CHAPTER 14:

CENTRAL AND EASTERN AFRICA TO THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY

Submitted by: Ayson, Sherrine J.Iv-16 BSE History

Farmers, fishers and hunters of the Congo

forest

Contains Africa’s largest area of tropical rain forest.

Farmers, fishers and hunters of the Congo

forest

The varied environment allowed a range of productive

activity: hunting, fishing, farming

Some people specialist in one or two

Farmers, fishers and hunters of the Congo

forest

Staple crops

replaced by American and

in 17th-18th centuries.

Farmers, fishers and hunters of the Congo

forest Most activities required co-operative labour

Small villages (up to 200 adults) most

common

Gender: women (cultivators) subservient to

men

System of clientage and some captive

labour

Farmers, fishers and hunters of the Congo

forest

River transport – communication and trade: Malebo Pool major

junction

Inter-group relationships based

on marriage

Some larger groupings: under

war leader, common language or

religious cult

Farmers, fishers and hunters of the Congo

forest

A few kingdoms (Kuba, Loango, Tio): they

usually provided link with Atlantic slave trade

Kingdon of Kongo 1480s: arrival of Portuguese:

diplomatic relations with Kongo

King of Kongo wanted: teachers,

craftsmen, weapons, mercenaries

Portuguese initially wanted: trade

in gold, copper, silver, spices

Soon disappointed with lack of

minerals for trade

West-central Africa in the ear of the slave trade

Portuguese presence

stimulated dynastic dispute

Portuguese helped put

Christian convert on throne:

Afonso I (r.1506-42)

Afonso used religion to

strengthen royal authority

Dependant now on

Portuguese rather than local

regional support

Afonso used Portuguese

weapons and mercenaries to

expand kingdom

Kingdon of Kongo

Kingdon of Kongo

Kingdon of Kongo

War-captives sold

for slave export to

São Tomé

São Tomé settlers

promoted wars for

more captives

16th century

development of

trans-Atlantic trade

put more pressure on

Kongo to produce

more slaves

Kingdon of Kongo

Kingdon of Kongo

1568-9 Jaga invasion weakened Kongo, king into

exile

Kingdon of Kongo

West-central Africa in the ear of the slave trade

1574: Alvaro I reinstated

by Portuguese with São

Tomé mercenaries

Royal power now

weakened, collapsed in

17th century: Kongo

disintegrated into rival

regional factions

Slave trade dominant,

Dutch competition,

pombeiros (specialist slave

traders)

Angola and the slave trade

16th century: São Tomé major transit for trans-Atlantic trade

São Tomé traders established trading post at Luanda (independent

of royal Portuguese control

Angola and the slave trade

Purchased captives from Ngola of Ndongo

Ngola expanded kingdom to produce war captives for sale

1580s: Portuguese attempted invasion of Ndongo to find

rumoured silver mines

Angola and the slave trade

São Tomé traders established trading post at Luanda

(independent of royal Portuguese control

Angola and the slave trade

Invasion failed – many soldiers settled as regular slave

traders

Established southern trading post: Benguela

17th-18th centuries: Angolan coast became major export

zone for trans-Atlantic slave trade

Angola and the slave trade

Invasion failed – many soldiers

settled as regular slave traders

Established southern trading

post: Benguela

17th-18th centuries: Angolan

coast became major export

zone for trans-Atlantic slave

trade

Angola and the slave trade

Competition from Dutch, French

and English – selling guns to

stimulate war and captives

Central African empires and the growth of trade

Other imports: Indian cottons and Brazilian rum

1570s-80s Imbangala invasion of coastal lowlands, formed

the raiding/trading state of Kasanje

Central African empires and the growth of trade

The Lunda of Mwata Yamvo

Empire reached its height 2nd half of seventeenth centuryMany Lunda offshoots (e.g. Imbangala)New American crops (maize, cassava) became major staples: drought-resistant cassava enabled regular food surpluses, providing stability within the empire

