In the Shade of the Baobabs
- Thread starter leopard9
- Start date
Well the appeal of The Two God Path is that you can have done mostly bad things but so long as you truly believe in the Father and the Mother, you will go to paradise. With the "weighing of the heart", it appears to be more of a "net good" vs "net bad" scenario. There's also the spells you need to know in order to make it to the afterlife. With the Two Gods, it's directly from death to paradise, no tests in between.
In a lot of Sub-Saharan religions, a way of achieving immortality in the afterlife is you need your descendants to remember you and call out your name during ceremonies to maintain your presence/prominence in the afterlife. So it helps to have more children, favoring the rich in society. The Two Gods render having more children spiritually obsolete while still physically practical, helping to attract the less fortunate.
Conquests and Empire
150-155 AD: The kingdom of Ansongo staged a series of campaigns against the four Mandinka kingdoms, conquering each of them in turn. The four Mandinka kingdoms had been weakened due to environmental degradation due to over browsing and overgrazing of their herds as well as their demand for iron. With environmental degradation came instability and in a few cases, open revolts against the current state. Ansongo was located further to the south in the true savannahs of West Africa and so was able to maintain large eland herds and iron production without quite the environmental damage of the Sahel states. As Ansongo gained in strength, the other Mandinka kingdoms atrophied until Mansa Baturu I conquered the kingdoms and brought them under his sway. He implemented the planting and maintenance of groves and made them distinct from trees one might use to build a house or furniture by placing them under imperial control in the same manner of the gold supply.
The groves worked to reverse desertification while also providing steady sustenance for eland herds and fuel for the blacksmiths’ furnaces. The province-masters were rewarded with extra funds for their provinces in concordance with how well they maintained the groves. This also served to give the average villager a reason to avoid stripping the land bare of trees and they were also encouraged to plant and maintain their own trees. As time went on, many of the groves would be populated with fruit trees, baobabs among them to provide additional income and food for the people and their giant elands.
Ansongo was one of the first civilizations to incorporate tamed giant eland into their agricultural practices. They were first used instead of cattle only in areas where cows could not survive but quickly replaced cows as the main beast of burden. Soon, the eland were used to draw wheeled carts of goods and from there, elands were used to plow fields. Fields that would take a day to ready for seeding using a hoe could now be prepared in less than half the time. And the manure the elands produced allowed the same field to be farmed repeatedly, reducing the amount of times a community needed to migrate to fallow land, promoting the stability and growth of human settlements. Tall walls made of wood, rammed earth, mudbrick and stone were raised to secure eland herds at night and to protect them in the event of raids from neighboring communities.
With such an essential role in society, the giant eland took on a prominent role in Ansongo’s religion and customs. The mounts of Mandinka gods were elands, bride prices were commonly paid in elands, and the giant eland, especially its horns, became associated with masculinity. At special occasions such as harvest festivals, giant elands would be sacrificed and their blood directed into the ground from where crops had been harvested or deliberately splattered on baobabs and palm oil trees. The spread of Ansongo facilitated the spread of the agricultural and transport use of giant elands throughout West Africa.
Greater population densities and competition for obtaining giant elands led to conflict of a frequency that had not been seen in many parts of Africa. Compared to either Europe or Asia, Africa was lightly populated and due to the abundance of land, conflict often led to dispersal instead of consolidation. There are very few events preserved in the archeological record of Sub-Saharan Africa before this time period that indicate significant conflict. Indeed, land that not in use was not considered particularly valuable and would be a waste of crucial resources and calories to defend. But with even adjacent empty land becoming valuable as grazing and browsing land and the increased permanence of human settlements, a shift in cultural attitudes took place.
Before this time period, the archaeological record shows very little human-human conflict and of weapons used to kill. For instance, most spears would have been used for hunting animals, not killing humans. But now war spears, distinguished by their longer, broader blades, axes, and daggers became a far more common feature of Sub-Saharan West African society. Due to the environment of the open savanna and the prevalence of the giant eland, cavalry became the most valuable military unit with infantry being confined to a supporting role and only becoming the primary military units in the thick forests of southern West Africa.
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West Africa has a lot of potential exports, besides gold there were abundant iron ores and diamonds, though the latter was undiscovered until modern times. In the late 19th century the Robusto strain of coffee was found in Zaire, an earlier discovery would permanently link West Africa with the Mediterranean trade network. This area could be very wealthy if they play their cards right, but they do need better tropical crops.
twovultures
Donor
Oh man, I love this timeline! Rome and Carthage co-existing, with Rome's expansion curtailed is fascinating. I wonder if Roman republicanism will survive, or if a dictator will rise to protect the people from "outside threats"?
