Colonial Encounters: Issues of Culture, Hybridity and Creolisation - Portuguese Mercantile Settlers in West Africa

This book explores the first encounter in the mid-fifteenth century between Western Europe and the West African Coast, arguing that it did not produce hostility, but rather a climate of beneficial mutual exchange. It examines West African pre-colonial social history and asserts that around the year 1500 West Africa became a safe haven for those fleeing political or religious persecution in Europe. Among them were mercantile settlers, Tangomãos or Lançados, known to have arrived on the West African Coast after the Portuguese explorers in 1446. They exchanged commodities, culture, religious ideas and practices with West African people. These events raise searching questions on the nature of identity and space.

List of contents

Contents: West Africa: The Portuguese Agenda - West African Kingship - The Beginnings of Westernisation - The Emergence of an Afro-European Merchant Class - Religion, Ritual and Sacrifice: A Portuguese Encounter.

About the author

The Author: José Lingna Nafafé achieved the degree of B.D. from London University and a Ph.D. from Birmingham University in 2001. The author regularly publishes on Lusophone subjects. He also teaches on honours programmes in the European Research Institute and Department of Sociology, and contributes key modules to the BA Joint Honours in Portuguese Studies, in Birmingham University.

Report

«The nature of colonialism and its legacies are among the most fundamental issues confronting global social inquiries today. Dr Lingna Nafafé has produced a book of rare distinction. Working across a range of languages and spatial locations, he has shown the reciprocal effects of the colonial trades in goods and people on the identities of traders settlers and indigenous settlers alike. The book will be required reading in a number of disciplines, history, theology, sociology and cultural studies.» (John Holmwood, Professor of Sociology and Head of Department, University of Birmingham, UK)

Product details

• Authors: José Lingna Nafafé
• Publisher: Peter Lang
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 30.04.2016
• EAN: 9783631527795
• ISBN: 978-3-631-52779-5
• No. of pages: 224
• Dimensions: 148 mm x 12 mm x 210 mm
• Weight: 310 g
• Series: Studien zur interkulturellen Geschichte des Christentums / Etudes d'histoire interculturelle du christianisme / Studies in the Intercultural History o; Studien zur interkulturellen Geschichte des Christentums / Etudes d'histoire interculturelle du chri; Studien zur interkulturellen Geschichte des Christentums / Etudes d'histoire interculturelle du christianisme / Studies in the Intercultural History o; Studien zur interkulturellen Geschichte des Christentums / Etudes d'histoire interculturelle du chri
• Subject: Humanities, art, music > Religion/theology > Other religions