WI African Superpower.

WI an African superpower that was native to the continent, excluding Carthage, Egypt, S.Africa.

I'm talking Ashanti Ghana etc?

If they would be able to galvanize pre-colonization and form an equivalent to a viable European state sucha s France, Germany and not be colonized.

Is this possible.

And also excluding Ethiopia/Axum also.

It got me thinking after a discussion with my zimbabwean work colleague.
 
Avoiding being colonized is perfectly possible and relatively easy, remaining completely independent is harder, but still definitely possible.

Becoming a super-power..well I think the main problem is that, leaving aside the areas you excluded (the Magreb, Egypt, and South Africa), the terrain and climate isn't very suited to sedentary agriculture or large-scale infrastructure (as in, I can't see any roman-style roads through the Congo or Sahara in a pre-industrial society). This makes getting the force projection capabilities and international influence to become a superpower.
 
Avoiding being colonized is perfectly possible and relatively easy, remaining completely independent is harder, but still definitely possible.

Becoming a super-power..well I think the main problem is that, leaving aside the areas you excluded (the Magreb, Egypt, and South Africa), the terrain and climate isn't very suited to sedentary agriculture or large-scale infrastructure (as in, I can't see any roman-style roads through the Congo or Sahara in a pre-industrial society). This makes getting the force projection capabilities and international influence to become a superpower.

What about Mali Empire? Climate of Sahel wasn`t so bad, and they already had many relatively big cities, unified code of law, flourishing trade (gold) and some limited contact with Muslim world.

EDIT

BTW. I`m currently writing AAR about successful Mali on EU3 Magna Mundi mod, if someone is interested :)

http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/showthread.php?t=449813
 
What about Mali Empire? Climate of Sahel wasn`t so bad, and they already had many relatively big cities, unified code of law, flourishing trade (gold) and some limited contact with Muslim world.

EDIT

BTW. I`m currently writing AAR about successful Mali on EU3 Magna Mundi mod, if someone is interested :)

http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/showthread.php?t=449813

Well, huge supplies of gold aren't necessarily good things for a globally integrated economy in the long run.


Anyway, the Sahel may well be able be able to support a flourishing civilization, and with enough luck could even have been a great power (although, considering the lack of native or nearby coal, industrializing quickly may be difficult), but I just don't believe that it could support the massive expenditure on foreign subsidies and military build-ups needed to be a super-power.


Reading the AAR now, BTW, quite interesting.
 
Well, huge supplies of gold aren't necessarily good things for a globally integrated economy in the long run.

Indeed, though gold trade was controlled by bureaucracy of Mali, to prevent high infalation - not so bad thing during XIVth century (when their decline started).


Anyway, the Sahel may well be able be able to support a flourishing civilization, and with enough luck could even have been a great power (although, considering the lack of native or nearby coal, industrializing quickly may be difficult), but I just don't believe that it could support the massive expenditure on foreign subsidies and military build-ups needed to be a super-power.

Yeah - rather null chances to become super-power, though Mali or Songhai dominating West Africa as regional power, and surviving XIXth century style European colonialism would be an achievement.


Reading the AAR now, BTW, quite interesting.

Thanks - though it`s nowhere near complexity and realism of typical timeline of AH.com. :)
 
The Toucouleur Empire is more successful during the 1850's then in OTL (such as taking Timbuktu and defeating the French) and later, modernizes its army and society under a great leader who fends off European conquerors. Afterwards the Toucouleur Empire is recognized as an African power by the Europeans.
 
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