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History of Africa

150 episodes - English - Latest episode: 2 months ago - ★★★★★ - 155 ratings

Take a deep dive deep into African history with this in-depth podcast. From Casablanca to Cape Town, tune in to this podcast to learn about the magnificent and oft-forgotten history of Africa. To access more free resources about African history, provide feedback, or support the show, check out our associated website at https://historyofafricapodcast.blogspot.com

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Episodes

Season 4 Episode 29: The Fall of the Twelve Hills

January 15, 2024 05:00 - 28 minutes - 29.1 MB

In a betrayal of previous commitments to Madagascar, Britain revoked its recognition of Malagasy sovereignty in a deal with France, in exchange for French recognition of a British protectorate over Zanzibar. Soon after this deal, the French invaded Madagascar, landing troops in Mahajanga and Toamasina. The final war to conquer Madagascar had begun.  

Season 4 Episode 28: The Malagasy Gold Rush

January 01, 2024 05:00 - 16 minutes - 17.3 MB

Rainilaiarivony makes a desperate bet to try and repair his nation's floundering economy following the end of the French blockade of Madagascar. His desperate solution: to open Madagascar's long dormant gold mines for business. 

S4E27: Madagascar’s Independence (Partially) Defended

December 18, 2023 20:47 - 24 minutes - 26.4 MB

As the French begin their invasion of Madagascar's major ports in 1883, the queen of Madagascar falls deathly ill. In this atmosphere of chaos, the prime minister Rainilaiarivony must mount a desperate attempt to protect Merina sovereignty with the help of an unexpected ally.

Season 4 Episode 27 Madagascar’s Independence (Partially) Defended

December 18, 2023 20:47 - 24 minutes - 26.4 MB

As the French begin their invasion of Madagascar's major ports in 1883, the queen of Madagascar falls deathly ill. In this atmosphere of chaos, the prime minister Rainilaiarivony must mount a desperate attempt to protect Merina sovereignty with the help of an unexpected ally.

Season 4 Episode 26: The Malagasy Take Manhattan

December 04, 2023 10:00 - 31 minutes - 29 MB

As Malagasy prime minister Rainilaiarivony tries to distance his kingdom from French commercial interests, the French strike back. Eager to avenge his country's recent defeat in Europe, the French head of state becomes increasingly invested in colonial conquest. In an effort to drum up international support, Malagasy diplomats make a trip to London, Paris, and New York City. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Season 4 Episode 25: Ranavalona II - Madagascar’s Christian Queen

November 20, 2023 10:00 - 28 minutes - 24 MB

As Rainilaiarivony radically reforms the government, educational system, and economy of the Kingdom of Madagascar, queen Ranavalona II radically reforms its religion when she officially converts the Merina Kingdom to Christianity. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Season 4 Episode 24: The Brother's Coup and Malagasy Constitution

November 06, 2023 10:00 - 37 minutes

In the aftermath of the controversial coup against Radama II, the new head of state, prime minister Rainivoninahitriniony, was in a tumultuous position. He and the fellow orchestrators of the coup had committed the unprecedented act of overthrowing the mpanjaka Imerina. He attempted to legitimize the bureaucratic takeover by marrying one of Radama's wives, Rasoherina, as well as drafting a new constitution for Imerina. While the constitution would last, Rainivoninahitriniony did not, and he w...

Season 4 Episode 24: The Brother’s Coup and Malagasy Constitution

November 06, 2023 10:00 - 37 minutes - 31.8 MB

In the aftermath of the controversial coup against Radama II, the new head of state, prime minister Rainivoninahitriniony, was in a tumultuous position. He and the fellow orchestrators of the coup had committed the unprecedented act of overthrowing the mpanjaka Imerina. He attempted to legitimize the bureaucratic takeover by marrying one of Radama's wives, Rasoherina, as well as drafting a new constitution for Imerina. While the constitution would last, Rainivoninahitriniony did not, and he ...

