Includes bibliographical references (pages 282-306) and index.

Foreword. Reclaiming ancestral narratives / Sir David Adjaye -- Introduction. Kings, kingship and kingdoms in African history / John Parker -- Ancient Egypt and Nubia: kings of flood and kings of rain / David Wengrow -- The Sudanic empires: the gold, the arts, the river / Rahmane Idrissa -- The Solomonic Christian kingdom of Ethiopia / Habtamu Tegegne and Wendy Laura Belcher -- The Yoruba and Benin kingdoms / Olatunji Ojo -- The Kongo kingdom / C�ecile Fromont -- Buganda / John Parker -- From Hausa kingdoms to the Sokoto caliphate / Muhammadu Mustapha Gwadabe -- The Akan forest kingdom of Asante / John Parker -- The Zulu kingdom / Wayne Dooling.

"A groundbreaking, sweeping overview of the great kingdoms in African history and their legacies, written by world-leading experts. This is the first book for non-specialists to explore the great precolonial kingdoms of Africa that have been marginalized throughout history. Great Kingdoms of Africa aims to decenter European colonialism and slavery as the major themes of African history and instead explore the kingdoms, dynasties, and city-states that have shaped cultures across the African continent. This groundbreaking book offers an innovative and thought-provoking overview that takes us from ancient Egypt and Nubia to the Zulu Kingdom almost two thousand years later. Each chapter is written by a leading historian, interweaving political and social history and drawing on a rich array of sources, including oral histories and recent archaeological findings. Great Kingdoms of Africa is a timely and vital book for anyone who wants to expand their knowledge of Africa's rich history"--