WI: Pre-1900 Totalitarian States in Africa?

I was researching articles about the neo-Stalinist reign of Mengistu Haile Mariam in Ethiopia and began to wonder about something - is there a way to have centralized governments in Africa gradually shift towards Totalitarianism and establish their own Totalitarian philosophies?
 
Yekuno Amlak becomes Emperor of Ethiopia as he did IOTL but there's a twist - he recognizes the issues of the Zagwe Dynasty had in maintaining control over their Kingdom and seeks to avoid that, carrying out an extensive campaign of centralization to place Ethiopia under his control. It is difficult but with the support of armies mobilizes from all corners of Ethiopia, Amlak is successful in playing on the common hatred of the Zagwe Dynasty and learns from his predecessor's problems - beginning with enforcing a law placed on male successors. Placing a new capital at Tegulet in northern Shewa, Yekuno Amlak entertains an idea put forward during his Tigrayan campaign against the remnants of the Zagwe, namely a restoration of the Aksumite Empire with the Ethiopian peoples at the forefront once more. Playing up the shared history of Ethiopia's northern ethnicities and external threats to Ethiopia, Yekuno Amlak is successful in mobilizing genuine support from all corners of Ethiopia for his campaigns against enemies such as the Ifat Sultanate and Kingdom of Damot who are directly annexed into Ethiopia.

Yekuno Amlak's rousing speeches of forging a renewed Aksumite Empire lead to the gradual formation of a general Ethiopian culture (potentially through quasi-totalitarian means) and one centered around the Shewan Amharas but also inclusive of Tigrayans and Agaws manages to emerge. Taking inspiration from Aksum (and Zagwe), the practice of urbanization continues in Ethiopia under the totalitarian rule of the Amhara King as an Emperor is forged with the consistent expansion of Ethiopia's frontiers deeper into the Horn of Africa. Ethiopia also manages to expand towards the Eritrean coast where Ethiopia gains a monopoly on the trade coming from the Indian Ocean and begins to come into contact with the Eastern Empires whose philosophy spreads to Ethiopia. Inspired by texts like the Book of Lord Shang and Arthashastra, one of Yekuno Amlak's last decisions is to promulgate his own treatise on statecraft and political affairs which also functions as basic guidelines for his successors to follow - it effectively confirms the totalitarian powers of the Ethiopian Emperor and State.
 
I don't think Yekuno Amlak was able to immediately consolidate control over Ethiopia after killing King Yitbarek in battle - he only controlled Shewa and Amhara as well as Lasta district. The issue here is that enforcing Afro-Totalitarianism is going to be difficult with the Zagwe still resisting from their bases in Tigray province so you'd need to more throughly break the power of the Zagwe Dynasty to the point where Yekuno's Amhara armies can march into Tigray. Maybe Zagwean forces in Tigray are withdrawn to the frontlines with Yekuno Amlak's troops who are given more trouble but eventually defeat the last remnants of the Zagwe Dynasty and march into Tigray where Amlak appeals to a shared civilization as you mention, building a new culture from there.

If TTL's Ethiopia expands towards the Red Sea and comes into control of Eritrea, I can see contacts between Ethiopia and Asia being expanded but you might also see increased contacts with European Christendom as well - I'd presume it'd be either through Egypt or with the Portuguese on the high seas.
 
I don't think Yekuno Amlak was able to immediately consolidate control over Ethiopia after killing King Yitbarek in battle - he only controlled Shewa and Amhara as well as Lasta district. The issue here is that enforcing Afro-Totalitarianism is going to be difficult with the Zagwe still resisting from their bases in Tigray province so you'd need to more throughly break the power of the Zagwe Dynasty to the point where Yekuno's Amhara armies can march into Tigray. Maybe Zagwean forces in Tigray are withdrawn to the frontlines with Yekuno Amlak's troops who are given more trouble but eventually defeat the last remnants of the Zagwe Dynasty and march into Tigray where Amlak appeals to a shared civilization as you mention, building a new culture from there.

If TTL's Ethiopia expands towards the Red Sea and comes into control of Eritrea, I can see contacts between Ethiopia and Asia being expanded but you might also see increased contacts with European Christendom as well - I'd presume it'd be either through Egypt or with the Portuguese on the high seas.
If the Zagwes' succession struggles get even worse than they did and lead to an Ethiopian civil war, I can see Yekuno Amlak coming in and reunifying Ethiopia under his grasp while regions that were under the control of the Roha government are too heavily damaged to offer much resistance to the advance of the Amhara armies. This also allows him to impose Amhara culture on the Tigrayans and Agaws in combination with the settlement of large numbers of Amharas in these northern districts as an extreme assimilation process results in the formation of a new Ethiopian culture.

The power of the Solomonid Monarchs would reinforce the legend of Prester John, leading to an influx of Western knowledge and technology into Ethiopia who maintains rough parity with the rest of the Christendom throughout the ages which could lead to Ethiopia dominating the Horn of Africa after expanding even further.
 
Perhaps Zara Yaqob of Ethiopia could learn a thing or two about Chinese statecraft through Zheng He's Treasure Fleet, or part of it, making a stopover at Eritrea?
 
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Answering your main query I rather like the word despotism. Totalitarianism is more akin to the 20th century due to its total control of society. Alsso given the means pre-1900 these are limited.

