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[QUOTE]Originally posted by Sundjata: [QB] Decent write up. Some of it strikes me as a bit Eurocentric though. [QUOTE]In the beginning, the ancient Egyptian army was primitive, at least in comparison with the armies of ancient Europe and Asia.[/QUOTE]What do you mean by "primitive"? relative to who around this time (3100 BCE)? What ancient and advanced armies other than Sumer existed in Eurasia "in the beginning" that could have competed with the Egyptians? I personally know of none so I'd have to say this statement is inaccurate. Also, this reads like a throw back to the Hamitic theory: [QUOTE][b]The poor equipment and discipline of the nascent Egyptian army was no problem when fighting other Africans, but once confronted by the more technologically advanced armies of Southwest Asia, the Egyptians were forced to upgrade and reform their military[/b]. When the Asian Hyksos took control of the Nile Delta after the Middle Kingdom, they introduced a number of new technologies which the Egyptians would take advantage of once they drove the Hyksos out and began the New Kingdom.[/QUOTE]Which "technologically advanced" armies are you referring to? The Egyptians were able to fend off foreign rule, despite numerous invasions for over 2500 years. If that doesn't speak to their technological sophistication I wonder what it says about their strategic discipline. As far as them not having issues with other Africans yet having to upgrade in the face of Eurasian onslaughts, this is curious considering the fact that "other Africans" were able to fend off Eurasians for an even longer period of time, including the Romans who specifically commented on the military sophistication of the Meroites. You don't give the Egyptians enough credit at all. As for Mandenka I think the importance of the war canoe should also be emphasized. They were actually very influential in guarding the coast and internal river systems. In fact, canoe-bound Mandinka sofas of Niumi were responsible for handing the early Portuguese slave-raiders their earliest defeats and thus forcing them to establish treaties with Africans on equal terms. BTW, I believe Mandinkas also used flaming arrows (I know the Songhai used them against Djenne during the siege by Sonni Ali). Good write-up on the Zulu although I take issue with: [QUOTE]No longer fighting as a chaotic mob of individuals[/QUOTE]When has this been the case previously? The cow horn formation existed before Shaka. Shaka only made minor modifications to that strategy. Instilling more discipline doesn't mean that prior to Shaka they were running around like headless chickens throwing spears at each other. ^Just respectful criticism by the way. I commend you for being so actively involved in the proliferation of African history. :) [/QB][/QUOTE]
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