Alright I have being checking a lot about Africa recently and I have come with a list of bits that should probably be considered:
West Africa
My problem mostly comes with the circumstances surrounding the foundation of the Mali Empire in the map. It boths overestimates the size of the kingdom of Soumauro and underestimates the Imperial size of Mali under Sundiata. The foundation of the empire simply appears as a change of the main title and a change of dynasty.
Is generally accepted that Ghana started its great decline around 1077 (the motives are disputable and vary from Almoravid invasion, desertification of the fertile land or some dude killing a magical snake). As such this should be the point of the game in which the state starts to fragment.
Soumaoro Kanté appears as the all mighty king of a Ghana at its peak. I would argue that’s even questionable for him to have the kingdom of Ghana title as the original Cissé Dynasty still ruled an independent state (and would continue ruling as Malian vassals) in the Wagadou region despite losing the city of Koumbi Saleh.
During his time the lands of Oualata and Siby (Which I guess it’s equivalent to Sibiridugu) should be independent and be ruled by Kamandjan Kamara, Mema should be ruled by Musa Tounkara and also unconquered (there are others but Mali has few counties in the game and I am just pointing the things that don’t require redrawing the map).
While the Ghana ruled by Soumaoro Kanté is too big, the Mali ruled by Sundiata is too small, his campaigns to the west reached all the way to Futa Jallon so all the lands of the west Sahel sans the two coastal counties belonging to Takrur should be added within his lifetime as well. Those two last counties were annexes by Sakoura in 1285. (May I also say that it would be a good idea to chage Wolof culture to a more generic Fulani as I think the elites of Takrur spoke Serer)
I would complain about the Mali Empire not being an empire despite being at its peak the second biggest country on Earth after the Mongols. But since the counties are EXTRA THICC and with few holdings because reasons, and HIP has a minimum of holdings to hold an Empire, I will not put that into question.
The counties in the Sahara involved in the gold trade should also be portrayed as either part of the Empire o tributaries as they were very much in control of the Mande population during the Empire’s heyday.
As for the families of the people involved. Soumaoro Kanté is missing his son Balla, his sister Kita and nephew Fakoli (who would become a Malian vassal ruling over Sosso).
Sundiata is missing his half-sister Nana Triban. His older half-brother Dankaran Touman appears as much older of what he probably was in relation to Sundiata. The succession is also fishy. Dankaran Touman appears as dying and Sundiata succeeding him as a vassal of Soumaoro Kanté. Dankaran was simply deposed and died in exile, Sundiata was never a vassal of Kante as he lived in the court of the independent ruler of Mema.
Central Africa
This one is much more general. I have no idea what’s going on with Kanem, it basically pops as a kingdom out of nowhere in the 13th century although is generally accepted that the state had existed in some capacity since the 8th century. Also, despite being commonly called the Kanem-Bornu Empire, the map seems to make Bornu an independent state in every start date (?). By the 13th century Kanem should have expanded into North Hausaland.
As for Hausaland, the fact that the map doesn’t change during the entire game is worrisome. I don’t remember every detail of The Kano Chronicle but the city didn’t gain its prominence until the second millennium, and certainly it shouldn't occupy half Hausaland in the 9th century, a time in which Daura was by Hausa tradition the only real city of Hausaland.
Sources:
West Africa
My problem mostly comes with the circumstances surrounding the foundation of the Mali Empire in the map. It boths overestimates the size of the kingdom of Soumauro and underestimates the Imperial size of Mali under Sundiata. The foundation of the empire simply appears as a change of the main title and a change of dynasty.
Is generally accepted that Ghana started its great decline around 1077 (the motives are disputable and vary from Almoravid invasion, desertification of the fertile land or some dude killing a magical snake). As such this should be the point of the game in which the state starts to fragment.
Soumaoro Kanté appears as the all mighty king of a Ghana at its peak. I would argue that’s even questionable for him to have the kingdom of Ghana title as the original Cissé Dynasty still ruled an independent state (and would continue ruling as Malian vassals) in the Wagadou region despite losing the city of Koumbi Saleh.
During his time the lands of Oualata and Siby (Which I guess it’s equivalent to Sibiridugu) should be independent and be ruled by Kamandjan Kamara, Mema should be ruled by Musa Tounkara and also unconquered (there are others but Mali has few counties in the game and I am just pointing the things that don’t require redrawing the map).
While the Ghana ruled by Soumaoro Kanté is too big, the Mali ruled by Sundiata is too small, his campaigns to the west reached all the way to Futa Jallon so all the lands of the west Sahel sans the two coastal counties belonging to Takrur should be added within his lifetime as well. Those two last counties were annexes by Sakoura in 1285. (May I also say that it would be a good idea to chage Wolof culture to a more generic Fulani as I think the elites of Takrur spoke Serer)
I would complain about the Mali Empire not being an empire despite being at its peak the second biggest country on Earth after the Mongols. But since the counties are EXTRA THICC and with few holdings because reasons, and HIP has a minimum of holdings to hold an Empire, I will not put that into question.
The counties in the Sahara involved in the gold trade should also be portrayed as either part of the Empire o tributaries as they were very much in control of the Mande population during the Empire’s heyday.
As for the families of the people involved. Soumaoro Kanté is missing his son Balla, his sister Kita and nephew Fakoli (who would become a Malian vassal ruling over Sosso).
Sundiata is missing his half-sister Nana Triban. His older half-brother Dankaran Touman appears as much older of what he probably was in relation to Sundiata. The succession is also fishy. Dankaran Touman appears as dying and Sundiata succeeding him as a vassal of Soumaoro Kanté. Dankaran was simply deposed and died in exile, Sundiata was never a vassal of Kante as he lived in the court of the independent ruler of Mema.
Central Africa
This one is much more general. I have no idea what’s going on with Kanem, it basically pops as a kingdom out of nowhere in the 13th century although is generally accepted that the state had existed in some capacity since the 8th century. Also, despite being commonly called the Kanem-Bornu Empire, the map seems to make Bornu an independent state in every start date (?). By the 13th century Kanem should have expanded into North Hausaland.
As for Hausaland, the fact that the map doesn’t change during the entire game is worrisome. I don’t remember every detail of The Kano Chronicle but the city didn’t gain its prominence until the second millennium, and certainly it shouldn't occupy half Hausaland in the 9th century, a time in which Daura was by Hausa tradition the only real city of Hausaland.
Sources:
- "The Epic of Sundiata" in it's Portuguese translation.
- "The Kano Chronicle" in it's H. R. Palmer translation.
- “The Dynamics of Feudalism in Bornu” and "The Bornu king lists" by Ronald Cohen
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