Revolutionary Years: West Africa Since 1800

by James Bertin Webster, James Bertin Webster

This is the "New Edition," published in 1980.

Genres: Africa, History

406 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1980

Reviews

[Nkenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unless we know jack about how we got here, we will never understand why we’re here and can’t tell, where what we are doing is going to lead us. This book was first published in 1967, same decade West Africa began getting her independence. It radiates the political awareness of our grandfathers, the problems and traps they foresaw 60 years ago, an enlightened spirit of nationalism in them poised to see that we rise to where we ought to be. I almost shed tears of shame when in disappointment I realized that we fell into the trap, ignored the advice of history and now plunged ourselves into our present day mire we seek for whom to blame, we blame them (Europe) for stunting our development, for forming false unions of incompatibles, then we spin conspiracy theories against other states, then we blame the other tribes and on and on, till we become so blinded and paranoid, everyone becomes the enemy. We are all part of the hypocrisy even I.
After reading this I feel prouder to be a Nigerian, proud to be a West African, being able to identify with and be identified with the likes of my new found heroes Almami Samori of the Mandinka Empire an African Sun Tzu, king Jaja of Opobo among others.
The Authors Webster, Boahen and Idowu did a master piece of history and every African seeking to understand their roots should read this at least once.
The book is divided into five parts, the first part covers the end of the 18th century to the 19th century in western Sudan, from the Jihad of uthman Dan Fodio and the subsequent Islamic revolutions/Introductions in west Africa, how the Fulani emerged as a dominant class in present day Nigerian political sphere, how Bornu lost its influence to Uthman’s inspired Jihad, how the Mandankin empire of Almami Samori Toure was organized and his military and Administrative genius that makes me call him and African Sun Tzu. An important lesson learnt being that we had been dealing on slaves for quite as long as the Europeans had and perhaps for an even longer period than they, to the point that it formed the major economic activity of a great part of west Africa, thus explaining why the economies of most slave trading empires were badly affected following the British Ban on slave trading in 1807. The trans-Saharan trade, its routes and how political factors in west Africa shaped the trade routes.
The second part is about the coastal kingdoms of the 19th century, the Yorubas, Dahomey (Present day benin Republic), Ghana, Iboland etc. The vulnerabilities of these empires including the Oyo empire, how a slave born could rise to become a commoner and thus become fully integrated in the society, the story of Afonja, Kakanfo Afonja (kakanfo being a title akin to a field marshall) a slave born who rose to prominence and whose revolt might have been the last straw which broke the Oyo camel’s back. The struggles of some Coastal cities to economically adjust to the Abolition of slavery which had been their main stay, and shift towards oil palm exportation which was in high demand in Europe then. The establishment of Sierra Leone, the Creoles who spoke the Kris language, the sad short life span of first settlers of any settler generation. Liberia in 1822 is discussed here which brings me to my favorite national motto “the Love of Liberty brought us here”. The democracy of the Ibos, how the village general meeting was the strongest political decision making body of the Ibos, the Arochukwu people and their gods, how slave traders used these gods to facilitate slave trade.
Part 3 is about our relationship with Europe in the 19th century, trade deals and decisions made in Europe about Africa, the rise of “the new men” Bonny, calabar and Itsekiri. And another Hero king of mine “Jaja of Opobo” a slave born who became King. The partition from the Berlin Conference “A forcible possession of our land has taken the place of a forcible possession of our persons”. How French West Africa became French West Africa instead of English West Africa, the short answer being the Suez Canal and the Rivers Niger and Benue. Luggard in British West Africa and his book “The dual mandate in Tropical Africa 1922” a part success and part failure, his right hand man Palmer who exported his ideas throughout West Africa.
Part 4 is about West Africa and indirect rule the failures and successes in West Africa. A fundamental difference between British imperial objectives and French objectives, the French policy of cultural assimilation, an attempt to obliterate the African in Africans and replace with francais. Blaise Diagne, Leopold Senghor and the educated French West Africans. The birth of a concept which English West Africa will never understand partly because there was no attempt at assimilation, “Negritude”. The rise of men like Garvey, Booker T Washington and Dubois, the influence of students’ unionism from London to West Africa with WASU, the rise and fall of revolutionary political parties in West Africa as they eventually became conservatives and pro-colonial doctrines to the dismay of the people.
The last part of the book is more familiar, the return to independence, and Africa’s loyalty to the imperialists during the war, Ethiopian resistance to Mussolini, Charles de Gaulle and the Independence of French West Africa.
Knowing what happened doesn’t making you hate, it makes you compassionate and informed.

[Saleh Hashim · Rating 5 out of 5]

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