a brief note on the intellectual contributions of African scholars in the diaspora
the biography of a West African mathematician in Cairo.
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================================================================================== ### the biography of a West African mathematician in Cairo. ( Apr 14, 2024 30 Around the year 1198, the West African scholar Ibrahim al-Kanimi from the town of Bilma (in Niger) traveled to the Almohad capital Marakesh (in Morocco), and gained the audience of its sultan, before moving to Seville (in Spain) where he settled and became a celebrated grammarian and poet that appeared in many Andalusian biographies of the time.( Al-Kanimi’s career exemplifies the patterns of the global intellectual exchanges in which several African scholars in the diaspora played an important role. Historical inquiries into the African diaspora across the old world often pay less attention to the intellectual contributions of those Africans to the societies that hosted them, thus leaving us with an incomplete picture of the role of Africans in global history. Yet many diasporic Africans whose biographies are known were important scholars who left a significant intellectual legacy across the world. In the 16th century, ( turned their monastery of Santo Stefano degli Abissini (near the Vatican Basilica) into a center of Africanist knowledge, where theological, geographic, and political information regarding Ethiopia and the Eastern Christian world could be obtained from scholars like Täsfa Seyon —who had an influence on Pope Marcellus II and Jesuit founder Ignatius of Loyola.( _**Painting depicting Pope Paul III, the Jesuit founder Ignatius of Loyola (kneeling), and the Ethiopian scholar and cleric Tasfā Ṣeyon (standing behind the Pope with another priest)**_, 27th September 1540, anonymous painter, Chiesa del Gesu, Rome. Similarly, in Portugal's capital Lisbon, the Ethiopian envoy Sägga Zäᵓab wrote a critique of the dogmatic Catholic counter-reformation in his 'faith of the Ethiopians' in 1534, writing that _**"It would be much wiser to welcome in charity and Christian love all Christians, be they Greeks, Armenians, Ethiopians…because we are all sons of baptism and share the true faith."**_ The book was well received by European scholars in the regions opposed to the counter-reformation, most notably the Dutch theologian Desiderius Erasmus, and his student; the Portuguese philosopher Damião de Góis, who eventually published 'The Faith' in 1540.( In the 18th century, some of the West African scholars who had been visiting the pilgrimage cities of Mecca and Medina eventually settled in the region and became influential teachers in the scholarly community (_ulama_) of Medina. (
, an influential hadith teacher whose students include many prominent figures of the era, such as; the qadi of Mecca, Abd al-Ḥāfiẓ al-ʿUjaymī (d. 1820); the Moroccan Tijānī scholar Ḥamdūn al-Ḥājj (d. 1857); and the Indian scholar Muḥammad al-ʿAbīd al-Sindī (d. 1841) who became the qadi and shaykh of the _ulama_ of medina.( Among the most prominent diasporic communities of African scholars was the (
, whose presence extended from Yemen to Medina to Cairo, and who included prominent figures such as the historian Abd al-Rahman al-Jabarti (d. 1825) who was one of the most prominent scholars in Ottoman Egypt. Al-jabarti was also acquainted with many of his peers, including the Timbuktu scholar Muḥammad ibn Saʿīd al-Tunbuktī, whom he refers to as an eminent teacher in Medina.( Al-Jabarti's father, Hasan al-Jabarti penned a glowing tribute to the Kastina mathematician Muhammad al-Kashnāwī, who was also his teacher, describing him as _**"the cynosure, the theologian, the ocean of learning, the sea of knowledge, the unparalleled, the garden of science and disciplines, the treasury of secret and witticisms”**_( The biography and works of Muhammad al-Kashnāwī are the subject of my latest Patreon article, focusing on the West African scholar's contributions to the scientific writings of Egypt. please subscribe to read about it here: ( * * * _**Chessbook of Alfonso X the Wise, fol. 22r. Spain (1283).** "The paintings in a manuscript dating from 1283 show us how realistically the people of this mixed world of Spain were depicted after the conquest. Certain Muslim noblemen are sometimes depicted dark-skinned … among the servants is one playing a harp, another is engaged in a game of chess"._ Image of the black in Western Art, Volume 2, issue 1, pg 78. **\(
**\] * * * Thanks for reading African History Extra! for free to receive new posts and support my work. ( Ibrahim al-Kanimi figure illustre dans les relations culturelles entre le Maroc et Bilad as-Sudan by Mohammed Ben Cherifa pp. 131-132, Arabic Literature of Africa: The writings of central Sudanic Africa Vol.2) by John Hunwick pg 17-18. ( An Ethiopian Scholar in Tridentine Rome by Matteo Salvadore pg 29-30, A Companion to religious minorities in Early Modern Rome by Matthew Coneys Wainwright pg 154-155 ( Damião de Gois by Elisabeth Feist Hirsch, pg 58, 74, 121, 148-151, 153 ( Islamic Scholarship in Africa: New Directions and Global Contexts edited by Ousmane Kane pg 33 ( A Guide to ʻAbd Al-Raḥmān Al-Jabartī's History of Egypt: ʻAjāʼib Al-āthār Fī ʼl-tarājim Waʼl-akhbār, by Abd al-Raḥmān Jabartī, Thomas Philipp, Guido Schwald pg 342-343 ( The Arabic Literature of Nigeria to 1804 by ADH Bivar pg 136
### Title: A Brief Note on the Intellectual Contributions of African Scholars in the Diaspora

