General history of Africa: IV : Africa from the twelfth to the sixteenth century / edited by Djibril Tamsir Niane.

Includes bibliography and index

Introduction / D.T. Niane The unification of the Maghrib under the Almohads / O. Saidi The spread of civilization in the Maghrib and its impact on western civilization / M. Talbi The disintegration of political unity in the Maghrib / I. Hrbek Society in the Maghrib after the disappearance of the Almohads / R. Idris Mali and the second Mandingo expansion / D.T. Niane The decline of the Mali empire / M. Ly-Tall The Songhay from the 12th to the 16th century / S.M. Cissoko The peoples and kingdoms of the Niger Bend and the Volta basin from the 12th to the 16th century / M. Izard The kingdoms and peoples of Chad / D. Lange The Hausa and their neighbors in the central Sudan / M. Adamu The coastal peoples : from Casamance to the Ivory Coast lagoons / Y. Person From the Ivory Coast lagoons to the Volta / P. Kipre From the Volta to Cameroon / A.F.C. Ryder Egypt and the Muslim world / J.C. Garcin Nubia from the late 12th century to the Funj conquest in the early 15th century / L. Kropáček. The horn of Africa : the Solomonids in Ethiopia and the states of the Horn of Africa / T. Tamrat The development of Swahili civilization / V.V. Matveiev Between the coast and the great lakes / C. Ehret The Great Lakes region / B.A. Ogot The Zambezi and Limpopo basins : 1100-1500 / B.M. Fagan Equatorial Africa and Angola : migrations and the emergence of the first states / J. Vansina Southern Africa : its peoples and social structures / L.D. Ngcongco Madagascar and the neighboring islands from the 12th to the 16th century / F. Esoavelomandroso Relationships and exchanges among the different regions / D.T. Niane Africa in inter-continental relations / J. Devisse Conclusion / D.T. Niane

The result of years of work by scholars from all over the world, The UNESCO General History of Africa reflects how the different peoples of Africa view their civilizations and shows the historical relationships between the various parts of the continent. Historical connections with other continents demonstrate Africa's contribution to the development of human civilization. Each volume is lavishly illustrated and contains a comprehensive bibliography. The period covered in Volume IV constitutes a crucial phase in the continent's history, in which Africa developed its own culture and written records became more common. Major themes include the triumph of Islam the extension of trading relations, cultural exchanges, and human contacts and the development of kingdoms and empires