Season 4 Episode 23: Radama II

October 23, 2023 09:00 - 38 minutes - 31.3 MB

Radama II had a short reign over Madagascar, and his legacy is heavily debated. Charitable accounts of his reign paint him as a forward-thinking and humanitarian reformer, the "Renaissance Prince of Madagascar." However, more critical accounts highlight his capitulation to foreign interests and unwillingness to adhere to Merina norms of power sharing, leading to a dysfunctional government. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Season 4 Episode 22: The Lambert Coup

October 09, 2023 09:00 - 47 minutes - 51 MB

Ranavalona reluctantly begins to thaw the relations between her island kingdom and her long-time French adversaries. However, when a French businessman immediately tries to take advantage of the thaw, and prepares a coup to overthrow Ranavalona, place her son in power, and create a company with a monopoly on the Malagasy economy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Season 4 Episode 21: How Mad was the "Mad Queen" of Madagascar?

September 25, 2023 09:00 - 46 minutes

Ranavalona has a reputation that precedes her as Madagascar's most unhinged and cruel despot. However, while this narrative is based in some truth, it severely lacks in an understanding of the nuances of her reign. This episode examines the truth and fiction behind Ranavalona's reputation as the "mad empress" of Madagascar Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Season 4 Episode 21: How Mad was the ”Mad Queen” of Madagascar?

September 25, 2023 09:00 - 46 minutes - 41 MB

Ranavalona has a reputation that precedes her as Madagascar's most unhinged and cruel despot. However, while this narrative is based in some truth, it severely lacks in an understanding of the nuances of her reign. This episode examines the truth and fiction behind Ranavalona's reputation as the "mad empress" of Madagascar Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Abraham Samuel: From Lowly Pirate to King of Madagascar - FROM THE VAULT

September 11, 2023 09:00 - 15 minutes - 17.6 MB

Due to sickness, I'm releasing a premium episode from the vault while I take the time to recover. This premium episode focused on Abraham Samuel, a mixed-race Caribbean man who joined a pirate crew seeking adventure, freedom, and riches, only to suddenly find himself king of his own small country in southern Madagascar. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Season 4 Episode 20: Progress for the Few, Misery for the Many

August 28, 2023 09:00 - 33 minutes - 30.5 MB

The economic progress made under Ranavalona's early reign was seemingly awe-inspiring. The country had rapidly transformed from a feudal state pumping endless sums of cash into perpetually failing companies, into a more coherent system of state-run capitalism. However, this economic progress came at an enormous human price and was propped up by a system of horrifically brutal exploitation.This episode will focus on unfree labor within the Merina economy, with a focus on how the Merina system...

Season 4 Episode 19: Western Technology, Malagasy Spirit

August 14, 2023 09:00 - 35 minutes - 31.8 MB

Ranavalona hires a new group of foreign artisans like Jean Laborde and James Cameron to hasten the transformation of Madagascar into a modern, industrialized economy. Will the Merina Kingdom become the first industrialized country in Africa? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Season 4 Episode 18: The Rise of the "Mad Queen" of Madagascar

July 31, 2023 09:00 - 33 minutes

When Radama I died without a clear heir, his wife, Ranavalona I, allied with a group of military officers to secure her place as the new queen of Madagascar. Almost immediately, she was faced with numerous challenges, including revolts from conquered peoples, criminal lynch mobs attacking Christians, growing resentment against missionary schools, a stumbling economy, and a French invasion of the largest Malagasy port. Not to mention she has to do it all while ruling as a woman - something whi...

Season 4 Episode 18: The Rise of the ”Mad Queen” of Madagascar

July 31, 2023 09:00 - 33 minutes - 30.3 MB

When Radama I died without a clear heir, his wife, Ranavalona I, allied with a group of military officers to secure her place as the new queen of Madagascar. Almost immediately, she was faced with numerous challenges, including revolts from conquered peoples, criminal lynch mobs attacking Christians, growing resentment against missionary schools, a stumbling economy, and a French invasion of the largest Malagasy port. Not to mention she has to do it all while ruling as a woman - something wh...

Season 4 Episode 17: The Forges of Amoronkay

July 17, 2023 09:00 - 35 minutes - 24 MB

An industrial revolution in Southeast Africa?  Following the abolition of the slave trade in 1817, the future of the economy of Imerina was in flux. Looking for a replacement for the system of slave trading, the Merina king Radama initiates a strategy of industrialization, one of the first intentional industrialization initiatives in history. Large iron forging complexes, agricultural processing facilities, leather tanning centers, and gunpowder manufacturing facilities were all part of Rad...

