D
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So having a thought as I often do, I was thinking what the effects of no Islam would be on West Africa, that is Songhai, Ghana, and Mali. historically Africa’s medieval Islamic domains.
Let’s posit a scenario where Islam never arises and Christianity remains in North Africa. And over the next two centuries, trans Saharan trade brings Christianity to subsaharan Africa in the western Sahel and its appendant regions.
This process would no doubt quite a long time. Possibly centuries due to the lack of the Islamic trade networks of which the Hajj to Mecca was an important part.
Anyway, let’s assume by the 13th and 14th centuries the region that was historically Islamicized became Christianized.
Now the interesting aspect is what this means for the concept of Christendom. Assuming Persia and India and Asia in general do not become Christian in any official sense.
There will be greater economic and social contacts between Europe and Western Africa before the age of colonization, and thus before the slave trade. If west African kingdoms develop contacts with European ones and the papacy.
Obviously there would still be great distances and likely inter placed Berber Christians in North Africa.
Assuming say there were occasional intermarriages between African and European kingdoms which were chrisrianized and good trade contacts, how does this affect the development of European identity in the latter half of the second millennium.
If Africa and Europe are at least tentatively part of the same sphere culturally, does this change European colonization and exploration? At least in any theoretical way? Will ideas of race and nation emerge differently?
(given Christian prohibitions in the era against enslaving fellow Christians, I expect this will mean a very different slave trade, if it exists in the same form).
Might we see a broader concept of the “West” that runs through Mesopotamia to Eastern Africa. As opposed to the infidel orient. Of Zoroastrians and Manichaeans and Hindus?
As opposed to the divide in western Eurasia between Christendom and the Dar al Islam?
Thoughts? Commentary?
Let’s posit a scenario where Islam never arises and Christianity remains in North Africa. And over the next two centuries, trans Saharan trade brings Christianity to subsaharan Africa in the western Sahel and its appendant regions.
This process would no doubt quite a long time. Possibly centuries due to the lack of the Islamic trade networks of which the Hajj to Mecca was an important part.
Anyway, let’s assume by the 13th and 14th centuries the region that was historically Islamicized became Christianized.
Now the interesting aspect is what this means for the concept of Christendom. Assuming Persia and India and Asia in general do not become Christian in any official sense.
There will be greater economic and social contacts between Europe and Western Africa before the age of colonization, and thus before the slave trade. If west African kingdoms develop contacts with European ones and the papacy.
Obviously there would still be great distances and likely inter placed Berber Christians in North Africa.
Assuming say there were occasional intermarriages between African and European kingdoms which were chrisrianized and good trade contacts, how does this affect the development of European identity in the latter half of the second millennium.
If Africa and Europe are at least tentatively part of the same sphere culturally, does this change European colonization and exploration? At least in any theoretical way? Will ideas of race and nation emerge differently?
(given Christian prohibitions in the era against enslaving fellow Christians, I expect this will mean a very different slave trade, if it exists in the same form).
Might we see a broader concept of the “West” that runs through Mesopotamia to Eastern Africa. As opposed to the infidel orient. Of Zoroastrians and Manichaeans and Hindus?
As opposed to the divide in western Eurasia between Christendom and the Dar al Islam?
Thoughts? Commentary?
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