A Glimpse of Sudanic Africa in the Late 1500s

Dierk Lange and Silvio Berthoud's translation of the relevant sections of Giovanni Lorenzo Anania's L'Universale fabrica del mondo, overo cosmografia is a great service for those interested in the history of Sudanic Africa but cannot read Italian. Their translation and brief introduction elucidates how the subsequent editions of Anania's work expanded some sections on the interior of West Africa particularly those related to Kano. In addition, Anania's work includes references to a number of regions in the Lake Chad area, including Logone, Mandara, Bagirmi, and even information on the area of Darfur before the Keira sultans came to power in the 17th century. While, sadly, much of the information is based on Leo Africanus, Barros, Cadamosto, Marmol and other printed sources, Anania's contribution sheds light on European knowledge of Western and Central Sudanic Africa by 1582, before the fall of Songhay and preceding the existence of Wadai and Darfur as powerful kingdoms. 

One of the most interesting informants for Anania's work was Vincenzo Matteo, an Italian merchant from Raguse who had spent 7 years traveling in Sudanic Africa. Apparently, he was trying to travel to Ethiopia but was unable to do so. However, during his time in the "Land of the Blacks", Matteo was able to spend time in important cities like Kano and witness its economic ties to North Africa and Cairo. According to Matteo, Kano was one of the three most important commercial centers in Africa, along with Cairo and Fez. A large, walled city with 18 gates, the Portuguese allegedly tried to establish a comptoir there only to be frustrated by Cairo merchants who persuaded the sarki to say no to the Christians. How, exactly, would Portuguese have reached Kano in the 1500s if not from the south is a little difficult to understand, but it speaks to the European recognition of Kano's commercial significance. Indeed, for the trade in gold, ivory, pepper, the Hausa state had attracted many "white" gentlemen from Cairo who lived in comfort with horses and several slaves. This very same informant, Matteo, also claimed to have brought kola nuts to the sultan of Morocco.

Anania's work also tells us much about the powers of the Central Sudan. In this time, Kebbi, or Cabi, was still powerful enough for its ruler to be called an emperor by the "Blacks" of the area. Yet, the ruler of Borno seems even more magnificent, since Anania reported that the mai was able to field 100,000 troops against Cabi multiple times. While this is probably exaggeration, it does support the notion of Borno's great power and influence in the region, particularly in the exchange of gold, leather, horses, and slaves in the area. Anania's source also attests to the presence of Turkish mercenaries and adventurers and North African scholars in Borno, illustrating the state's strong ties to the Mediterranean. While particulars of the various towns and states of the Lake Chad region are less detailed, we learn that Mandara (or Mandra) was important for its iron minerals while other towns south of Lake Chad were engaged in trade with Mandara for iron or even centers of pilgrimage, like Galeo. One can gain a snapshot of some of the non-Muslim and Sao peoples living around Lake Chad whilst Borno was in the process of conquering or had just finished conquering these peoples, as recorded by Ahmad b. Furtu. 

Anania's brief mention of Uri and Goran, or what may have been the equivalent to Leo Africanus's Gaogo, are similarly worthy of mention. Uri, which appears to have been the commercial capital of the state which preceded Darfur and Wadai, was a major center of trade. Its king, supplied with weapons or arms from Cairo, was powerful enough to dominate several peoples such as the Zaghawa, Dagio, Masalit, Mimi, and other peoples in the vast region of western Sudan and eastern Chad. According to Anania, the Goran or Gauga were also worthy of attention. Although his wacky theories comparing the Goran to the Romani peoples or even claiming they were the descendants of ancient Egyptian priests of Isis are examples of pure speculation, the Goran, as a Tubu or Teda people, helps us to understand one of the early European references to a Tubu people. 

Even the Western Sudan and parts of West Africa in contact with the Portuguese are, in part, included in the description of the interior of West Africa. The kingdom of Benin, for example, or the Wolof and Mandingue peoples, appear with brief entries. Timbuktu is still at its apogee, with gold brought by "Mandinghi" merchants and attracting merchants from North Africa and Cairo. The Songhay rulers may have still upheld a prohibition on Jewish merchants, a lingering legacy of al-Maghili's influence on Askia Muhammad. There may even be a reference to the Tuareg and their tifinagh script, since Anania mentioned their use of the litham. Western Sudan, under the imperial base of Songhay, and Central Sudan, where Borno was entering a Golden Age, witnessed an efflorescence of culture and commerce that likely saw the consolidation of the 'Sudanic Road" from the Western Sudan to the Nile or Red Sea. Sadly, Vincenzo Matteo never made it to Ethiopia from West Africa, but such a journey would have held immeasurably great historical value for much of the African interior.