I know your focus is on Africa, but I strongly recommend that you read or watch Terry Jones' "Barbarians" for ideas on how Europe can develop, even if you just mention it in passing. Perhaps tribal Germany could develop settled agriculture sooner if the heavy plow is invented sooner-perhaps by Sub-Saharan Africans, who pass the idea on the Carthaginians, who pass it to the Gauls, who pass it on to the Germans?
While I like the dualistic religion, I'm not sure of its realism. Maybe greater influence by cults of, say, Isis and Cybele would help create more interest in a feminine divine, but I think that a Zoroastrian-influenced Judaism would have a supreme God vs. an adversary-like figure. What made you make this choice?
EDIT: Figured that I should say something more about Africa. Although the domestication of the Eland has created conditions where there are cavalries and nation-states, Africa is sparsely settled at this time. There's a lot of room for diaspora communities to spread as nation-states establish themselves through violent means. Is this going to cause a second wave of Bantu migration to the east and south?
I know your focus is on Africa, but I strongly recommend that you read or watch Terry Jones' "Barbarians" for ideas on how Europe can develop, even if you just mention it in passing. Perhaps tribal Germany could develop settled agriculture sooner if the heavy plow is invented sooner-perhaps by Sub-Saharan Africans, who pass the idea on the Carthaginians, who pass it to the Gauls, who pass it on to the Germans?
While I like the dualistic religion, I'm not sure of its realism. Maybe greater influence by cults of, say, Isis and Cybele would help create more interest in a feminine divine, but I think that a Zoroastrian-influenced Judaism would have a supreme God vs. an adversary-like figure. What made you make this choice?
EDIT: Figured that I should say something more about Africa. Although the domestication of the Eland has created conditions where there are cavalries and nation-states, Africa is sparsely settled at this time. There's a lot of room for diaspora communities to spread as nation-states establish themselves through violent means. Is this going to cause a second wave of Bantu migration to the east and south?
Interesting replacement of Jesus. There aren't very many dualistic religions. Also, are they worshipped together, separately or henotheistically?
About the eland: are they bigger than horses? Camels height scared horse and rider alike along with the smell, and it gave the rider an advantage when fighting other cavalry.
About the eland: are they bigger than horses? Camels height scared horse and rider alike along with the smell, and it gave the rider an advantage when fighting other cavalry.
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Eland-drawn plows are major, especially if applied to the African rice (Oryza glaberrima) cultivation that was already happening in the Upper Niger Delta by this time. The Niger flood cycle plus rice and draft animals could lead almost to Asian population densities.
BTW, will the Carthaginian traders bring rice cultivation back to North Africa and Europe?
BTW, will the Carthaginian traders bring rice cultivation back to North Africa and Europe?
Wow, thanks for feedback guys!
Also, I've been thinking on how to portray Europe ITTL. It's still hazy but I'm thinking of a more westward Germanic expansion and a Europe that's overall more in flux for a longer time without the anchoring presence of the Church or the power and legacy of Rome. I really don't know what should happen to the Celts. Thanks for the literature recommendation!
Regarding the Two God Path, there is a bit of author appeal in there. I actually do have an adversary figure in the religion that I will talk more about in future posts. Getting inside Meir's head, Zoroastrianism's biggest impact for him is the idea of duality, in this case the duality of a male and female god. And yes, the Egyptian pantheon has certainly influenced Meir's idea of a very powerful female goddess. It should be noted that the Father is considered the more powerful of the two gods and this is supported theologically.
I really liked the idea of a dualistic religion arising, I think that there's a lot of interesting discussions and philosophies that could stem from that. The Father and the Mother are typically worshiped together, in part because in The Tome explicitly says that the Father and the Mother have a harmonious relationship and there are stories within it of them adding little flourishes to each other's domains. My canon is that part of Meir's teachings stem from his observations of the loving relationship between his parents and how even though they did different things to ensure the survival of the family, they both improved on the other.
The giant eland is between 4.3 to 5.9 ft tall at the shoulder and is between 7.2 to 9.5 feet long and males weigh between 800 to 2,200 pounds. In comparison, Arabian horses are between 4.8 and 5.35 feet tall and are on average 992 pounds. After some quick research it seems that only male draft horses can get up to 2,200 pounds. And elands have thick horns as well and can match horses in speed. So it seems that at the least, giant eland calvalry should be able to hold their own against horses.
I'm still debating how many of the butterflies will make their way across the Sahara (or Hamada as it will be known ITTL) but that's definitely a possibility for Hispania.
Also, I've been thinking on how to portray Europe ITTL. It's still hazy but I'm thinking of a more westward Germanic expansion and a Europe that's overall more in flux for a longer time without the anchoring presence of the Church or the power and legacy of Rome. I really don't know what should happen to the Celts. Thanks for the literature recommendation!
