The Nineteenth Century Polity Society Economy Main Themes

The Nineteenth Century: Polity, Society, Economy Main Themes: -Impact of European Abolition of Slave Trade and Slavery -Changing State Structure, Power -Role of Africa in Global Economy All are interrelated

Africa in Pre-Colonial World Systems -Mediterranean & Middle East -Indian Ocean -Atlantic

Pre-colonial Slave Trades Trans-Saharan: -Movement slaves from medieval African sub. Saharan states (9 th-15 th centuries) -Some use in Sahara, most brought in caravans to north Africa, Bornu, Egypt -Moved into Middle East -Rise of empires (Moroccan, Ottoman) major impact from 15 th century

Trans-Saharan Trade Routes

Africa and Ottoman Empire

Pre-Colonial Slave Trades Indian Ocean: -early trade part of growth Swahili Coast, trade in range of commodities Red Sea, Persia, India -growth of trade into Ottoman Empire encouraged development trade into Egypt -major developments 18 th-19 th centuries

East Africa – Indian Ocean

Atlantic Ocean Trade Atlantic Trade: -tied to Europe’s ‘voyages of discovery’ -initial importation to Europe, use in Africa itself -began to feed Caribbean development, Brazil -move from indentured labour to slave labour in American Colonies -peak of trade 18 th century

Atlantic Slave Trade From: http: //www. slaveryinamerica. org/geography/slave_trade. htm

Impact of Slave Trades Impact varied according to region and era: -Demographic: stunted African growth? -Economic: growth or impediment? -Political: centralization of states -Social: new elites, military classes, slavery

Nineteenth Century Changes Complex intersection developments both within and outside of Africa: -Islamic Reformist movements (West) -Nguni state-building (Southern) -Zanzibar empire (East) -Egyptian expansion (East/Central) --rise of slave-based, military states (Central/East) - growth ‘legitimate commerce’ (West and East)

Ninteenth Century Changes External influences: -European Abolitionist Movement -transformations Ottoman Empire -European imperialism in Middle East – Oman -Islamic Reformism (Middle East)

Slave Trading: Contradictory Trends Trans-Saharan: - influenced by: Ottoman empire, Abolitionist efforts, especially ending of Atlantic Slave Trade -Ottomans pressured to close North-African markets -Clandestine traffic through Tripoli -Development of East Africa – Hijaz networks -Strengthened routes into Morocco

Trans-Saharan (cont. ) -closing Atlantic ports shifted trade across Sahara-Sahel -growth internal use slaves -Saharan traders ‘aided’ in avoiding crisis of adaptation for much sahel (worked in conjunction with ‘rise legitimate commerce’) -overall appears to have been growth in slave use and slave trading

Trans-Saharan (cont. ) Darfur (from a Tunisian traveller): “Certain rich people living in the town have installed these blacks [from the neighboring mountains] on their farms, to have them reproduce, and, as we sell sheep and cattle, so they, every year, sell those of their children that are ready for this. There are some of them who own five or six hundred male and female slaves, and merchants come to them at all times, to buy male and female slaves chosen to be sold. "

Hijaz – Ottoman Empire Mecca became important centre as abolition took effect in Ottoman Empire: 1877 report: “Having brought to the notice of the new Governor General, Zia Pasha, the practice of importing African slaves from the markets of Mecca, with the [Pilgrim] Caravan, for sale in Syria, His Excellency informed me that he had already given very strict orders to prevent such abuses. His Excellency's orders have not, however, met with the success which he stated to me he expected, as slaves were brought as usual. "

Ottoman Slave Trade Persia Darfur 19 th century trade Hijaz Trade

Muhammad Pasha - Egypt Nominally Ottoman, Muhammad Pasha built own empire into Upper Nile -used slave armies -fed slave trade into Hijaz

