Encyclopaedia Africana history

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Tengey Dzokoto I (187-1911) was a warlike chief of Anyako, a town on the northern shore of the Keta lagoon that formed part of the...

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Prester John is the name given to a mythical medieval Christian priest-king of a vast empire in Central Asia, who was later identified with the...

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Walter Chichele Plowden (August 3, 1820-March 13. 1860) was the first British consul to Ethiopia and was a friend of Emperor Tewodros II  (reigned 1855-68]....

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Malangi a Phumba (circa 1915-1964) was a celebrated expert in Pende oral tradition and also a trusted and effective political leader. Born in Kasanji village,...

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Malanga (circa 1880-1965), served as chief of the Bodjinga division of the Lobo (Balobo) ethnic group, living just north of Makanza (formerly Nouvelle-Anvers) about 180...

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Muhammad ibn al-Mustafa and ‘Umar Kunandi ibn ‘Umar, (who both lived in the 18th century), were Dyula scholars from Gonja (Ngbanya), a state located in...

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Chitapankwa (d.1883) was one of the greatest Chitimukulus (paramount chiefs) of the Bemba people in north-east Zambia. The first Chitimukulus is a legendary figure, who...

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Frederick Victor Nanka-Bruce (October 19, 1878-July 12, 1953) was one of the first African medical doctors on the Gold Coast. He was also a newspaper...

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Johan Hendrik (Henry) de Villiers (June 15, 1842-September 2, 1914), first Baron de Villiers of Wynberg, South Africa, was the first colonial-born chief justice of...

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Alaga Tayye Gabra-Maryam (1858-August 1924) was an Ethiopian scholar, teacher and writer, as well as an eloquent preacher. Born at Qaroda, in Bagemder, Tayye began...

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Editor’s Note

This website features a collection of articles largely from previously published volumes of the Encyclopaedia Africana, specifically the Encyclopaedia Africana Dictionary of African Biography, which highlights notable individuals from various regions of Africa. Please note that in these volumes, some names of people, towns, and countries were spelled differently than they are today. We have retained these historical spellings to preserve the integrity of the original publications. In some instances, the current spellings are also provided for easy reference.
Please report errors to: info@encyclopaediaafricana.com / research@encyclopaediaafricana.com

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