Class or Social Structure in Pre-colonial Africa

[Shola Adenekan]

Dear Eminent Thinkers,

Would you use the term "class" to describe social structure in monarchical societies such as Benin and Oyo Kingdoms? I know these are akin to feudal systems all over the world, and that class as a subject has long been dominated by Marxist ideas.

I have read a lot of writings on this topic including Kwame Nkrumah's book, but I still find the subject of Class in Africa contentious, even as I discussed it in my forthcoming book.

A bit of enlightenment and discussion will be appreciated. Please feel free to email me directly, if you don't want to be bogged down by back and forth emailing.

I'm very grateful for the opportunity this Listserv has provided me as a scholar.

Ire l'ojo gbogbo o!

Shola

--

Regards,

Dr. Shola Adenekan

Assistant Professor

Amsterdam School for Cultural Analysis

University of Amsterdam.

Principal Investigator: ERC Starting Project "YORUBAPRINT".

Author of African Literature in the Digital Age 

Editor/Publisher:
The New Black Magazine - http://www.thenewblackmagazine.com

[Biko Agozino]

See Cabral, The Weapon of Theory.

The Weapon of Theory by Amilcar Cabral Amilcar Cabral

Biko

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[Shola Adenekan]

Dear Prof Biko Agozino,

You are a star! This is actually what I need!

Much appreciated.

Daalu!

Shola

"This leads us to pose the following question: does history begin only with the development of the phenomenon of ‘class’, and consequently of class struggle? To reply in the affirmative would be to place outside history the whole period of life of human groups from the discovery of hunting, and later of nomadic and sedentary agriculture, to the organization of herds and the private appropriation of land. It would also be to consider — and this we refuse to accept — that various human groups in Africa, Asia, and Latin America were living without history, or outside history, at the time when they were subjected to the yoke of imperialism. It would be to consider that the peoples of our countries, such as the Balantes of Guinea, the Coaniamas of Angola and the Macondes of Mozambique, are still living today — if we abstract the slight influence of colonialism to which they have been subjected — outside history, or that they have no history.

Our refusal, based as it is on concrete knowledge of the socio-economic reality of our countries and on the analysis of the process of development of the phenomenon ‘class’, as we have seen earlier, leads us to conclude that if class struggle is the motive force of history, it is so only in a specific historical period. This means that before the class struggle — and necessarily after it, since in this world there is no before without an after — one or several factors was and will be the motive force of history. It is not difficult to see that this factor in the history of each human group is the mode of production — the level of productive forces and the pattern of ownership — characteristic of that group. Furthermore, as we have seen, classes themselves, class struggle and their subsequent definition, are the result of the development of the productive forces in conjunction with the pattern of ownership of the means of production. It therefore seems correct to conclude that the level of productive forces, the essential determining element in the content and form of class struggle, is the true and permanent motive force of history.

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/usaafricadialogue/1510793325.2207684.1600530821261%40mail.yahoo.com.

[Biko Agozino]

You are welcome

Biko

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[OLAYINKA AGBETUYI]

When Chief Commander Obey sang 

' Jìnàdù Ojù won lo oì şęgbę won

Ęgbę baba win lon şe'

(Jinadu  you dont belong 

In their class

You belong to their father's

Class)

It seems the Marxists did not intriduce the concept of class to Yoruba civilization.

The ideas that there are different ranks of Chief in Ibadan land culminating in the office of the monarch the Olubadan and also that the Basorun is akin to the office of the Prime Minister buttress the same point that the concept of class is consistent with monarchical systems.

My father occupied the post of Kòláyè which every town chiefs equate with the post of Başorun. ( Iba Oşorun) in Oyo. That was why everyone including other chiefs greeted him:

"Iba áfín' ( long live high chief!)

OAA

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy smartphone.

-------- Original message --------

From: Shola Adenekan <sholaa...@gmail.com>

Date: 19/09/2020 16:55 (GMT+00:00)

To: USAAfric...@googlegroups.com

Subject: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Class or Social Structure inPre-colonial  Africa

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[Shola Adenekan]

Ọjọgbọn Agbetuyi,

Thanks for your contribution. You've underlined the importance of oral history and oral literature to our understanding of an African class concept.

I'll bear your point in mind.

Ẹ ku ișẹ ọpọlọ o.

Ire l'ọjọ gbogbo.

Shọla

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/usaafricadialogue/DB6PR04MB29828A220019C6039C066FFFA63C0%40DB6PR04MB2982.eurprd04.prod.outlook.com.

[Chambi Chachage]

Shola,

I am afraid it would be a slippery slope, especially if your book end up making Cabral say what he probably did not say.

In my class we read your article on artists and we thought you did a very good job to dispel the myth of classless 'precolonial' Africa, why not stick to it?

You may also wish to now consider the analyses of class and class struggles by the likes of Abdulrahman Mohamed Babu, Issa Shivji and the "pre-1990s" Mahmood Mamdani, meticulous works!

Regards,

Chambi

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[Shola Adenekan]

Chambi,

This is not for my book. The book is done and done!

I'm just revisiting class in the African context. I think there is still some unresolved issues in the arguments out there. Can we talk about class without filtering it through a Marxists' discourse?

 The quote from Cabral - a Marxist - is a good starting point. 

I'll read up on Babu and Mamdani. Thanks for the tip.

Shọla

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/usaafricadialogue/CALYfFMqGGao2ZcMEfMp6EniW6fZn2CZOm7NshTF2MubOJ7rR2w%40mail.gmail.com.

[OLAYINKA AGBETUYI]

Let us plumb the depths for timeless treasures.

Ire kàndù!

OAA

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy smartphone.

-------- Original message --------

From: Shola Adenekan <sholaa...@gmail.com>

Date: 19/09/2020 19:58 (GMT+00:00)

To: USAAfric...@googlegroups.com

Subject: Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Class or Social StructureinPre-colonial  Africa

This message is eligible for Automatic Cleanup! (sholaa...@gmail.com) Add cleanup rule | More info

Ọjọgbọn Agbetuyi,

Thanks for your contribution. You've underlined the importance of oral history and oral literature to our understanding of an African class concept.

I'll bear your point in mind.

Ẹ ku ișẹ ọpọlọ o.

Ire l'ọjọ gbogbo.

Shọla

On Sat, 19 Sep 2020, 19:32 OLAYINKA AGBETUYI, <yagb...@hotmail.com> wrote:

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/usaafricadialogue/DB6PR04MB29828A220019C6039C066FFFA63C0%40DB6PR04MB2982.eurprd04.prod.outlook.com.

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[Tobi Adewunmi]

Hello Egbon Shola,

Interesting conversation you've got started about the historiography and ontology of 'class' and its contingents in pre-colonial African kingdoms. I was researching the subject too and found a similar title to Prof. Biko's suggestion, a compilation of writings on class struggle and complexities, edited by by Ian Paxson. Thought you may find the edited volume useful, though chapters 4 and 13 seem most relevant to your enquiry.

Would love to read your findings on the subject sometime.

Congrats again on the publication of your new book.

Fond Regards!

- 'Tobi Adewunmi

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