually against the law to pass someone who is broken down on the side of the road. I found a family who had broken down, Mom, Dad, and 2 kids. I always carried 2 gallons of water in my truck incase I broke down. This family had no water. I gave them both gallons of the water I had with instructions to drink it. not to try to ration it. Drink until they had enough, then drink more. I drove on to call for help (this was before cell phones) at the hotel, purchased more water then returned to the family giving them another 2 gallons of water. I stayed with them until help arrived, I was that worried for them. I am not kidding, humans were not made to live in those conditions.
Yep, I'm from the desert. You can die real easy in the desert. Now I've been in western Oregon for twenty years but I still have two gallons water in my car...silly I know but habits that have kept you alive are hard to break.
I say carry a case of water 💦
@@jackiethomas249 It's actually the law. You are required to carry water with you.
The quality of this production, together with its depth and intelligence, illustrates a part of history that still resonates in today's world. It shows how the wealth and power of many nations is built with the life-blood of West Africa, taking advantage of the breakdown of a mighty empire. You bring history to life and reveal its unpredictable presence in a world that would wish to disregard its message. Thank you for this telling, I am a sadder and a wiser man for watching it.
@Barbara Mulvaney Barbara, thank you, you are very kind - but not too sad I hope. The programme affected me deeply and I felt the need to express my gratitude and the feeling of enlightenment I had from it. This is the history we need in order to give perspective to the fragility of our own lives and how much we owe to people we can never meet. Ged.
During this documentary I extremely impressed with many of the fantastic pieces of artwork that were used... great job all around, a truly learning experience
I can't begin to measure how much I'm learning with your videos. I love history, and always thought it depends a lot on how it's presented. You're an excellent storyteller, bringing us this amazing chronicles.
I cannot express in simpler terms just how great these videos are. You have done a superb job. Well done!
Finally something about Africa other than the redundant Egyptian pyramids.
This is a gem! So many history documentaries are sketchy and told as if the viewer is a tourist, whereas this one is incredibly scholarly and visually narrative. I was fully engrossed by this work, and wish to extend my appreciation for the effort to provide such rich content.
Thank you Joe, I really appreciate it!
I love this series. One of my favourite things, in addition to the beautifully crafted storytelling, and expanding my knowledge of the cultures of these ancient people, is the theme music!! Once I hear that piano, I know where I am. 😊 This is where I belong.
I've listened to your videos over & over & over during the past few years. You have a lovely, calming voice that perfectly complements the high quality stunning videos you produce. I love the original content and unique perspective you offer. IMHO you are the greatest storyteller of our generation. Thank you.