PART A: AFRICAN HISTORY

Course Objectives

At the end of the course students should be able to demonstrate a general understanding of African history. They should moreover be able to discuss critically issues relating to historical experiences of African peoples, in pre-colonial, colonial and post-colonial times.

 

Course Description

This course probes some of the topical themes in African history. It problematizes our understanding of African history by interrogating the conventional handling of some of its main themes. The course sets out to instill and cultivate a sense of historical awareness among undergraduate and postgraduate students. It grapples with real lessons of history by teaching about struggle, change and transformation on topical African historical processes. It seeks to illuminate past African constructions to document African initiative, adaptation and choice. 

 

Delivery: 40 Hours (20 hours lectures and 20 hours discussions).

 

Module 1: Africa before Colonialism (10^th- 18^th C)

1.1       Early sources of African History    

1.2       Major centres of African History

1.3       Kingdoms and States

1.4       Slave Trade and its legacies 

1.5       Early European explorers, travelers and traders

 Module 2: Africa under the Colonial Rule (1890-1945)

2.1       Reaction of Africans to Colonialism in Africa

2.2       Formal colonialism

2.3       Colonial Economies

2.4       Africa and the Major World Wars

2.5       Proto nationalism movements

 Module 3: Nationalism and Independence in Africa (1960-1980)

3.1       Constitutional means to independence

3.2       Armed struggle to independence

3.3       Southern African problem (Apartheid in South Africa and Southern Rhodesia)

3.4       Cold War experience in Africa

3.5       Challenges of independence

 Module 4: Africa After independence (1980-2000).

4.1       Development patterns after independence

4.2       Military coups in Africa

4.3       Ethnicity and the Genocide of Rwanda, Burundi

4.4       The Zaire/DR Congo Problem

4.5       The IMF and the World Bank in Africa

Module 5: Contemporary Issues in Africa (2000-2019)

5.1       Ethnicity and Politics

5.2       Arab Spring in North Africa

5.3       Militarism and Multiparty in Africa

5.4       Democracy and its pitfalls

5.5       Terrorism