The Forgotten Era
Nigeria Before British Rule
The beautifully complex history of how Nigerians lived before colonisation
'Siollun's books are gripping' - Financial Times
Much is known about what the Europeans did in Nigeria, yet very little is known about the country before its colonisation. In this surprising history, Max Siollun uncovers a society that was not part of a backward 'dark continent', but one rich with lore to rival those of ancient Greece and Rome.
Pre-colonial West Africa had its mesmerising cast of revolutionaries, intellectuals, innovators, and villainous assassins. These include the single family that overthrew three different 1000-year-old kingdoms, the royal court official who engineered the death of four kings, and the little slave boy who became the first black bishop in history, befriending Queen Victoria along the way.
This is a story of a highly educated, democratic, artistic people is a vital read for those who want to discover a forgotten era of West African history.
Max Siollun is a historian. He has written four acclaimed books on Nigeria's history, most recently What Britain Did to Nigeria: A Short History of Conquest and Rule, which was shortlisted in BBC History Magazine's 2021 Books of the Year. He has written for many publications including the New York Times, Guardian, the Independent and Foreign Policy.
'This is the indispensable book for anyone interested in the pre-colonial history of what now constitutes Nigeria. Incredibly necessary, magnificently done, Siollun charts the characters and events that shaped the political, social, cultural and economic lives of those who inhabited Nigeria's territories centuries before colonization. The Forgotten Era is as important to understanding the past as it is to comprehending the present and planning the future'
- Remi Adekoya, author of It's Not About Whiteness, It's About Wealth'Anyone who wants to understand the world, needs to understand Nigeria, a country with the largest Black population in the world. And there is no more eloquent and informed guide than Max Siollun. This is a totally essential book that you'll want to annotate, re-read and gift many times'
- Sathnam Sanghera, author of Empireland: How Modern Britain is Shaped by its Imperial Past'Max Siollun accomplishes what few dare to attempt—a revival of a time when the region now known as Nigeria was alive with vibrant kingdoms, city-states, and complex social dynamics long before European colonisers imposed their narratives. Blending the rigour of a scholar with the captivating depth of a griot, he brings history to life with a cinematic sweep and intellectual confidence. Prepare to be transported, challenged, and, ultimately, changed'
- Gimba Kakanda, writer, researcher, and Co-Lead at the Presidential Initiative for Innovation, Policy Evaluation, and Research (PIIPER), Nigeria'Max Siollun is the most committed contemporary chronicler of Nigerian history. It’s impossible to pick up a Siollun book and not emerge a different person, purged of popular historical falsehoods, and brimming with riveting insight into how Nigeria has come to be what it is today'
- Tolu Ogunlesi, journalist, photographer and writer'Without a doubt, Max Siollun is the best Nigeria-focused historian of our times. Like his other outstanding books, The Forgotten Era is an engaging and accessible deep-dive into the storied past of an ever-dynamic country that, by 2045, will be the third most populous in the world. An unforgettable read, Max’s latest book skilfully demystifies Nigeria’s pre-colonial past in way that can help us make sense of both its knotty modern-day challenges and its disconcertingly uncertain future'
- Matthew T. Page, former U.S. State Department Nigeria expert and Associate Fellow, Chatham House'Max Siollun has succeeded at a near-impossible task: making Nigeria’s pre-colonial history accessible for readers without flattening the tremendous diversity of the many peoples who would eventually become one nation'
- Alex Thurston, Associate Professor, School of Public and International Affairs, University of CincinnatiPreface
Prelude: In the Beginning: Nok
1. The Hausa Seven
2. Son of the Learned
3. Mohammed from Kanem
4. Northern Nigeria's First Family
5. Oduduwa's Children
6. The Men on Horseback
7. The Kings from Heaven
8. A Remarkable and Mysterious People
9. The Masterpieces of World Sculpture
10. The God Who Carries the World
11. Unknown Characters
12. The Black Bishop
13. The Sisterhood
Conclusion
eBook ISBN: 9780745350097
153mm x 234mm