Regarding the Two God Path, there is a bit of author appeal in there. I actually do have an adversary figure in the religion that I will talk more about in future posts. Getting inside Meir's head, Zoroastrianism's biggest impact for him is the idea of duality, in this case the duality of a male and female god. And yes, the Egyptian pantheon has certainly influenced Meir's idea of a very powerful female goddess. It should be noted that the Father is considered the more powerful of the two gods and this is supported theologically.
I really liked the idea of a dualistic religion arising, I think that there's a lot of interesting discussions and philosophies that could stem from that. The Father and the Mother are typically worshiped together, in part because in The Tome explicitly says that the Father and the Mother have a harmonious relationship and there are stories within it of them adding little flourishes to each other's domains. My canon is that part of Meir's teachings stem from his observations of the loving relationship between his parents and how even though they did different things to ensure the survival of the family, they both improved on the other.
The giant eland is between 4.3 to 5.9 ft tall at the shoulder and is between 7.2 to 9.5 feet long and males weigh between 800 to 2,200 pounds. In comparison, Arabian horses are between 4.8 and 5.35 feet tall and are on average 992 pounds. After some quick research it seems that only male draft horses can get up to 2,200 pounds. And elands have thick horns as well and can match horses in speed. So it seems that at the least, giant eland calvalry should be able to hold their own against horses.
I'm still debating how many of the butterflies will make their way across the Sahara (or Hamada as it will be known ITTL) but that's definitely a possibility for Hispania.
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Cool timeline! I'm disappointed I hadn't seen it earlier. I like where you take it; it's definitely a different take on a Carthage-victory. Anyways, it's always nice to see Carthage timelines, and I'll be reading! 
The Flowering Era
155-300 AD: Rule under Baturu I (120-185 AD) brought increased prosperity to the Niger River region. A common authority to maintain the roads, patrol the rivers, protect travelers, and set prices for gold and salt encouraged trade from all cardinal directions. Inns dotted the trade routes to provide shelter and nourishment to traders and pilgrims. The living standard of the average citizen of Ansongo substantially rose during this time, especially when compared to that of the long ago days of Kebba. People spent fewer hours on agriculture and were less exposed to the dangers of malnutrition, though it was still certain that a famine would afflict the land in the lifetime of a man. Houses were larger and more elaborate than in past centuries, with vibrant patterns and murals adorning both the inside and outside of the walls and the houses of the nobility and merchants had multiple levels. And even the common folk dressed better than the Mandinka nobles of centuries past. To mitigate the effects of inevitable famines, for there would always be a time when the rains failed or fell unevenly, Baturu I established imperial storehouses located around the empire to hold harvested millet, sorghum, and rice.
The role of the jalis had also evolved with time. Their early adoption of literacy led them to being not only praise singers and court officials, but essential to the functioning of the bureaucracy. The province-masters were the ones that governed the various districts of Ansongo and ensured that the citizens paid their taxes, but it was the jalis that collected the taxes and noted what village paid how much as well as conducted the census.
An explosion of native literature occurred during this time with epics based on Mandinka gods and heroes of the empire written in the Punic script introduced 200 years ago. By this time, the Punic scripts north and south of the Great Desert had widely diverged. While the northern Punic script had added new constants in response to the influence of the Germanic migrations, the southern Punic script now included tone markers to better reflect the characteristics of the Mandinka language. An exceedingly popular story was how the first man and eland made a pact of brotherhood to live in harmony and to face the demons of the land together. Native instruments as well as those imported from abroad were used to play increasingly complex tunes as less time needed for agriculture and increased urbanization allows for nobles to hire jalis and musicians to compose new types of music. Direct contact with Aksum, and long distance trade with the Nile valley civilizations is also thought to have begun around 280 AD.
Several cities had populations of over 20,000 people and the largest city, Goundam, located near a navigable portion of the Niger River had a population of over 100,000 according to the 300 AD census. The cities contained decorated venues specifically made for dancing, religious ceremonies, and the popular crowd sport of wrestling. The cities were centers of political, economic, academic, and religious activities. The quarters of the cities were home to various clans that specialized in a profession such as blacksmithing, tanning, and artisanal pursuits. Of these clans, the most prominent were the blacksmith families, for they produced the tools used for war, agriculture, religious, and daily life. Because of the increased need for written records, royal schools were established that were used to educate the jalis and nobility, and occasionally, the wealthiest of merchants. Those students were taught the official Punic script as well as the praise songs required of a jali. Merchants were often taught by their parents a simpler script used exclusively for record and finance keeping and few merchants were fully literate.
