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The Forgotten Era: Nigeria Before British Rule

'Siollun's books are gripping' - Financial Times

Much is known about what the Europeans did in Nigeria, yet very little is known about the country before its colonisation. In this surprising history, Max Siollun uncovers a society that was not part of a backward 'dark continent', but one rich with lore to rival those of ancient Greece and Rome.

Pre-colonial West Africa had its mesmerising cast of revolutionaries, intellectuals, innovators, and villainous assassins. These include the single family that overthrew three different 1000-year-old kingdoms, the royal court official who engineered the death of four kings, and the little slave boy who became the first black bishop in history, befriending Queen Victoria along the way.

This is a story of a highly educated, democratic, artistic people is a vital read for those who want to discover a forgotten era of West African history.

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The Forgotten Era: Nigeria Before British Rule

'Siollun's books are gripping' - Financial Times

Much is known about what the Europeans did in Nigeria, yet very little is known about the country before its colonisation. In this surprising history, Max Siollun uncovers a society that was not part of a backward 'dark continent', but one rich with lore to rival those of ancient Greece and Rome.

Pre-colonial West Africa had its mesmerising cast of revolutionaries, intellectuals, innovators, and villainous assassins. These include the single family that overthrew three different 1000-year-old kingdoms, the royal court official who engineered the death of four kings, and the little slave boy who became the first black bishop in history, befriending Queen Victoria along the way.

This is a story of a highly educated, democratic, artistic people is a vital read for those who want to discover a forgotten era of West African history.

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The Forgotten Era: Nigeria Before British Rule

The Forgotten Era: Nigeria Before British Rule

by Max Siollun
The Forgotten Era: Nigeria Before British Rule

The Forgotten Era: Nigeria Before British Rule

by Max Siollun

Overview

'Siollun's books are gripping' - Financial Times

Much is known about what the Europeans did in Nigeria, yet very little is known about the country before its colonisation. In this surprising history, Max Siollun uncovers a society that was not part of a backward 'dark continent', but one rich with lore to rival those of ancient Greece and Rome.

Pre-colonial West Africa had its mesmerising cast of revolutionaries, intellectuals, innovators, and villainous assassins. These include the single family that overthrew three different 1000-year-old kingdoms, the royal court official who engineered the death of four kings, and the little slave boy who became the first black bishop in history, befriending Queen Victoria along the way.

This is a story of a highly educated, democratic, artistic people is a vital read for those who want to discover a forgotten era of West African history.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780745350097
Publisher: Pluto Press
Publication date: 02/20/2025
Sold by: Barnes & Noble
Format: eBook
Pages: 336

About the Author

Max Siollun is a historian. He has written four acclaimed books on Nigeria's history, most recently What Britain Did to Nigeria: A Short History of Conquest and Rule, which was shortlisted in BBC History Magazine's 2021 Books of the Year. He has written for many publications including the New York Times, Guardian, the Independent and Foreign Policy.

Table of Contents

Prologue: In the Beginning
Part I: The Founding Fathers and Mothers
1. The Hausa Seven
2. Oduduwa's Children
3. The Kings from Heaven
4. A Remarkable and Mysterious People
5. The God Who Carries the World
Part II: When Worlds Collide
6. Son of the Learned
7. Mohammed from Kanem
8. The First Family of Northern Nigeria
9. Afonja's Coup
Part III: Battlefield of the Mind
10. The Masterpieces of World Sculpture
11. People of the Book
12. The Black Bishop
13. Sisterhood
Conclusion

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