Colonialism played a significant role in distorting the history and perception of Africa.
Until recently, when scientific proof debunked age-long misconceptions about the continent, many Schools of thought did not recognize Africa’s contribution to civilization and humanity in general.
Enormous footprints of civilization were present in many ancient African kingdoms like Kemet, Bini, Timbuktu, Ta Seti, Great Zimbabwe, and Ashanti before the colonial era.
Sadly, there are very few traces of these monuments today, and more people are coming to terms with the reality that the West destroyed African civilization through colonialism.
Many aspects of African history were undocumented and altered to suit the western agenda; proofs of Africa’s contribution to the many scientific developments in engineering, mathematics, architecture, and medicine were relegated to the background.
Critics have continued to argue that the continent deserves credit for introducing the monarchy system of government, which is still practiced in Great Britain.
Before the colonial era, many kingdoms participated in extensive international trading networks and trans-oceanic travel.
Critics believe that it was the international trades that exposed Africa to destruction and looting.
The West carried out orchestrated plans to eliminate African rulers, destroy traces of civilization, and wipe out its history.
To achieve this, they imposed the concept of colonialism to enable control and looting of resources from the African continent.
It was no coincidence that the West burnt down every ancient African kingdom it conquered to wipe out traces of civilization already in existence in these kingdoms.
As revealed in Walter Rodney’s book titled ‘How Europe Underdeveloped Africa,’ a European traveler who encountered the greatness of the Bini kingdom documented his astonishment at the level of civilization in the ancient city, saying:
“The town seems to be very great.
When you enter into it, you go into a great broad street, not paved, which seems to be seven or eight times broader than the Warmoes street in Amsterdam.
The King’s palace is a collection of buildings that occupy as much space as the town of Harlem, enclosed with walls.
“There are numerous apartments for the Prince’s ministers and fine galleries, most of which are as big as those on the Exchange at Amsterdam.
They are supported by wooden pillars encased with copper, where their victories are depicted, and which are carefully kept very clean.
The town is composed of thirty main streets, very straight and 120 feet wide, apart from an infinity of small intersecting streets.
“The houses are close to one another, arranged in good order.
These people are in no way inferior to the Dutch regarding cleanliness; they wash and scrub their houses so well that they are polished and shining like a looking glass.”
Like in every ancient African kingdom, the West destroyed the Bini Kingdom and burnt it to the ground in 1897 after conquering it.
Many priceless artifacts looted from the territory are [shamelessly] displayed in museums around the world.
Many critics are unrepentant in their assertions that colonialism remains the worst evil to have come into Africa.
But it’s True!
Colonialism buried alot of the Ancient African Past!
