This document summarizes Tidiane N'Diaye's work on the Arab-Muslim slave trade, its history, impact, and comparison to the transatlantic slave trade.
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[...] The arrival of the Moors in West Africa marks a turning point. Mungo Park, a Scottish explorer, describes their cruelty and their role as slave traders, introducing forms of enslavement that were far more brutal than those that had come before (p. 45-46). He highlights the hatred of the Blacks towards these 'Arabizing Africans' and sheds light on the cruelty of the Moors compared to the black African slave masters, who adapted the work to the capabilities of their captives (p. [...]
[...] He accuses them of having captured, massacred and deported millions of Africans. The qualification of this tragedy as "hidden genocide" seems to draw attention to atrocities often marginalized in contemporary discourse." However, his direct and vehement style raises legitimate questions about possible subjectivity. While his desire to raise awareness about an often neglected history is commendable, it is also necessary to examine the intentions and biases that may drive him."" In a context where historical memory is frequently manipulated, this approach, although commendable, may be more akin to a taking a stance than a truly objective analysis. [...]
[...] The Muslim expansion in Africa was primarily driven by the quest for gold, rather than a genuine religious mission. The first armed 'missionaries' sought to seize resources, as exemplified by the Almoravid jihad to control gold mines and their access routes (p. 95-97). N'Diaye also cites Moreau de Charbonneau, who describes the atrocities committed by Moroccans from the Toubena sect against black tribes. These sects, self-proclaimed 'good Muslims', attacked Senegalese villages, considering their inhabitants as 'bad Muslims' due to their cultural practices (p. [...]
[...] To illustrate the brutality of East African and Saharan slave traders, he relies almost exclusively on the accounts of European explorers. Although N'Diaye has accepted certain sources without criticism, this does not undermine his assertion that the Arab-Muslim trade inflicted greater harm on Africa than the transatlantic trade. The author cites the numbers of the Eastern trade, and presents them as if they were a recent discovery. He shows a lack of apparent interest in the academic debate on the different forms of the slave trade and their impact on Africa. [...]
[...] Polygamy and the slave trade in Africa: a legacy of conflicts and collaboration Tidiane N'Diaye addresses the issue of polygamy in Africa, noting that it was historically a privilege of the upper classes, while the majority of the population lived in monogamy (p. 123). This disparity recalls similar practices observed among the Greeks and the Aryans. In many African societies, women were generally assigned to peaceful tasks, while war was primarily a matter for men. As a result, the high male mortality rate, due to conflicts, contributed to the generalization of polygamy to reconstitute families after losses (p. 124). N'Diaye notes that the Arab-Muslim trade was mainly controlled by Maghrebis and Arab merchants, who paid tributes to local kings (p. [...]
