Pre-Colonial African Diplomacy
- Social Sciences
- 200 level
- 3 credit units
- 174 pages
- 20 units
This course examines diplomacy in the pre-colonial period in Africa. The primary aim is to provide students of International Relations a comprehensive knowledge of how Pre-colonial African States maintained diplomatic relations with one another and with the outside world to foster peace and peaceful co-existence. Understanding diplomacy in pre-colonial African States will enrich the background knowledge of modern student and future diplomats. This course will enable students to appraise and critique Pre-colonial African Diplomacy.
About this course
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Study hours
- 200 hours
- Maths
- None
- Content
- Theoretical, case study
- Practical work
- No
- INR101: Introduction to International Relations
- Assignments
- Tutor marked assessments
- Final examination
What you'll read
The real module and unit structure of INR242, taken from the course material NOUN publishes.
- Unit 1: THE STUDY OF PRE-COLONIAL AFRICAN DIPLOMACYPage 44
- UNIT 2: POLITICAL HISTORY OF PRE-COLONIAL AFRICAN STATESPage 51
- UNIT 3: TRADE HISTORY OF PRE-COLONIAL AFRICAN STATESPage 61
- UNIT 4: TRADE HISTORY OF PRE-COLONIAL AFRICAN STATES II: COMMERCIAL FRONTIERS AND CONTACT ECONOMICS IN SOUTH AND EAST AFRICAPage 68
One paragraph, so you can see how it reads
INR242 · UNIT 1: WHAT IS DIPLOMACY?
Self-assessment exercises are also provided in each unit. The exercises should help you to evaluate your understanding of the material so far. These are not to be submitted. You will find all answers to these at the end of the unit.
What you should be able to do
- Define and analyze Pre-colonial African Diplomacy
- Assess the scope of Pre-colonial African Diplomacy
- Trace the origin and historical perspective of Pre-colonial African Diplomacy
- Assess the impact of foreign influence on Pre-colonial African Diplomacy
- Explain the means and method through which diplomatic relations were carried out in Pre-colonial African period
- Discuss the nature of Pre-colonial Diplomacy
- Analyze how Pre-colonial African Diplomacy was effectively managed
- Appraise and do a balanced critique of Pre-colonial African Diplomacy
- Compare Pre-colonial African Diplomacy with the practice of Diplomacy elsewhere during the same period
- Apply the experience of the workings of Pre-colonial period of diplomatic relations to the present
What it prepares you for
- Diplomat
- International Relations Officer
- Policy Analyst
- Political Scientist
- Historian
- Government
- International Organizations
- Non-profit Sector
- Academia
- Research
Where it gets hard
The units students slow down on, and what makes each one heavy.
- Module 2: The Study and Origin of Pre-Colonial African Diplomacy
Unit 2: Political History of Pre-Colonial African States
Understanding the complex political landscape and interactions between various pre-colonial African states requires a strong grasp of historical context and regional dynamics.
- Module 4: Natures, Management, Means, Methods, and Practice of Pre-Colonial African Diplomacy
Unit 1: The Nature of Pre-colonial African Diplomacy
The unwritten nature of African customary law makes it challenging to grasp the legal framework guiding diplomatic relations.
A suggested way through it
13 weeks, about 69 hours in total. Yours will differ.
- Week 1Module 1: Definition, Concept and Scope of Pre-Colonial African Diplomacy
Unit 1: Understanding the Notion of Diplomacy · 3 hours
Define diplomacy. Explain the scope of diplomacy. Trace the history and origin of diplomacy.
- Week 2Module 1: Definition, Concept and Scope of Pre-Colonial African Diplomacy
Unit 2: Concept and Scope of Pre-Colonial African Diplomacy · 3 hours
Identify key concepts of pre-colonial African diplomacy. Explain the relationship between concepts. Understand the peculiarity of pre-colonial African Diplomacy.
- Week 3Module 1: Definition, Concept and Scope of Pre-Colonial African Diplomacy
Unit 3: Concept and Scope of Pre-Colonial African Diplomacy II · 3 hours
List and discuss the scope and concept of Pre-colonial African Diplomacy. Differentiate concepts of Pre-colonial African International Relations and Geopolitics.
- Week 4Module 2: The Study and Origin of Pre-Colonial African Diplomacy
Unit 4: Concept and Scope of Pre-Colonial African Diplomacy III · 3 hours
State the basic concept of pre-colonial African government. Identify the basic tenets in pre-colonial African state administration. Explain the forms of pre-colonial African government.
Unit 1: The Study of Pre-Colonial African Diplomacy · 3 hours
Discuss in detail the historiography of Pre-Colonial African Diplomacy. Analyse the various writings by authors concerning the course.
- Week 5Module 2: The Study and Origin of Pre-Colonial African Diplomacy
Unit 2: Political History of Pre-Colonial African States · 3 hours
List features of pre-colonial African government. Analyse the foreign relations of pre-colonial African states. Evaluate the political culture of early African states.
Unit 3: Trade History of Pre-Colonial African States · 3 hours
State the importance of trade to a state. Describe trade within Africa during the Pre-colonial period.
- Week 6Module 2: The Study and Origin of Pre-Colonial African Diplomacy
Unit 4: Trade History of Pre-Colonial African States II · 3 hours
Discuss trade between North and West Africa during the pre-colonial period. List and examine the importance of the trans-Sahara trade routes during the pre-colonial period.