#### Biography of a West African Mathematician in Cairo

1. **Introduction to Ibrahim al-Kanimi**  
   - Around 1198, Ibrahim al-Kanimi, a West African scholar from Bilma (in present-day Niger), traveled to the Almohad capital of Marrakesh, Morocco. 
   - After gaining the audience of the sultan, he moved to Seville, Spain, where he became a renowned grammarian and poet. His contributions were noted in various Andalusian biographies of the time.

2. **Global Intellectual Exchanges**  
   - Al-Kanimi’s career exemplifies the pattern of global intellectual exchanges involving African scholars in the diaspora. 
   - Historical narratives often overlook these scholars' contributions to the societies that hosted them, creating an incomplete picture of Africa's role in global history.

3. **16th Century Contributions**  
   - In the 16th century, the monastery of Santo Stefano degli Abissini near the Vatican became a center for Africanist knowledge. Scholars like Täsfa Seyon influenced notable figures such as Pope Marcellus II and Ignatius of Loyola. 
   - Meanwhile, Sägga Zäᵓab, an Ethiopian envoy in Lisbon, critiqued the Catholic counter-reformation in his 1534 work, "The Faith of the Ethiopians," advocating for Christian unity. 
   - This critique was well-received, particularly by scholars opposed to the counter-reformation, such as Desiderius Erasmus and Damião de Góis, who published related works.

4. **18th Century Scholars**  
   - In the 18th century, West African scholars who visited pilgrimage cities like Mecca and Medina became influential teachers in Medina's scholarly community (ulama). 
   - Notable scholars from this community included influential hadith teacher Abd al-Ḥāfiẓ al-ʿUjaymī, Moroccan Tijānī scholar Ḥamdūn al-Ḥājj, and Indian scholar Muḥammad al-ʿAbīd al-Sindī.

5. **Prominent Diasporic Communities**  
   - The diasporic community of African scholars extended from Yemen to Medina and Cairo, contributing significantly to various fields of knowledge.
   - Renowned historian Abd al-Rahman al-Jabarti, a prominent scholar in Ottoman Egypt, interacted with numerous peers, including Timbuktu scholar Muḥammad ibn Saʿīd al-Tunbuktī, whom he recognized as an eminent teacher.

6. **Recognition of Muhammad al-Kashnāwī**  
   - Al-Jabarti’s father, Hasan al-Jabarti, praised mathematician Muhammad al-Kashnāwī of Katsina, describing him as a "cynosure" in learning and knowledge. 
   - Al-Kashnāwī’s contributions to scientific writings in Egypt are noteworthy, and his biography forms the subject of further exploration in contemporary scholarship.

7. **Visual Representation**  
   - Historical artworks, such as a painting from the manuscript of the Chessbook of Alfonso X the Wise (1283), depict the multicultural landscape of medieval Spain, illustrating the interactions between various ethnic groups, including Muslim noblemen.

8. **Conclusion**  
   - The intellectual contributions of African scholars in the diaspora are significant and often overlooked. Their works and influence across different regions, from Africa to Europe, reflect a rich legacy that deserves recognition in historical narratives.

In summary, the scholarly activities of figures like Ibrahim al-Kanimi, Täsfa Seyon, Sägga Zäᵓab, and Muhammad al-Kashnāwī illustrate the vital role that African scholars played in shaping intellectual discourse in diverse global contexts. Their legacies continue to be a crucial part of understanding the broader scope of African history and its contributions to a collective human knowledge.