Season 4 Episode 16: The Modernization of Madgascar part 1 - The Conquest of Toamasina

July 03, 2023 09:00 - 39 minutes - 26.9 MB

Prior to his coronation, the king of Imerina, Radama, promised to his father that he would expand the kingdom towards the coast. In 1817, he accomplished this goal, conquering the largest port on Madagascar's eastern coast, Toamasina. But this was only the beginning. With a new coastal possession, Imerina was launched into a global world of international politics. Starting in 1817, Radama initiated a crusade to "modernize" his kingdom, launching radical new reforms to its systems of educati...

Season 4 Episode 16: The Conquest of Toamasina

July 03, 2023 09:00 - 40 minutes - 27.3 MB

Prior to his coronation, the king of Imerina, Radama, promised to his father that he would expand the kingdom towards the coast. In 1817, he accomplished this goal, conquering the largest port on Madagascar's eastern coast, Toamasina. But this was only the beginning. With a new coastal possession, Imerina was launched into a global world of international politics. Starting in 1817, Radama initiated a crusade to "modernize" his kingdom, launching radical new reforms to its systems of educati...

Season 4 Episode 15: Radama the Great

June 19, 2023 09:00 - 30 minutes - 20.2 MB

If his father is the most remembered king in Madagascar, Radama is probably the best-known Malagasy king in the rest of the world. Radama is famous not only for leading the first major push to unify his home island but also for his later efforts to modernize and industrialize the Merina Empire. But how did this fascinating man come to power in the first place? Today, we track Radama's ascent from heir to the throne to the most powerful king in the history of Madagascar. Notre Dame Stories ...

Season 4 Episode 14: Andrianampoinimerina part 2 - The Birth of The Merina Empire

June 05, 2023 09:00 - 35 minutes - 24.1 MB

In our last episode, Andrianampoinimerina reunited the warring kingdoms of Imerina after seven decades of intermittent civil war. While this alone is a significant achievement, Andrianampoinimerina also had to shoulder the considerable burden of trying to repair his economically and socially devastated kingdom. Through smart and efficient use of the Fanamapoana corvee labor system, Andrianampoinimerina directed the repair, construction, and maintenance of hundreds of canals and dams, which g...

Season 4 Episode 14: Andrianampoinimerina and the Birth of The Merina Empire

June 05, 2023 09:00 - 35 minutes - 24.6 MB

In our last episode, Andrianampoinimerina reunited the warring kingdoms of Imerina after seven decades of intermittent civil war. While this alone is a significant achievement, Andrianampoinimerina also had to shoulder the considerable burden of trying to repair his economically and socially devastated kingdom. Through smart and efficient use of the Fanamapoana corvee labor system, Andrianampoinimerina directed the repair, construction, and maintenance of hundreds of canals and dams, which g...

Season 4 Episode 13: Andrianampoinimerina - The True Prince

May 22, 2023 09:00 - 34 minutes - 23.5 MB

Andrianampoinimerina is the most famous monarch in Malagasy history, and for good reason. At a young age, Andrianampoinimerina, still then known by his birth name Rambosalamarazaka, quickly emerged as the favorite to inherit the kingdom of Ambohimanga. However, the kingdom was instead inherited by his uncle Andrianjafy. Throughout his rule, the king would enact several unpopular policies. His failed wars against the king of Antananarivo led to economic strife, as did growing tribute demands...

Season 4 Episode 12: The Crisis of the 18th Century part 2: The Merina Civil War

May 08, 2023 09:00 - 30 minutes - 20.8 MB

After Andriamasinavalona's passing, his sons' feud will blossom into a 70-year long civil war. Communities will tear each other apart, slave raiding will reach new heights, and famine will re-emerge as a new threat.  Meanwhile, Merina rulers will engage in some experimental policies, like the minting of the region's first local coins, but mostly just kill each other. Notre Dame Stories Stories highlighting Notre Dame’s work to be a force for good in the world. Listen on: Apple Podcasts   S...

Season 4 Episode 11: The Crisis of the 18th Century Part 1 - Andriamasinvalona's Blunder

April 24, 2023 09:00 - 32 minutes

The 18th century will be a painful time for the people of Imerina. The once proud kingdom will devolve into a deadly multilateral civil war, splitting into dozens of smaller kingdoms, each suffering from intermittent famine and domination by foreign enemies. How could the kingdom of Andriamasinavalona, rapidly rising to become a major player in Madagascar, fall so far. The inciting incident lays at the feet of the otherwise great king Andriamasinavalona. The mpanjaka Imerina had spread his ki...