175-185 AD: Under Baturu’s heir, Ansongo went through another round of expansion, extending its northern reach past the arch of the Niger and east to better control the flow of goods and people. The Mandinka majority went about assimilating their culturally similar neighbors, though in truth it was perhaps unnecessary. The Mandinka tongue had already become a trade tongue for the Niger region in the Sahel and the savannah and the dominance of Ansongo led to the spread of their culture. Mandinka merchants started to settle in southern forests and intermarry with the local merchants to better control the flow of goods.
230 AD: The demands of trade and improved agriculture techniques along with the giant eland stimulated an explosion in population of the Mande and Songhai people. As was natural, those that had lived on marginal land started to migrate in search of relatively fallow land to farm and they started to migrate to the east and the south. In the area surrounding the Jos Plateau, they encountered the Nok civilization. Renowned for their intricate sculptures and sophisticated judicial and administration system the Nok were the progenitors of one of the older urban cultures of Sub-Saharan Africa but were in the midst of a decades long terminal decline. Over farming and extensive ironworking had led to the land being stripped of trees, leading to soil erosion in the presence of rains and dirt baked into a slab in times of drought. Exacerbating the problem was an especially severe famine and malaria epidemic that gripped the plateau and its surrounding area. As was common in times of societal collapse, many Nok simply left, traveling to the south and east in search of fallow land while others fought for what arable land remained.
It was in this situation that the Mande and Songhai arrived. The settlement of the Mande and Songhai in Nok lands was a largely nonviolent affair. The plague and famines had severely reduced the population, meaning land that would have otherwise been occupied was sparsely populated and open for settlement. The migrants brought with them their knowledge of giant eland herding and plow agriculture that combined with the native knowledge of rice farming led to a revitalization of the Nok. They were not unchanged by their interaction with the Mande and Songhai, however.
With their novel practices and use of eland, the Mande and Songhai were able to establish a dominance among the local Nok and intermarried with the local upper class to produce a merchant caste and aristocracy that had a great deal of Mande and Songhai ancestry and more often than not followed the customs of the Songhai, rather than that of the Nok.
While the arrival of the Songhai and Mande had stopped the complete dissolution of the Nok civilization, approximately 270 AD the Nok people split into five kingdoms which were densely populated but small in size. The northern two had extensively mixed with the Songhai and Mandinka whereas the southern three contained minimal foreign ancestry but had merely adopted the use of giant elands and the Mande innovations in rice agriculture. The southern three kingdoms expanded south past the Benue River and appear to have made direct contact with the inhabitants of the Niger Delta around 350-400 AD.
100-300 AD: Aksum had risen on the fertile plains of the Ethiopian highlands located in the northeastern region of the Horn of Africa to control trade between Egypt, Meroe, India, and its local hinterland. Aksum first got into direct contact with Ansongo in 280 AD when the mansa of Ansongo sent a large caravan of giant elands and camels laden with gold, ivory, palm wine and oil, salt, iron, and cotton cloth to explore and trade with the east. The negu of Aksum was impressed by the quality of the goods and intrigued by the use of the gigantic antelopes as mounts.
Aksum soon established trading ties with Ansongo and other Sahel states along the Western Road, helping to stimulate the rise of Mao, a small Kanembu polity centered on Lake Chad. Mao served as a middleman of the Western Road, facilitating safe travel across the continent and serving as a crucial waystation between the other states. In time, Mao came to have a highly cosmopolitan culture influenced by Aksumites, Egyptians, Nubians, Mandinka, and native Kanembu. This contact with Ansongo spurred a shift in Aksum’s worldview. Before, Aksum had in truth been only concerned with the north containing Egypt and Meroe and the east with Arabia, the Seleucids, and India. But now, the possibility of rich and powerful civilizations throughout the rest of Africa seemed a certainty and would drive Aksum west and south to seek out other trading opportunities.
The last of the caravan returned to Ansongo in the year 284 AD with tales of a wealthy mountain kingdom and of a greater civilization to the north that lay along a river far greater than the Niger, richer than any other people group with well-made linen, iron tools, and the most intricate gold and silver artwork. This empire was governed by a man who claimed divinity and contained a gleaming city that possessed a library that was rumored to hold all of the world’s knowledge. During this time, the first Aksum missionaries made the long journey to the Niger River valley to spread the message of the Two God Path.
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Petike
Kicked
I love a good African TL, especially set in this old a historical period. Subscribed.
You might be the next Jared, Thande or Jonathan Edelstein, so continue the patient work.
What have I gotten myself into?
You might be the next Jared, Thande or Jonathan Edelstein, so continue the patient work.
twovultures
Donor
What have I gotten myself into?
A neat Africa-centric timeline (which we need more of) that has fascinating implications for Classic Europe as well?
What have I gotten myself into?
AH.com fame
Also, why would Ansongo merchants want bad Nok land, despite the fact that it's cheap?