Enlightenment in Africa?

I know it's unlikely, but what if an African state (or states) had adopted the European ideals of the Enlightenment era? The only candidates I can think of at the moment are Congo, which was heavily influenced by Portugal and the upper classes of which, at the very least, were somewhat Europeanized and Christian.

Also, perhaps the North African Ottoman states, in the late 1700s, could have adopted some form of Enlightened Islam or later some Napoleonic-influenced ideology?

This is all really unlikely, at least in the situation in OTL, but how could it be possible and how would it have impacted the world?
 
With N.Africa it could work.
They were considered part of Europe up until well into the 19th century. Impact...They remain so.
 

Keenir

Banned
Also, perhaps the North African Ottoman states, in the late 1700s, could have adopted some form of Enlightened Islam or later some Napoleonic-influenced ideology?

This is all really unlikely, at least in the situation in OTL,

actually, the Tulip Era (in the Ottoman Empire) was just one of several attempts at an Enlightenment.

also the Tanzimat Reforms.
 
With N.Africa it could work.
They were considered part of Europe up until well into the 19th century. Impact...They remain so.

Uh? They were considered part of Africa, I mean Tunisia was (very roughly) the original Africa.

Anyway, the best candidates are Kongo, Ethiopia, Monomotapa, the Barbary states, and the various tribal kingdoms and unions on the West African coast.
 
Uh? They were considered part of Africa, I mean Tunisia was (very roughly) the original Africa.

No, they were considered part of European civilization.
Africa was a horrible chaotic primitive place.
In N.Africa they were infidels but they were civilized.
 
I guess it depends on when you want it to happen. The uited Malagasy (sp?) kingdom of Madagascar could have done something, but we are talking later 19th century here.

I suppose the other question is what sort of Enlightenment qualifies ? Enlightened despots rather than actual democratic reforms ?

Best Regards
Grey Wolf
 
Who knows. Especially outside of N. Africa, I'm not sure enough is known definatively about what was going on in some of those of those other African states to say for sure what could have changed their progression.
 
No, they were considered part of European civilization.
Africa was a horrible chaotic primitive place.
In N.Africa they were infidels but they were civilized.

"Well into the 19th century"? I highly doubt it. As far as civilization is concerned, Metternich said that Asia begins at the Landstrasse and he wasn't expressing some controversial idea; that sort of thinking applied to Africa too. Europe used to be smaller, not bigger.

And we're talking geographic Africa anyway.
 

boredatwork

Banned
well, northern africa was considered part of Christendom (IE european civilaztion before the europeans switched their faith to State worship ;)) (because, well, it was) until the caliphate expansions in the 600-700's.

Change things slightly, and you have an Arab/Moslem enlightenment in North Africa &/or Andalusia.

Change them even more and you end up with a Christian enlightenment in Africa - the home of much of the original christian thought, and the wellspring of monsticism.

There's nothing magical in Europe's soil that forced the enlightenment to happen there after all.
 
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