Honour in African History [Paperback]

This is the first published account of the role of honour in African history.This book argues that Frican behaviour, often puzzling to outsiders, is shaped by ideas which have historical roots stretching back for many centuries. It is therefore both a history book, easily accessible to students and general readers, and a contribution to understanding of contemporary Africa. By taking a long and fresh perspective, it makes sense of much that otherwise seems bewildering. It is the product of forty years of study and travel.This book argues that Frican behaviour, often puzzling to outsiders, is shaped by ideas which have historical roots stretching back for many centuries. It is therefore both a history book, easily accessible to students and general readers, and a contribution to understanding of contemporary Africa. By taking a long and fresh perspective, it makes sense of much that otherwise seems bewildering. It is the product of forty years of study and travel.In Africa today, inherited conceptions of honor can obstruct democracy, inspire resistance to tyranny, and motivate the defense of dignity in the face of AIDS. This account of the role of honor in African history from the fourteenth century to the present argues that it is essential to understanding past and present African behavior.1. The comparative history of honour; Part I. Hero and Householder: 2. Men on horseback; 3. Honour and Islam; 4. Christian Ethiopia; 5. Honour, rank, and warfare among the Yoruba; 6. Honour and the state in West and Central Africa; 7. Honour without the state; 8. The honour of the slave; 9. Praise and slander in southern Africa; 10. Ekitiibwa and martyrdom; Part II. Fragmentation and Mutation: 11. The deaths of heroes; 12. Honour in defeat; 13. The honour of the mercenary; 14. Respectability; 15. Honour and gender; 16. Urbanisation and masculinity; 17. Honour, race, and nation; 18. Political honour; 19. To live in dignity; 20. Concluding questions. this study will undoulÓ'