Great African Kingdoms:
A Simple Timeline
Before Current Era
c3000
Egypt united as one Kingdom
800BCE - CE 250 Kingdom of Kush (including parts of what is now Sudan and
Egypt)
500BCE - CE 250 Nok culture in West Africa
Current Era
700-800
c750
1200-1400
c1350
c1400
1440-1606
1464
1486
1640
1680
1730
1818
1874
1879
1897
Islam spreads into West Africa across the Sahara desert
Kingdom of Ghana at its strongest
Kingdom of Great Zimbabwe
Kingdom of Mali
Kingdom of Ife
Kingdom of Benin
Sonni Ali the Great becomes ruler of the Kingdom of Songhay
Portugese traders make contact with Benin
Beginning of civil war in Benin
Asante states come under the rule of one king
Oyo Kingdom at the height of its power
Shaka becomes leader of the Zulu Kingdom
Capital of the Asante Kingdoms captured by the British
British Army first defeated by Zulu army
Benin captured and looted by the British
A note on dates:
In this timeline the terms BCE (Before Current Era) and CE (Current Era) have been used instead
of BC (Before Christ) and AD (Anno Domini, meaning in the Year of Our Lord). This is because BC
and AD are Christian ways of listing dates, and people may prefer not to use the Christian
calendar. Era means age or group of years. For simplicity the start date for the Current Era is
taken as 0 AD.
Teacher’s Notes:
This timeline only covers a small part of the history of a large and complex
continent. Since the names of the Kingdoms and places cannot be found on
contemporary maps, a good starting point would be to provide an old map of Africa
(see pick n’ mix), for students to see where these highly advanced and successful
Kingdoms were located. This can then lead onto discussions about the vast size of
some of these Kingdoms and their territories, and what gave them coherence and
strength.
Teachers may also want students to choose a date, and compare and contrast what
was happening at the time in different parts of Africa, with their own country
and/or continent they live in.
Finding Out More Yourself
Teachers may want to refer to the briefing on ‘Africa before the Transatlantic
Slave Trade’ to find out more about the contributions that Africa and Africans
have made to world history. Teachers may want to read the briefings, and adapt
them for groups of different ages and abilities.
Structured Enquiry Task
This timeline could be used to encourage students to question information for its
accuracy and whether it is telling the full story or not. For example, do we learn
that civilisations in Africa were developed to a higher degree than in Europe in the
14th or 15th centuries? In school textbooks all over the world, a limited amount of
information about African history is given, in some countries less than others. Why
might this be? What effect does it have on our ideas and perceptions of Africa
and its importance in the world?
The task and challenge for students is therefore to find out more! Teachers could
set up a structured piece of research, which would be based on developing
students’ knowledge and understanding, as well as research and presentation skills.
Teachers could try to provide a range of resources, for example written and visual
materials from the internet (see the ‘Links’ pages for this section) or from your
local library. Some museums may have good and relevant collections and it may be
valuable for teachers to organise a school trip. Oral history is also a very important
way of telling stories about the past that might not be written down. If it is
possible, why not invite an older person from your local community in to school, to
tell students about some of the ancient Kingdoms of Africa, which existed
thousands of years before the Europeans arrived. Teachers should look at some of
the earliest inventions and discoveries made by peoples of ancient Africa, showing
tangible examples where possible.
Format:
Clearly state what students are expected to produce as evidence of their research
and learning. You could ask for:
 A piece of creative writing in the form of an essay or report.
 A short presentation to their class, for example using images, a white/chalk
board, or if it is possible, a projector or Microsoft PowerPoint.
 Depending on the subject, teachers may want to ask students to dramatise
their findings, making them into a sketch or a play. Students could visually
depict one or more aspects of an ancient African Kingdom of their choice. Or
they could make a replica of a traditional African artefact with an explanation
of how and what it was used for. Almost all traditional African artefacts have
strong and significant meanings, so it is important that whatever students make
or design, are well researched.
Timing:
Students will need a clear, realistic deadline, and adequate time to do this task
well. We recommend about two hours of class time, in addition to time spent
researching in the school or local library, on the internet or using other forms of
research.
Tips:
 Tell local museums and libraries in advance to expect a visit from local school
students. This allows them time to think about what resources they have
available. They may also have a specialist on the subject who could do a short
talk or answer questions that students have.
 It will take students some time to access good information, so be sure to set
enough time aside, both during lessons and at home.
 Tell students that they need to be critical of the information they find and
that they will need to edit and redraft it into their own style. Good researchers
never copy chunks from books, and they always include a credit to acknowledge
the original source.
Debriefing
At the end of the research project, provide an opportunity for students to share
what they have learnt with each other, and see what others have done. Ensure that
you tell students you will do this at the start of the project, because it can be a
powerful motivator and help to raise confidence, expectations and achievement.
Acknowledgement: This is based on an exercise devised by trainee History teachers at the Faculty of Education of The
University of The West of England, Bristol and Dean Smart, their group tutor