Elizabeth I's offer from the Moroccan Sultan

[AndyC]

Discuss @Youngmarshall 's latest article here

 

[von mises]

Well, that's my AH dreams of revenge for the Armada down the drain.

I suppose in a way it demonstrates the lack of knowledge a lot of people have about African history as compared to European - a WI this chap helped another European power take a European power type thing, while ignoring pretty much everything about him - a real Prester John, I suppose.

The worst thing about it is that the Borno Empire might as well be Space-Filling-Empire #256 for all I know about them.

 

[AndyC]

When @Youngmarshall first sent me this article, my first thought was that this guy would have been supreme at the board game Diplomacy.

 

[Thande]

Excellent article @Youngmarshall , presumably this ties in with the research you did for your recent TLIAW.

The worst thing about it is that the Borno Empire might as well be Space-Filling-Empire #256 for all I know about them.

The remarkable thing about the Bornu Empire (or Kanem-Bornu) is that it lasted for five hundred years (and was founded as a kingdom long before that, around the time of the Viking invasions of England). Quite impressive continuity. In fact a remnant of a remnant still exists as a traditional monarchy within Nigeria: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borno_Emirate

I think part of the problem with West African history is that most of the cities just aren't well known to a Western audience - except Timbuctoo obviously, but half the people who know that name think it's a fictional El Dorado or something.

 

[Alex Richards]

Not the big inland ones anyway. People probably know Lagos

 

[Arthur_Phuxache]

Fascinating stuff.

 

[Charles EP M.]

I do love how you lead us one way and then go "no, that AH would be silly" before we get actually plausible alternatives