Empire

King Afonso I, also known as Afonso I Mvemba a Nzinga, was a prominent ruler of the Kongo Kingdom during a crucial period in the early 16th century. His reign, spanning from 1509 to 1543, marked a time of significant political, cultural, and religious transformations within the Kongo Kingdom. This article delves into the life of King Afonso I, exploring …

The Solomonic Dynasty, also called the Solomonic Restoration, was a time in Ethiopia’s history that ran from 1270 to 1636. It’s called that because when Emperor Yekuno Amlak became emperor in 1270, he said he was the direct descendant of Menelik I, son of King Solomon and Queen Sheba. This put an end to the short rule of the Zagwes, …

Some of the richest men in the world today are tech billionaires and business leaders from the West and China. However, the title of “richest man who ever lived” goes to a little-known ancient ruler from a part of the world that is more often associated with poverty than with unimaginable wealth. Mansa Musa was the king of the large …

Archaeological discoveries and historical documents indicate that the ancient city of Meroe served as the capital of the kingdom of Kush, which is now located in Sudan. Kush was a northern African kingdom whose influence spanned approximately 1069 BCE to 350 CE. Although the region around Kush, later known as Nubia, had been inhabited since around 8,000 BCE, the kingdom …

Piye, a Kushite king who conquered Egypt between 744 and 714 BC, is credited with founding the Twenty-fifth Dynasty. He ruled from Napata, a city in modern-day Sudan’s Nubia region. Piye was Kashta and Pebatjma’s son. He had three or four wives, according to accounts. His heir, Taharqa’s mother was Abar. Notable wives include Tabiry, Peksater, and perhaps Khensa. Piye, …

Shewa (Amharic: ሸዋ; Arabic: شيوا, Oromo: Shawaa), formerly romanized as Shua, Shoa, Showa, Shuwa , is a historical region of Ethiopia which was formerly an autonomous kingdom within the Ethiopian Empire. Ethiopians like to hold up their ancient civilization and superiority against colonizers and to that, it remained uncolonized. The ancient province of Endagabatan is now a part of Shewa. …

Traditional African kings and queens are pushing for more recognition. What role, if any, do old kingdoms have in a modern continent? For thousands of years before to freedom, Africa was dominated by kings and traditional leaders who possessed immense power. However, they have now been supplanted as head of state across the continent as a result of revolutions, military …

At age two, most kids would be playing games or having fun with other kids, but Benjamin Ikenchukwu Keagborekuzi I wasn’t one of them. He had been crowned king or Dein of the Agbor Kingdom, a traditional Nigerian state in Delta State, Nigeria, at that young age. Keagborekuzi I, who was born on June 29, 1977, also established a record …

Tohazee, the Red Hunter, created the Kingdom of Dagbon in the 11th century. In modern Ghana, it is one of the largest and oldest kingdoms. The Kingdom of Dagbon is one of Ghana’s oldest and best-organized traditional kingdoms, having been created in the 11th century by the Dagomba people (Dagbamba). It encompassed the Northern, Upper West, Upper East, and North …

Kwaku Dua Panin (born Fredua Agyeman; c. 1797 – 27 April 1867) was the Ashanti Empire’s eighth Asantehene from 25 August 1834 until his death on 27 April 1867. From 1818 to 1819, Prince Kwaku Dua fought against the Gyaman, a state 200 kilometers (120 miles) north of Kumasi, and distinguished himself in battle by commanding a division in the …