Important lessons about West African history Essay

In light of current events the resurgence of racism in the U. S. , the political and social upheavals in Africa, and other sad legacies of 300 eld of slave trade and colonialism it is easy to forget that in many ways, Africans brought these evils upon themselves. In the historical novel Segu by Afro-French Caribbean scholar Maryse Conde, we are presented with a vivid enactment of the political struggles and infighting, as well as social and cultural conflicts that put enough stress on traditional African societies so as to fall by the wayside their exploitation by European powers as well as Arabs and Ottoman Turks.These sweeping events are presented in miniature through the story of Dousika Traore, advisor to the tabby of Bambara in the city of Segu (located in present-day Mali on the Niger River). His four sons represent the major forces that were tearing at the fabric of traditional African society during the belated eighteenth century Islam, Christianity, the slave trade an d Western-style capitalism. Tiekoro, the eldest raises his back on tradition and embraces Islam, a rigidly ancient faith with harsh, ascetic demands.It requires that he turn his back on the ancestors, protectors of his clan, (Conde, 35), and required that a man give up many pleasures Monzon, even though he made use of the services of Islamic marabouts, had feelings of the greatest repugnance against Islam, which castrated men, reduced the number of wives they might have, and forbade dolo an alcoholic beverage . Could a man live without dolo? Without it, where was he to find the strength to face for each one succeeding day? (131).Tiekoro soon learns some hard features, however, especially in Part I, Chapter 8, as his natural physical drives come between him and his desire to manufacture a devout Muslim. Naba, the youngest, is captured and sold into slavery. While the popular TV mini-series, Roots depicted this sort of kidnapping as perpetrated by white slave-catchers, the real ity is this was rarely done. Most often as depicted in Segu this happened as the result of kidnapping or capture by other black Africans (typically of a impact nation or clan) or Muslim traders.In fact, it is noteworthy that Conde depicts the aristocracy of the kingdom as more than willing to finance their traditionally hedonistic disembodied spiritstyles by means of the slave trade. Malobali embraces Christianity, another influence of white Europeans. In part, he appears to be driven to this, being pressured by his elder brother Tiekoro, who thinks what is safe(p) for him is good for the others (165). Eventually, he embraces Christianity (252), which involves losing his name and his language as he is renamed Samuel and taught the French language.Yet cultural and family issues (251-292) come between him and his full acceptance of what, like Islam, is a patriarchal and restrictive faith at odds with the cultural values with which he is raised. Siga is the son who attempts to ho ld on to the traditions of his father. Dousikas death fairly early in the novel (135) is symbolic of a culture and a society that is dying all around him. As a younger son, Siga is not in a position of power, yet resists Tiekoros authority and attempts to force the family to accept Islam.Nonetheless, the forces tearing apart traditional society and culture are too powerful for him ultimately, Siga adopts the life and occupation of a merchant of wares, enabling him to live in some degree of comfort, but stripping him of what status he might have enjoyed as Dousikas son.In Segu, the reader has an excellent opportunity to see the slave trade and the exploitive colonization of Africa from the African perspective, gaining a greater understanding of the fact that no people in history have even been conquered without inside help. Work Cited Conde, Maryse. Segu. English ed. (New York Penguin Books, 1987)