And he focussed on African monarchs who continued to "retain a traditional and spiritual authourity that is difficult for the Western mind to comprehend".
Laine encountered some difficulties in the process: A war in Sudan prevented him from taking the photograph of the King of Shiluk who is a descendant of black dynasties that ruled Egypt. The King of Swaziland refused to be photographed.
He eventually succeeded in taking the pictures of 70 Kings and the photographs and details are contained in a book he wrote.
Below are pictures of some of these monarchs, all the words and descriptions are those of Daniel Laine.
Keep in mind also that these pictures were taken decades ago and some monarchs portrayed may have passed to the Great Beyond and new persons may currently be occupying these positions.
But these pictures are important for historical purposes.
|Ngie Kamga Joseph-Fon of Bandjun (Cameroun):|
|Halidou Sali - Lamido of Bibemi (Cameroun):|
Halidou Sali, the twelfth Lamido (king) of Bibemi, received his kingdom in 1958. He is a descendant of Aido Samba, one of the 42 Kings of Adamawa, who during the eighteenth century carried the flag for the Jihad (holy war) of Ousman Dan Fodio.
|Abubakar Sidiq -Sultan of Sokoto (Nigeria):|
|Igwe Kenneth Nnaji Onyemaeke Orizu|
|El Hadj Seidou Njimoluh Njoya - Sultan of Fumban and Mfon of the Bamun(Cameroun):|
|Agboli-Agbo Dedjlani - King of Abomey (Benin):|
|Goodwill Zwelethini - King of Zulu (South Africa):|
King Goodwill Zwelethini is a descendant of the famous Shaka, founder of the Zulu kingdom. At the beginning of the ninetheenth century, Shaka was the chief of a small insignificant clan among the Bantu people. Thinking that the survival of the Zulus depended inevitably on the subservience of the other clans, Shaka submitted the natal region to blood and fire. Between 1815 and 1828, he annihilated all tribes that were opposed to him. This troubled period referred to as Mfecan (terror), was accompanied by famine and exodus of a large part of the Bantu population. Shaka’s cruelty became legendary.