Guerrilla History Precolonial Nigeria w/ Max Siollun (AR&D Ep.11)
Nov 14, 2025
Max Siollun, a historian and author of The Forgotten Era: Nigeria Before British Rule, dives into the rich tapestry of precolonial Nigerian history. He discusses the importance of reclaiming African agency in historiography and how modern ethnic identities emerged from colonial processes. Siollun also outlines the intricate political systems like the Sokoto Caliphate and the economic dynamics of Hausa states. He highlights the complex international relations of precolonial Nigeria, detailing diplomacy and its connections to the Atlantic trade, setting the stage for a deeper understanding of Nigeria's past.
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Beyond Slavery And Colonialism
- Max Siollun argues African history is often reduced to slavery and colonialism, erasing African agency.
- He wrote The Forgotten Era to spotlight pre-colonial societies and their independent histories.
The Niger As Historical Connector
- Siollun uses the River Niger as the ecological fulcrum tying diverse pre-colonial societies together.
- The river enabled trade, movement, and later facilitated British conquest via transport routes.
Ethnic Identities Are Modern Constructs
- Many modern ethnic identities (Yoruba, Hausa, Igbo) solidified only in the 19th–20th centuries.
- Missionaries and colonial administration standardized languages and forged larger group identities for governance.