An African despotism could be rather simple to establish: You would could need the following:
a) Charismatic ruler (King, Emperor, Paramount Chief or whatever). Some form of theocracy would be in better base endure in time to than personal rule.
b) The belief they are the salt of the Earth due to their religious belief, language or culture (the national or regional philosophy or creed)
c) Rules that change established social mores and custom. Like direct central intervention in the naming or selection of village or clan authorities.
b+c could lead to a form of proto-nationalism​
d) The development of loyalties beyond the clan and transfer the loyalty to the charismatic ruler or dynasty.
e) a strong and loyal army. If recruitment is made to all subjects it would erode local and clan loyalties.
g) a rudimentary bureaucracy, at least to collect taxes.
f) the control of a key natural resource (salt, ivory, gold, iron, water or food) or control of an important trade route or market

Some examples are
*the Zulus
* the Fula jihads (that are good example)
*Any Akan polity, if they had a more consistent political control, and
*the West African griots (storytellers, singers and social commentators) that could had built a common culture and myths or least common cultural elements for the region.
 
If the Zagwes' succession struggles get even worse than they did and lead to an Ethiopian civil war, I can see Yekuno Amlak coming in and reunifying Ethiopia under his grasp while regions that were under the control of the Roha government are too heavily damaged to offer much resistance to the advance of the Amhara armies. This also allows him to impose Amhara culture on the Tigrayans and Agaws in combination with the settlement of large numbers of Amharas in these northern districts as an extreme assimilation process results in the formation of a new Ethiopian culture.

The power of the Solomonid Monarchs would reinforce the legend of Prester John, leading to an influx of Western knowledge and technology into Ethiopia who maintains rough parity with the rest of the Christendom throughout the ages which could lead to Ethiopia dominating the Horn of Africa after expanding even further.
As you mentioned above, the increasingly authoritarian manner in which Yekuno Amlak unites Ethiopia could definitely do this - might even result in Ethiopia being mostly homogenous with the Amharas dominating culturally and demographically.

Most likely.
Perhaps Zara Yaqob of Ethiopia could learn a thing or two about Chinese statecraft through Zheng He's Treasure Fleet, or part of it, making a stopover at Eritrea?
If Zara Yaqob pushes through his own quasi-totalitarian reforms and centralizes the Ethiopian government, texts on Chinese statecraft would definitely assist in at the very least making his reforms permanent on paper and provide a treatise for his successors to follow - increased contacts between Ethiopia and China via Zheng He might see other philosophies making their way into Ethiopia as well.
Answering your main query I rather like the word despotism. Totalitarianism is more akin to the 20th century due to its total control of society. Also given the means pre-1900 these are limited.

An African despotism could be rather simple to establish: You would could need the following:
a) Charismatic ruler (King, Emperor, Paramount Chief or whatever). Some form of theocracy would be in better base endure in time to than personal rule.
b) The belief they are the salt of the Earth due to their religious belief, language or culture (the national or regional philosophy or creed)
c) Rules that change established social mores and custom. Like direct central intervention in the naming or selection of village or clan authorities.
b+c could lead to a form of proto-nationalism​
d) The development of loyalties beyond the clan and transfer the loyalty to the charismatic ruler or dynasty.
e) a strong and loyal army. If recruitment is made to all subjects it would erode local and clan loyalties.
g) a rudimentary bureaucracy, at least to collect taxes.
f) the control of a key natural resource (salt, ivory, gold, iron, water or food) or control of an important trade route or market

Some examples are
*the Zulus
* the Fula jihads (that are good example)
*Any Akan polity, if they had a more consistent political control, and
*the West African griots (storytellers, singers and social commentators) that could had built a common culture and myths or least common cultural elements for the region.
Good description and examples! I can also see various Somali Sultanates (Ajuran, Majerteen, etc.) being included as apart of these groups.
 
Perhaps Zara Yaqob of Ethiopia could learn a thing or two about Chinese statecraft through Zheng He's Treasure Fleet, or part of it, making a stopover at Eritrea?
As OurSacredWar points out, Zara Yaqob needs to successfully implement his reforms and secure Ethiopian control over Eritrea - having him finish what Amda Seyon started in expanding Ethiopia to include the profitable but Muslim-dominated trade routes in the Ethiopian hinterland would certainly help.
 
As OurSacredWar points out, Zara Yaqob needs to successfully implement his reforms and secure Ethiopian control over Eritrea - having him finish what Amda Seyon started in expanding Ethiopia to include the profitable but Muslim-dominated trade routes in the Ethiopian hinterland would certainly help.
Preventing the founding of the Adal Sultanate by the remnants of the Walashma Dynasty from the Ethiopian conquest of the Ifat Sultanate could assist with Ethiopia's stability but if it does come along in this timeline of yours, it could act as an enemy to rally against for all Ethiopians under their current Emperor's leadership.
 
I was researching articles about the neo-Stalinist reign of Mengistu Haile Mariam in Ethiopia and began to wonder about something - is there a way to have centralized governments in Africa gradually shift towards Totalitarianism and establish their own Totalitarian philosophies?
Gugsa of Yejju attempted to make all land in Ethiopia state property. That would be a step towards totalitarianism.
 
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