Anyway thinking that my discussions with Aldarion are diverging somewhat from Lord Invictus's original post.
a) It would probably take a little longer for those states to be Christianised as compared to the Islamisation of OTL. However not sure if it would be greatly so. You would still have some trade links across the desert to prompt both trade and the exchange of ideas. Plus while not a clear duty as with the Hajj there is still a belief in the idea of pilgrimage in Christianity.
b) The concept of Christdom will definitely be much wider. Instead of a beleaguered region confined to western and southern Europe and facing what seemed an existential thread from a stronger and aggressive Islam it will now include all the Mediterranean region and beyond so it should be far more complex and also more confident. The latter could be an issue if it means even more infighting and rivalry between assorted groups/sects.
There is probably still likely to be some mistrust of people who look greatly different or have different cultural challenges but its likely to be far less than OTL. IIRC there were some, albeit limited connections between western Christian states and some in E Africa and even alliances and some marriage relationships - albeit relying on vague memories from some time ago.
c) The Berbers or any group that replace them are going to be an important link but could also be seen as a barrier or limiting factor with their control of such trans-Saharan trade. This might prompt earlier attempts at development of an oceanic route between Europe and W Africa, since there is a known community there as a region for trade and conversion. Which in turn might open up longer ranged oceanic trade further along the African coastline or on to the Indian Ocean and Asia. One factor here is that gaining access to European technologies, such as more advanced metallurgy, writing etc might mean that some African states could end up being full members of such trade and exploration rather than just the targets of European traders. This would radically change how the world develops.
d) I think some intermarriages between European and African dynasties are almost certain, but distance and expensive might mean that elements from one community - whether marriage partners, traders, mercenaries, priests whatever - to the other would be fairly rare and as such seen as oddities but known. Given the disease issue you could well see more Africans in Europe than Europeans in sub-Saharan Africa.
How this affects 'race relations' might depend on circumstances. Hopefully markedly better relations but there is the possibility that political, religious or other factors could mean that outsiders are subject to hostility and if they have a considerably different physical appearance of social values you could well have racial hostility generated. Which in some cases might be long lasting.
I don't think it would greatly affect the identity of European nations as such numbers of non-Europeans would be few in number. However it might delay or weaker a sense of Europe as separate from other neighbouring areas. [An even greater impact might be from N Africa and the Levant staying Christian as its easier for people to travel from those areas to Europe].
However having closer cultural contact between Europe and W Africa earlier is likely to drastically change both the views of the latter in Europe and probably also the balance of power to something more approaching equality, which is likely, assuming the development of a 'modern' world develops to greatly reduce European dominance. Your still going to get a lot of wars as various nations and groups struggle for economic and military power [as well as possibly other forms] but there's less likely to be a clear racial division - at least until a Darwin is produced in this world and then some idiots will seek to abuse what he says.
e) Possibly being idealistic here but I can't really see a major slave trade happening as OTL simply because a common cultural identity and also earlier contact is likely to greatly reduce the technological gulf. True in one way this wasn't important in W Africa as it was a slave trade, i.e. only made possible because local rulers were willing to sell slaves to Europeans but as mentioned the hostility towards enslaving fellow Christians is likely to cause problems for any such trade to develop. You might get some version of the bonded labour, by which many early white settlers arrived in the Americas but that's likely to be less brutal than OTL slavery.
f) As I understand it while the ancient Greeks sometimes drew a border between Europe and Asia the size of the Roman empire at its height meant that the boundary of east and west was more along the location of Iran, with the east being India and those even less know lands further east. With a wider Christian community while there are likely to be deep and at times bitter religious divisions and conflict its likely that there will be a common sense of culture across a much wider area from at least the Levant and OTL western steppes/Russia to the Atlantic and from the Arctic - once the 'Vikings' are conquered/converted to somewhere very deep in Africa, as well as across to the Americans.