Season 4 Episode 11: The Crisis of the 18th Century Part 1 - Andriamasinvalona’s Blunder

April 24, 2023 09:00 - 32 minutes - 22.7 MB

The 18th century will be a painful time for the people of Imerina. The once proud kingdom will devolve into a deadly multilateral civil war, splitting into dozens of smaller kingdoms, each suffering from intermittent famine and domination by foreign enemies. How could the kingdom of Andriamasinavalona, rapidly rising to become a major player in Madagascar, fall so far. The inciting incident lays at the feet of the otherwise great king Andriamasinavalona. The mpanjaka Imerina had spread his ...

Season 4 Episode 10: Andriamasinavaloa and the Hova Revolution

April 10, 2023 09:00 - 28 minutes - 19.7 MB

The class conflict of Imerina comes to a head, as the free peasants of central Madagascar overthrow the hated king Razakatsitakatrandria. In his place they elevate Andriamasinavalona, a king far more willing to listen and act on their concerns, ushering in a golden age of Merina history. Notre Dame Stories Stories highlighting Notre Dame’s work to be a force for good in the world. Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify Support the show Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/ad...

Season 4 Episode 9: Betsimitatra and the Wonders of Merina Agricultural Engineering

March 27, 2023 09:00 - 30 minutes - 21 MB

As Andrianjaka passes his stable but poor kingdom to his grandchildren, they undertake an enormous project to improve the agricultural output of Imerina. Their largest project, consisting of the miles of canals and terraces of Betsimitatra, would go on to transform the destiny of Imerina's history. This project, completed using the fanampoana system of conscript labor,  would forever transform the demographics of Imerina by kicking off a decades-long trend of rapid Merina population growth. ...

Season 4 Episode 8: Andrianjaka - The Indivisible Sun

March 13, 2023 09:00 - 22 minutes - 15.6 MB

Despite being the younger of Ralambo's sons, Andrianjaka inherited the kingdom of Imerina due to his brother's board gaming addiction. He would make the most of this time, with some of the most important developments during his rule including: the foundation of Madagascar's most important city in Antananarivo, the canonization of religious practices surrounding the sampy, and the final expulsion of the remaining Vazimba from the kingdom. Support the show Learn more about your ad choices. V...

Season 4 Episode 7: Ralambo’s Wars

February 27, 2023 10:00 - 26 minutes - 18.2 MB

In the early 17th century, a raiding party of Sakalava soldiers entered Imerina. King Ralambo, faced with an existential threat, was forced to rely only on a combination of his own wit and divine assistance from the idol Kelimalaza. According to the Tantara, Kelimalaza assisted Ralambo in all of his shocking victories over his larger and better-equipped enemy armies.  Notre Dame Stories Stories highlighting Notre Dame’s work to be a force for good in the world. Listen on: Apple Podcasts   ...

Season 4 Episode 6: Sakalava - Madagascar’s First Empire

February 13, 2023 10:00 - 27 minutes - 18.7 MB

While Imerina is our primary focus this season, they were far from the pre-eminent power in 18th Century Madagascar. In today's show, let's learn about the first empire to truly dominate Madagascar, the equally fascinating and enigmatic kingdom known as Sakalava. Since our show is primarily told from the Merina perspective, they will be the primary "antagonists" of this season.  However, don't get it twisted: the Sakalava kingdom and its people were so much more than mere enemies of the Meri...

Season 4 Episode 5: Ralambo, the Miracle Child

January 30, 2023 10:00 - 30 minutes - 20.9 MB

Of all seven of the king's children, Ralambo was the only son to survive into adulthood. Emerging into a world through a miraculous birth, Ralambo's rule would be miraculous in its own right. From transforming his country's views on marriage, completely rewriting its system of religious worship, and setting up the foundations of its future class system, Ralambo's rule could be argued to be the true beginning of the Merina Kingdom. Notre Dame Stories Stories highlighting Notre Dame’s work to...

