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As it says in the title: how profound would the changes have been if gunpowder warfare had been introduced to the peoples of sub-Saharan Africa far earlier than it was IOTL- at roughly the same time that it was introduced to Europe (in the early to mid-13th century)? The POD I've got in mind would see the ruler of the Kingdom of Zimbabwe (which had the established trade links, abundant wealth and the levels of political organisation required to make this scenario perfectly plausible) deciding to adopt the use of gunpowder weaponry after witnessing a spectacular demonstration from a Chinese, Indian or Arab merchant. What kind of an impact might this potentially pivotal POD have had, both on the course of African history and on the history of the World?
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