Questions are listed below
INSTRUCTIONS
Unit 7 Essay: Using Written Sources to Study African History
Introduction
Historians who study the continent of Africa often run into problems acquiring and interpreting primary sources when they study Ancient and Medieval Africa. Considering these issues, this assignment asks you try your hand at interpretation and articulate some potential challenges with using the available written historical record to discuss African pasts.
One reason that historians of Africa struggle is the dearth of historical accounts written by Medieval Africans themselves. From about 800 to 1500 CE, many African cultures relied primarily on oral traditions (for example, see: griots), and did not emphasize written recorded histories. Therefore many of the written accounts we have regarding African societies during this time frame were recorded by visitors to the continent. Relying on accounts written by outsiders means that there aren’t necessarily, but there can be misunderstandings of African practices, glaring silences, and even overt judgment casting African societies in a negative light.
This paper assignment intends to have you engage with some of the available written sources so you can assess the available information, explaining what conclusions you can draw about the relevant African society and also recognizing the limitations of using the provided primary sources. Most historians who study Africa combine their interpretation of these sorts of primary sources with in-depth knowledge of the region and the use of archaeology, linguistic evidence, and oral testimonies.
Instructions
Choose the Swahili Coast OR the Western Sudanic Empires. Then, write an approximately 3-paged paper (750 words) to answer the following questions using one of the primary source documents listed for your chosen region. Even though you are answering the question prompts provided, organize your answers into an essay with an introduction, several body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Please limit yourself to our textbook, the information available in this section’s supplementary materials, and the linked primary sources as you work on your paper. Don’t forget to cite these sources in your paper’s internal citations/footnotes and bibliography! Refer to the Guidelines for Writing Essaysfound in your syllabus.
Questions to address in your paper:
What does the primary source tell historians about the described society in terms of political organization, lifestyles/values, religious practices, the economy and/or its connections with the rest of the world?
What potential silences or misinterpretations are present in the primary source?
Overall, is the primary source a useful tool for historians hoping to learn about this society? Explain.
Option 1: The Swahili City-states
Primary source Options (choose one to analyze in your paper):
Fordham sourcebook, “On the Zanj” by Abu Uthman al Jahiz,(c. 860 CE)
Duarte Barbosa, “The East Coast of Africa at the Beginning of the Sixteenth Century,” (1540 CE)
Ibn Battuta, “The East African Coast,” (1331 CE) Battuta in East Africa
OR
Option 2: The Western Sudanic Empires
Primary Source Options (choose one to analyze in your paper):
The Description of Africa, (1526 CE) “Leo Africanus: Description of Timbuktu”
Ibn Battuta, “Mali,” (1352) Battuta in Mali
I think I included all the details. If the links included do not work let me know and I will upload the material.
login information
Abrister_gsou
EGBpeb15!!
Solution Preview
Introduction
It is a common problem for many historians who venture into analyzing the history of medieval and ancient Africa especially when the continent had no written literature. It especially between 800 CE – 1500 CE, the medieval and ancient Africans communicated their culture through oral means. As such, little written literature can be obtained from visitors who visited ancient visitors at that time. Such literatures can be misleading since they are written from a visitor perspective. As such, they may lack the significance of truth in the facts presented in them. They can also be imbalanced to misleading misjudgment which bend the current scholars in understanding the medieval and ancient African, Africans as well as their culture in a negative perspective.
(1,116 words)