Season 4 Episode 4 - Andriamanelo, King of Alasora

January 16, 2023 10:00 - 24 minutes - 17.2 MB

With Rangita deceased, it is now time for her sons to live up to her promise to cooperate and share power. Which lasts about as long as you'd expect. With his brother dead, Andriamanelo now has to decide the direction of his rule. He will certainly make a lasting impact. Notre Dame Stories Stories highlighting Notre Dame’s work to be a force for good in the world. Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify Support the show Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Season 4 Episode 3: The Vazimba, Hova, and the Merina

January 02, 2023 10:00 - 25 minutes - 17.9 MB

In today's episode, we examine the Vazimba, the mysterious original inhabitants of inland Madagascar. Are they fact, fiction, or somewhere in between? Notre Dame Stories Stories highlighting Notre Dame’s work to be a force for good in the world. Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify Support the show Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Season 4 Episode 2: Settlers from All Shores

December 19, 2022 10:00 - 33 minutes - 23 MB

This episode charts the numerous hypotheses and perceptions of Madagascar's confusing early history of migrations, its place in the economic system of the ancient Indian Ocean, and the demographics that eventually became the ancestors of the Malagasy. Notre Dame Stories Stories highlighting Notre Dame’s work to be a force for good in the world. Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify Support the show Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Season 4 Episode 1: Madagascar - The Eighth Continent

December 05, 2022 10:00 - 22 minutes - 15.4 MB

Today, we take our first steps into the history of Madagascar by looking at some unique features of the island itself, including the various topological and climatic regions within, as well as its unique flora and fauna. Support the show Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sokoto Revolution ep. 4: A West African Caliphate

November 21, 2022 10:00 - 58 minutes - 40.5 MB

By the 1810s, the militant stage of the Sokoto Revolution was coming to an end. The Commander of the Believers, Usman Dan Fodio, had vanquished his enemies. What had started as a small social movement led by a charismatic iterant teacher had conquered the largest contiguous territory in the entirety of Africa. And, according to Fodio, this new state would be no ordinary empire, but a righteous state that carried on the legacy of the Prophet Muhammad himself. His imamate would be a government...

Sokoto Revolution ep. 3: From Shehu to Revolutionary

November 07, 2022 10:00 - 30 minutes - 21.1 MB

Just as tensions are heating to a fever pitch between Usman Dan Fodio and the Gobirawa Monarchy, the sudden death of Sarki Nafata seems like a sign of future relief. The young prince Yunfa, a former student of Fodio, comes to the throne. However, Yunfa's ascent would not mark the end of tension between the Jamaa and Gobir. Rather, it was the final step in the escalation of Gobir into a state of civil war that would eventually envelope all of Kasar Hausa. Notre Dame Stories Stories highlight...

Sokoto Revolution ep. 2: Usman Dan Fodio - Student and Teacher

October 24, 2022 09:00 - 35 minutes - 24.3 MB

In this episode we trace the beginnings of the empire of Gobir, the early life of Usman Dan Fodio, his intellectual and political influences, and the beginning of his rise to prominence during the rule of Sarki Bawa. Notre Dame Stories Stories highlighting Notre Dame’s work to be a force for good in the world. Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify Support the show Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sokoto Revolution ep. 1: The Seven Cities and the Seven Bastards

October 10, 2022 09:00 - 1 hour - 43 MB

In the early 19th century, Northern Nigeria underwent a dramatic social, political, economic, and religious transformation. The cause: a revolution. Led by the charismatic Shehu Usman Dan Fodio, a small army of revolutionaries managed to topple the centuries-old kingdoms of Kasar Hausa and replace them with a new order.  The Sokoto Caliphate was born. How did this happen? How should we view the Sokoto Revolution in retrospect? Was the Sokoto Revolution a violent jihad led by dangerous terro...

Season 3 Episode 30 - The War for the Golden Stool (Part 1)

September 12, 2022 09:00 - 44 minutes - 30.5 MB

In 1900, the War for the Golden Stool began when Ashanti militia companies attacked the occupying British garrisons and pushed them out of Asanteman. The few that remained were trapped in Fort Kumasi and besieged from all sides by Ashanti militiamen. What came next is the most famous war in Ashanti history, the War of the Golden Stool. Would this war turn out to be the easy victory that the British expected? Or would the Ashanti win a victory to ensure that their nation and culture survived?...

Season 3 Episode 30 - The War of the Golden Stool (Part 2)

September 12, 2022 09:00 - 40 minutes - 27.6 MB

As the War of the Golden Stool intensifies, the British suffer their biggest defeat in Ghana since Nsamankow at the Battle of Kokofu. Despite this unexpected defeat, the British re-evaluate their strategy and, between a daring escape attempt by the colonial governor and a readjustment of battlefield strategy, the British manage to reverse their floundering war effort. But even if the war is a defeat, that doesn't make it a loss. The tough fighting of the War of the Golden Stool will leave a ...

