Precolonial Black Africa

Description: Precolonial Black Africa ITEM DESCRIPTION Product Description This comparison of the political and social systems of Europe and black Africa from antiquity to the formation of modern states demonstrates the black contribution to the development of Western civilization. About the Author Cheikh Anta Diop was a Senegalese historian, anthropologist, and scholar of Afrocentricity. Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. Precolonial Black Africa A Comparative Study of the Political and Social Systems of Europe and Black Africa, from Antiquity to the Formation of Modern States By Cheikh Anta Diop, Harold J. Salemson Chicago Review Press Incorporated Copyright © 1987 Lawrence Hill Books All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-1-55652-088-4 Contents PREFACE, I ANALYSIS OF THE CONCEPT OF CASTE, II SOCIO-POLITICAL EVOLUTION OF THE ANCIENT CITY, III FORMATION OF THE MODERN EUROPEAN STATES, IV POLITICAL ORGANIZATION IN BLACK AFRICA, V POLITICAL ORGANIZATION, VI ECONOMIC ORGANIZATION, VII IDEOLOGICAL SUPERSTRUCTURE: ISLAM IN BLACK AFRICA, VIII INTELLECTUAL LEVEL: TEACHING AND EDUCATION, IX TECHNICAL LEVEL, MIGRATIONS AND FORMATION OF PRESENT-DAY AFRICAN PEOPLES, Postface, CHAPTER 1 ANALYSIS OF THE CONCEPT OF CASTE It seems necessary at the outset to point out the specific features of the caste system, in order more clearly to bring out the difference in social structure which has always existed between Europe and Africa. The originality of the system resides in the fact that the dynamic elements of society, whose discontent might have engendered revolution, are really satisfied with their social condition and do not seek to change it: a man of so- In Africa, it is not rare for members of the lower caste to refuse to enter into conjugal relations with those of the higher caste, even though the reverse would seem more normal. MAJOR DIVISIONS WITHIN THE CASTE SYSTEM Let us proceed to a description of the internal structure of the caste system, before attempting an explanation of its origin. The present territory of Senegal will be used here as a model for study: nevertheless, the conclusions which are drawn from it hold true for the whole of detribalized Sudanese Africa. In Senegal, society is divided into slaves and freemen, the latter being gor, including both gér and ñéño. The gér comprise the nobles and all freemen with no manual profession other than agriculture, considered a sacred activity. The ñéño comprise all artisans: shoemakers, blacksmiths, goldsmiths, etc. These are hereditary professions. The djam, or slaves, include the djam-bur, who are slaves of the king; the djam neg nday, slaves of one's mother; and the djam neg bây, slaves of one's father. The gér formed the superior caste. But — and herein lay the real originality of the system — unlike the attitude of the nobles toward the bourgeoisie, the lords toward the serfs, or the Brahmans toward the other Indian castes, the gér could not materially exploit the lower castes without losing face in the eyes of others, as well as their own. On the contrary, they were obliged to assist lower caste members in every way possible: even if less wealthy, they had to "give" to a man of lower caste if so requested. In exchange, the latter had to allow them social precedence. The specific feature of this system therefore consisted in the fact that the manual laborer, instead of being deprived of the fruits of his labor, as was the artisan or the serf of the Middle Ages, could, on the contrary, add to it wealth given him by the "lord." Consequently, if a revolution were to occur, it would be initiated from above and not from below. But that is not all, as we shall see: members of all castes including slaves were closely associated to power, as de facto ministers; which resulted in constitutional monarchies governed by councils of ministers, made up of authentic representatives of all the peopl FEATURES Chicago Review Press About Us Returns Payment Shipping We are honored to welcome you as a loyal customer. Our goal is to give you an excellent product with an unbeatable value. We are pleased to offer extremely high quality products and accessories at the best prices you’ll find and our products are guaranteed to go well beyond your expectations! Thank you for shopping with us! We guarantee an easy returns process. In the unlikely event that you need to return your item, we've got you covered. We offer a 30-Day Hassle-Free Satisfaction Guarantee: 0% Restocking Fees Free shipping on returned items. To get started, message us through eBay messages and we’ll initiate your return process. We accept the following forms of payment: Paypal Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express After we ship your item within 1-2 business days, you will receive your order within 1-5 business days (on most items) We currently only ship domestically to the continental United States. We do not ship to Hawaii or Alaska. We do not ship internationally or to PO/APO Boxes.

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