Topic 2: ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT and POLITICAL SYSTEMS _ Africa And Europe In The 15th Century - History 1 Notes Form 5 and 6
There are divergent views that have been advanced by various historians regarding the African continent when it came into contact with capitalist in Europe. According to Eurocentric scholars, they claimed that before the advent of colonial rule, African societies didn’t have any kind of development.
However, African scholars argued that the continent had achieved a significant level of development in economic, social and political aspects.
Development can be defined as the improvement in economic, social and political aspects.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Trade
There are strong evidences of trading activities in pre colonial Africa. There were different types of trade i.e. local and long distance trade. Local trade was the type of trade that was conducted within a given community.
Long distance trade was the type of trade which took place between one region and another. There was a long distance trade in east Africa which took place between the interior and coastal people of east Africa.
The main participants were the kamba and nyamwezi from the interior and the Arabs and Swahili traders from the coast.
Agriculture
By the fifteen century agriculture had developed in Africa. There were various types of agriculture in pre colonial Africa. These included permanent crop cultivation and shifting cultivation.
Permanent crop cultivation took place in areas that received a lot of rainfall and fertile land. Mixed farming took place in those areas whose soil lost its fertility easily, thus forcing the farmers to shift from one piece of land to another land looking for fertile land. Mixed farming was widely practiced in the savanna region.
Manufacturing industries.
By the 15th century Africa had developed a number of manufacturing industries such as salt making and copper mining. Salt making took place at Tagaza and Bilma in West Africa and uvinza in Tanganyika. Salt was not only used as an ingredient but also for preserving perishables.
Copper mining activities found in Africa by the 15th century. Copper was only used for making ornaments. In central Africa, the Katanga region was famous for mining and processing copper. Copper mining also took place along the Gwai River in Zimbabwe
Maritime technology.
To a certain extent African societies had developed maritime technology, this was around water bodies. The societies that had acquired this technology are the Ganda and kerewe in east Africa; these were making canoes that facilitated their movement along rivers and lakes.
Iron technology.
By the 15th century most parts of Africa had developed the art of making iron and using iron. In Africa the knowledge of making iron and use of iron tools developed at different times and at different places. The first places to use iron were Ethiopians and Egyptians. At around 200BC Meroe & Axum became important sector for the production of iron
POLITICAL SYSTEMS
During the 15th century, there were various political organizations in pre colonial Africa. This included the following:
1. Age set system.
This refers to the allocation of social functions according to sex and age groups. This system was mainly practiced by pastoral societies such as the Maasai of east Africa.
The Maasai assigned social functions according to age groups. Example; from age of 0 – 8 no social functions were given, from 8 – 18 years, the boys were supposed to graze the animals.
2. Clan organization.
This refers to control by clan head. This system mainly developed in the savanna region. The main economic activities were mixed farming and shifting cultivation. Mixed farming involved the cultivation of crops and animal keeping.
Shifting cultivation involved the movement from one place to another searching for fertile land because the soil easily loses its fertility.
Shifting cultivation made land very important, therefore societies needed strong leadership that would control and distribute land thus the rise of clan organization.
3. State organization
The state is a large political unity with a heterogeneous population having a centralized system with powers to collect tributes. Most of the states in Africa were formed in the interlacustrine region which received heavy rainfall throughout the year.
This type of environment supported the increase in production that led to increase in population thus contributing to the formation of states such as Buganda and Karagwe in east Africa.