Anyway probably waffled on enough but hope the above makes some sense.
Steve
a) It would probably take a little longer for those states to be Christianised as compared to the Islamisation of OTL. However not sure if it would be greatly so. You would still have some trade links across the desert to prompt both trade and the exchange of ideas. Plus while not a clear duty as with the Hajj there is still a belief in the idea of pilgrimage in Christianity.
b) The concept of Christdom will definitely be much wider. Instead of a beleaguered region confined to western and southern Europe and facing what seemed an existential thread from a stronger and aggressive Islam it will now include all the Mediterranean region and beyond so it should be far more complex and also more confident. The latter could be an issue if it means even more infighting and rivalry between assorted groups/sects.
There is probably still likely to be some mistrust of people who look greatly different or have different cultural challenges but its likely to be far less than OTL. IIRC there were some, albeit limited connections between western Christian states and some in E Africa and even alliances and some marriage relationships - albeit relying on vague memories from some time ago.
c) The Berbers or any group that replace them are going to be an important link but could also be seen as a barrier or limiting factor with their control of such trans-Saharan trade. This might prompt earlier attempts at development of an oceanic route between Europe and W Africa, since there is a known community there as a region for trade and conversion. Which in turn might open up longer ranged oceanic trade further along the African coastline or on to the Indian Ocean and Asia. One factor here is that gaining access to European technologies, such as more advanced metallurgy, writing etc might mean that some African states could end up being full members of such trade and exploration rather than just the targets of European traders. This would radically change how the world develops.
d) I think some intermarriages between European and African dynasties are almost certain, but distance and expensive might mean that elements from one community - whether marriage partners, traders, mercenaries, priests whatever - to the other would be fairly rare and as such seen as oddities but known. Given the disease issue you could well see more Africans in Europe than Europeans in sub-Saharan Africa.
How this affects 'race relations' might depend on circumstances. Hopefully markedly better relations but there is the possibility that political, religious or other factors could mean that outsiders are subject to hostility and if they have a considerably different physical appearance of social values you could well have racial hostility generated. Which in some cases might be long lasting.
I don't think it would greatly affect the identity of European nations as such numbers of non-Europeans would be few in number. However it might delay or weaker a sense of Europe as separate from other neighbouring areas. [An even greater impact might be from N Africa and the Levant staying Christian as its easier for people to travel from those areas to Europe].
However having closer cultural contact between Europe and W Africa earlier is likely to drastically change both the views of the latter in Europe and probably also the balance of power to something more approaching equality, which is likely, assuming the development of a 'modern' world develops to greatly reduce European dominance. Your still going to get a lot of wars as various nations and groups struggle for economic and military power [as well as possibly other forms] but there's less likely to be a clear racial division - at least until a Darwin is produced in this world and then some idiots will seek to abuse what he says.
e) Possibly being idealistic here but I can't really see a major slave trade happening as OTL simply because a common cultural identity and also earlier contact is likely to greatly reduce the technological gulf. True in one way this wasn't important in W Africa as it was a slave trade, i.e. only made possible because local rulers were willing to sell slaves to Europeans but as mentioned the hostility towards enslaving fellow Christians is likely to cause problems for any such trade to develop. You might get some version of the bonded labour, by which many early white settlers arrived in the Americas but that's likely to be less brutal than OTL slavery.
f) As I understand it while the ancient Greeks sometimes drew a border between Europe and Asia the size of the Roman empire at its height meant that the boundary of east and west was more along the location of Iran, with the east being India and those even less know lands further east. With a wider Christian community while there are likely to be deep and at times bitter religious divisions and conflict its likely that there will be a common sense of culture across a much wider area from at least the Levant and OTL western steppes/Russia to the Atlantic and from the Arctic - once the 'Vikings' are conquered/converted to somewhere very deep in Africa, as well as across to the Americans.
Anyway probably waffled on enough but hope the above makes some sense.
Steve
]