Season 3 Episode 29 - Yaa Asantewaa

August 29, 2022 09:00 - 41 minutes - 28.5 MB

Outside of Ghana, Yaa Asantewaa is the most famous Ashanti historical figure by a wide margin. The queen-mother of Ejisu is widely cited as the pre-eminent symbol of Afro-feminism, a black African woman who advocated for the position of women and led Ashanti society in its last major resistance against British colonialism. These depictions, while not necessarily incorrect, miss out on much of the context behind the rise of Yaa Asantewaa. They also often misunderstand the purpose of the rebe...

Season 3 Episode 28 - Prempeh: the Last Independent King of the Ashanti

August 15, 2022 09:00 - 49 minutes - 34.4 MB

After finally putting an end to the gruelling Ashanti Civil War, Agyeman Prempeh I goes to work trying to repair his country's economy through the importation of new industries. But, his reign is cut short by the gradual escalation of tensions between his kingdom and the British Empire. Accompanying blog post: https://historyofafricapodcast.blogspot.com/2022/08/s3e28-prempeh-last-independent-king-of.html Notre Dame Stories Stories highlighting Notre Dame’s work to be a force for good in th...

Season 3 Episode 27 - The Ashanti Civil War

August 01, 2022 09:00 - 38 minutes - 26.4 MB

Tired of his despotic abuse, a coalition of disgruntled Ashanti elites overthrows Asantehene Mensa Bonsu. Rather than ushering in a new era of peace and prosperity, Mensa Bonsu's impeachment marked the beginning of an unprecedented period of misery and violence in the Ashanti Kingdom. In this episode, the Ashanti state falls apart into a brutal civil war. Notre Dame Stories Stories highlighting Notre Dame’s work to be a force for good in the world. Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify Supp...

Season 3 Episode 26 - The Rise and Fall of the ”God’s Creativity” Cult

July 18, 2022 09:00 - 34 minutes - 23.5 MB

As the dust settles from the bloody war against Juaben, Asantehene Mensa Bonsu begins the hard work of trying to bring his crumbling empire back to a state of relative repair. Aiding him in this task is the radical reformer Owusu Ansah, a British-educated diplomat turned political advisor. As the duo struggles to reform the Ashanti Empire's civic and educational structures, the rise of a reactionary witch-hunting cult led by a charismatic demagogue threatens to destroy what's left of the fab...

Season 3 Episode 26 - The Rise and Fall of the "God's Creativity" Cult

July 18, 2022 09:00 - 34 minutes

As the dust settles from the bloody war against Juaben, Asantehene Mensa Bonsu begins the hard work of trying to bring his crumbling empire back to a state of relative repair. Aiding him in this task is the radical reformer Owusu Ansah, a British-educated diplomat turned political advisor. As the duo struggles to reform the Ashanti Empire's civic and educational structures, the rise of a reactionary witch-hunting cult led by a charismatic demagogue threatens to destroy what's left of the fabr...

Season 3 Episode 26 - Reformers and Reactionaries: The Rise and Fall of the "God's Creativity" Cult

July 18, 2022 09:00 - 34 minutes - 23.5 MB

As the dust settles from the bloody war against Juaben, Asantehene Mensa Bonsu begins the hard work of trying to bring his crumbling empire back to a state of relative repair. Aiding him in this task is the radical reformer Owusu Ansah, a British-educated diplomat turned political advisor. As the duo struggles to reform the Ashanti Empire's civic and educational structures, the rise of a reactionary witch-hunting cult led by a charismatic demagogue threatens to destroy what's left of the fab...

Season 3 Episode 25 - The Juaben War

July 04, 2022 09:00 - 29 minutes - 20.5 MB

In the aftermath of the catastrophic Third Anglo-Ashanti War, Asantehene Kofi Kakari desperately tries to bring Ashanti finances into a state of normalcy and gets impeached for his efforts. The responsibility to stop the imminent economic and political collapse of the Ashanti Empire falls to Kakari's brother, an obscure prince named Mensa Bonsu. His first challenge comes when Juaben, the second most important city in the entire empire, and Adansi, the capital of Ashanti gold mining operation...