- Week 7Module 3: External Influences on Pre-Colonial African Diplomacy
Unit 1: Islam and Pre-Colonial African Diplomacy · 3 hours
Determine the external influences on indigenous African International Relations. Examine how Islam affected pre-colonial African Diplomacy.
Unit 2: The Impact of Islam on Pre-Colonial African Diplomacy · 3 hours
Discuss Islam in pre-colonial African states. Describe the effects of the Jihads on West Africa.
- Week 8Module 3: External Influences on Pre-Colonial African Diplomacy
Unit 3: European Contact and Pre-colonial African Diplomacy · 6 hours
European Contact and Pre-colonial African Diplomacy. European Influence on Pre-Colonial African Diplomacy.
Unit 4: European Influence on Pre-Colonial African Diplomacy · 3 hours
Analyse how Africa was affected by Islam generally during the pre-colonial era. Evaluate the contribution of the Jihads to Diplomacy in Pre-colonial Africa.
- Week 9Module 4: Natures, Management, Means, Methods, and Practice of Pre-Colonial African Diplomacy
Unit 1: The Nature of Pre-colonial African Diplomacy · 3 hours
Discuss the general nature of pre-colonial African diplomacy. Assess the political nature of pre-colonial African diplomacy.
Unit 2: The Management of Pre-colonial African Diplomacy · 3 hours
Enumerate the economic nature of pre-colonial African diplomacy. Discuss the legal nature of pre-colonial African diplomacy.
Unit 3: Means and Methods of Pre-Colonial African Diplomacy · 3 hours
Determine whether pre-colonial African diplomacy was comparable to that of elsewhere. Examine pre-colonial African market and the conduct of Pre-colonial African diplomacy.
- Week 10Module 4: Natures, Management, Means, Methods, and Practice of Pre-Colonial African Diplomacy
Unit 4: The Practice of Pre-Colonial African Diplomacy · 3 hours
Evaluate the method of using courier services on a regular basis in pre-colonial African diplomacy.
- Week 11Module 5: Analyses and Appraisal of Pre-Colonial African Diplomacy
Unit 1: Pre-Colonial African Diplomacy: The Kanem-Bornu Example · 3 hours
Examine the military quality of Mai Idris Alooma vis-à-vis pre-colonial African diplomacy. Discuss Alooma's administrative prowess and how it impacted on his diplomatic relations.
Unit 2: Pre-Colonial African Diplomacy: The Dahomey Example · 3 hours
Analyse and appraise Alooma's religious and legal qualities in relation to his diplomatic relations. Describe Alooma's trade relations vis-à-vis his diplomatic relations.
- Week 12Module 5: Analyses and Appraisal of Pre-Colonial African Diplomacy
Unit 3: European Diplomacy during the Pre-Colonial African Period · 3 hours
Examine the qualities of Agaja vis-à-vis the practice of pre-colonial African diplomacy. Analyze Agaja's qualities and mistake and how it affected Dahomey's fortunes.
Unit 4: The Relevance of Pre-Colonial African Diplomacy in Present-Day Africa · 3 hours
Evaluate the treaty of peace between Dahomey, Oyo and the Europeans and how it reflects pre-colonial African Diplomacy.
- Week 13Module 5: Analyses and Appraisal of Pre-Colonial African Diplomacy
Final Revision · 6 hours
Review all course materials. Prepare for final examination.
Preparing for the exam
- Create a timeline of key events in pre-colonial African diplomacy, focusing on major empires and their interactions.
- Develop concept maps linking different modules, such as the influence of Islam and European contact on diplomatic practices.
- Compare and contrast the diplomatic strategies of different pre-colonial African states, such as Kanem-Bornu and Dahomey.
- Focus on understanding the means and methods of pre-colonial African diplomacy, including negotiation, embassies, and gift exchange.
- Review the qualities and functions of emissaries, and how they facilitated diplomatic relations.
- Analyze the successes and failures of pre-colonial African diplomacy, and their relevance to contemporary African diplomacy.
- Pay close attention to the influence of external factors, such as trade and religion, on pre-colonial African diplomacy.
- Practice essay questions that require you to synthesize information from multiple modules and provide a balanced critique.
Questions students ask about this course
What is INR242 about?
This course examines diplomacy in the pre-colonial period in Africa. The primary aim is to provide students of International Relations a comprehensive knowledge of how Pre-colonial African States maintained diplomatic relations with one another and with the outside world to foster peace and peaceful co-existence. Understanding diplomacy in pre-colonial African States will enrich the background knowledge of modern student and future diplomats. This course will enable students to appraise and critique Pre-colonial African Diplomacy.
How many units does INR242 have?
INR242, Pre-Colonial African Diplomacy, has 20 units across 5 modules, over 174 pages of course material. You can read it one unit at a time.
How many credit units is INR242?
INR242 carries 3 credit units, at 200 level in Social Sciences.
Is INR242 hard?
INR242 is rated intermediate level, with no mathematical content. It is mostly theoretical and case study work.
How long does INR242 take to study?
About 200 hours of study, spread across its 20 units.
How is INR242 assessed?
INR242 is assessed by assignments, tutor marked assessments and final examination.
What do I need before starting INR242?
INR101: Introduction to International Relations
What can I do with INR242?
Diplomat, International Relations Officer, Policy Analyst, Political Scientist and Historian.