Indian Ocean Trade - Zanzibar Hijaz trade also fed from East Africa: -British involvement in Oman influenced Sultan Sayyid Said to move capital to Zanzibar (1840) -focus on economic development: trade and agriculture -drew on Indian trade networks for finance -slaves from East African interior for plantation development

Indian Ocean Trade - Zanzibar -established grain plantations on mainland -Indian merchants provided credit for goods that moved as far inland -New settlements facilitated and fed trading network -‘Swahili’ traders of mixed cultural descent operated caravans [eg Tippu Tib, Mirambo] -Expanded Sultan’s ‘domains’ half-way across the continent taking language, culture and religion with them

Indian Ocean Trade - Zanzibar

Indian Ocean Trade - Zanzibar Famous ‘Tippu Tip’ epitomized system at most effective Tippu Tip (Muhammad bin Hamid c. 1830 -1905) ruled a commercial empire in Equatorial Africa from the 1860 s to 1890. Born in Zanzibar of a Swahili merchant and a Nyamwezi (African) mother, he began his ventures in the early 1860 s south of Lake Tanganyika Expanded as far as Congo (1875) establishing his own ‘state’ Both traded in slaves (to the coast), used slave labour in plantations and built slave-army

Indian Ocean Trade - Zanzibar East African trade also supplying slaves to Qajar Persia (1800 -1907), though this was gradually reduced in the course of the century

Indian Ocean Trade - Zanzibar Rise of slave-based, military states linked to both Zanzibar empire and Nguni movements South Africa -stories of Mirambo, Tippu Tib, Msiri -early 19 th century state-building among Nguni: Zulu -impact in central-eastern Africa: story of Rashid bin Hassani

Atlantic Trade – West Africa Story of Olaudah Equiano (late 18 th century): -shows degree to which ‘slaving’ and ‘slavery’ part of West African societies

Atlantic Trade – West Africa Abolition Trade (1807 Britain, 1817 France): Impact? -African elites -state structure -economy -social structure

Atlantic Trade – West African Elites: -dependent on taxing trade -slaves central to tribute payments -large slave-raiding armies a threat “why is trading in slaves suddenly ‘wrong’ when it has been ‘legitimate’ for centuries? ”

Atlantic Trade – West Africa State Structure: -large states organized around acquisition and trade in slaves (eg Dahomey, Oyo) forced to adjust -loss of monopoly depletes state coffers -ability to maintain control extensive ‘empires’ undermined -rise of smaller, regional chiefdoms -rise of Islamic states across Sahel, challenging older ‘empires’

Atlantic Trade – West Africa Economy: -’legitimate commerce’ -changing products, changing production areas -rise new groups producers, merchants -changing nature slavery

Atlantic Trade – West Africa Social Structure: -rising importance merchant class -small(er) scale producer -both drawn into ‘global economy’ -growth in domestic slavery: varied impact on slaves’ lives -many opportunities for slaves in new economies (eg Niger Delta – palm oil)

Atlantic Trade Overall impact of changes complex: -’external’ decision to end slave trade, demand ‘legitimate’ products hugely disruptive -new competition (between Africans and with Europeans) led to new conflicts -increasing pressure by European merchants for government intervention -conflicts increasingly military, producing slaves, feeding new markets

Atlantic Trade -new sources slaves, markets generated more outcry from abolitionists, missionaries -connection: commerce + christianity = civilisation -calls for conquest -echoed in East and Southern Africa, generated by same groups

Atlantic Trade Arms and Ammunition: -long been used by Africans in West Africa but always inferior to those available to Europeans -grew in numbers in nineteenth century -would play role in ‘conquest’ -increasingly central to actual state-building in interior of both West and East Africa

Atlantic Trade Impact of Legitimate Commerce: -multifaceted -shifted sources and pattern slave trade and use -new wealthy classes challenge traditional authority -dependence on exporting raw materials (oils, cocoa, rubber, cloves [east]) -dependence on global market -interdependent relation Africa-Europe