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Season 2 Episode
- Season 2 Desert Empires
- Season 2 City States and Civilisations
- Season 2 Coast and Conquest
- Season 2 Southern Kingdoms
- Season 2 The Golden Stool
- Season 2 No Longer at Ease
- Season 2 Slavery and Suffering
- Season 2 Slavery and Salvation
- Season 2 Diamonds, Gold and Greed
- Season 2 Kongo and the Scramble for Africa
- Season 2 Resistance and Liberation
The History of Africa - Season 2 Episode 1 Desert Empires
0.00 48 minutes In this first episode Zeinab Badawi visits rarely seen historic sites and magnificent ruins in Mali and Mauritania in West Africa. We hear from Africans about how trans-Saharan trade, mainly in gold, meant that by about the 7th century rich kingdoms became established in West Africa. These eventually gave rise to three of the greatest empires on the continent, including the Mali Empire which began in the 13th century. Under armed guard Zeinab visits the fabled city of Timbuktu, which was overrun by extremists in 2012. Mali's ruler Mansa Musa was reputedly the wealthiest individual to have ever lived. In Desert Empires Zeinab Badawi brings a rich narrative of a period in Africa's history when it was a significant player in the world economy, and influenced global thinking through great centres of learning.
