Essay --

B00454342 AFST/HIST 283A, Introduction to African History December 16, 2013 1. (a) Africans and Europeans had religious relations. The spread of Christianity was introduced by the Byzantines, specifically in the Horn of Africa and the Nile Valley. They also had political and economic relations. When the European countries and empires, such as the Roman Empire and the Byzantine Empire, interest in Africa increased, they began to impose their rule on Africa. Europeans saw an opportunity for personal benefits in Africa because of its plethora of natural resources. These empires practiced mercantilism. European nations were the mother countries of Africa. The Europeans would use the colony for natural recourses and once these resources were obtained they would produce goods to sell back to the colonies. Another economic relation between the two was slavery. During the Atlantic Slave Trade, Europeans would buy and sell slaves from Africa. This also resulted in sexual relations between Africans and Europeans, resulting in mixed races. (b) In North and West Africa the Asians and Africans had religious, political, and economic relationships. The trade routes between Asia and North Africa are ancient due to the accessibility through the Suez Canal and the Bab el Mandeb. These trade routes allowed culture, traditions, religion, and ideas to culturally diffuse between the two countries. Religiously, the spread of Islam was mainly due to the expansion of the Muslim political system. Muslims were seen as liberators from the harsh rule of the Byzantines, so the Africans welcomed them. The Muslim government in North Africa allowed religious freedom. 2. (a) African Traditional Religions (ATRs) are pantheistic. The power of a god is manifeste... ... literate and was educated about the world. These elites formed social organizations, independent churches, and newspapers. Once independence was achieved Africans struggled taking control of the economy because they had no prior training, but politically they had some success. Therefore, African poverty was a result of colonial exploitation by the capitalist west. They became very dependent on trade, specifically imports, many of which came from their previous colonizers. However, colonization and decolonization expanded connections between Africans and the world beyond its borders. After decolonization, Africans increased their mobility out of the continent, furthering the cultural diffusion and Westernization of their customs, traditions, and beliefs. They also have altered the cultures of other peoples by influencing aspects of culture such as music and sports.