Central African empires and the growth of trade

The Lunda of Mwata Yamvo

Mwata Yamvo tribute collection stimulated long-distance tradeLocal specialisations (metal manufactures, copper, ivory, pottery) sent to royal court as tributeTribute redistributed or exchanged for luxuriesMajor trade items: ivory and slaves, for cotton cloth and gunsUse of guns spread slave trade networks deep into continent

Central African empires and the growth of trade

The Lunda of Kazembe

Early 18th century tribute state deliberately set up by Mwata Yamvo under authority of Kazembe, with authority to collect tribute from Zambian/Congo ‘copperbelt’ regionKazembe II, c.1740 established eastern state in Luapula ValleyLate 17th century, independent of Mwata Yamvo – only nominal tribute

Central African empires and the growth of trade

The Maravi empire of Kalonga

Rich natural resources (cassava, maize, salt, fish, copper, iron)Wide collection of tribute from the region1800: Kazembe III’s capital: centre of vast trans-African trading network: access to both Atlantic and Indian Ocean systemsExports: iron, copper, ivory, salt and (later) slavesImports: European woollens and guns, Indian cottons, glass beads and court luxuries

Central African empires and the growth of trade

The Lunda of Kazembe

16th century Maravi kingdoms: Kalonga, Lundu and Undi – federations of chiefdomsManufacturers and exporters of iron, hunters of ivory in Zambezi and Shire valleys16th century Portuguese attempts to control ivory trade provoked backlash which temporarily drove Portuguese from Sena and Tete in Zambezi valley (‘wa-Zimba’ invasion)

Central African empires and the growth of trade

The Lunda of Kazembe

c.1600-1650: Kalonga Masula re-established peaceful ivory trading with Portuguese, and absorbed Lundu and Undi into Maravi empire from Shire valley to Mozambique island on the coast (Map 14.2)1623 Kalonga attacked Mutapa, south of Zambezi Kalonga empire declined after Masula’s death in 1650: too much reliance on personal leadership, lack of central administrationChiefdoms asserted independence, Yao took over ivory-trading routesLack of central authority left way open for violent slaving caravans of early 19th century

Central African empires and the growth of trade

The Changamire Rozvi of the

Zimbabwe plateau

Central African empires and the growth of trade

The Changamire Rozvi of the

Zimbabwe plateau

17th century: Portuguese increasing interference in Mutapa kingdom: provoking civil conflict and using violence to try and force people to mine for goldDefensive private armies formed, mostly by wealthy cattle-owners: poor seeking protection of rich, offered themselves for military service By 1670s Dombo (wealthy cattle-owner with powerful private army), title: Changamire. Army: Rozvi (‘destroyers’)Invaded and took over south-western kingdom of Guruuswa (or Butua)

Central African empires and the growth of trade

The Changamire Rozvi of the

Zimbabwe plateau

From 1684, expelled Portuguese from Mutapa and Manyika Rozvi empire became dominant power on Zimbabwe plateauPortuguese of Sena and Tete only saved by death of Changamire Dombo in 1696Succession dispute: Rozvi withdrew onto plateau, where they remained dominant over Shona chiefdoms throughout 18th century: military collection of tribute and approval of chiefly successionMining and trading of gold under royal control

Central African empires and the growth of trade

The Changamire Rozvi of the

Zimbabwe plateau

Portuguese confined to trading posts in Zambezi valleyGold trade not allowed to become economically dominant: most gold crafted into ornaments for local useBasis of economy remained; cattle, hunting and small-scale farming

The east African interior west of the Victoria Nyanza

Bunyoro (mixed farming, hunting, herding) dominant power from 16th

century: loose confederation of chiefdoms

Bunyoro cattle raids conducted south and east

The east African interior west of the Victoria Nyanza

The rise of Buganda

17th century: small compact centralised state, based on agriculture

Banana cultivation on north-west shores of Victoria Nyanza: agricultural stability – no need for

shifting cultivation: hence, compact state, dense population, centralised government (possibly

as defence from Bunyoro raids)

Kabaka Mawanga (early 18th century) formed strong centralised kingdom at expense of

traditional clan chiefs

Kabaka controlled land allocation to regional territorial chiefs

Peasantry provided wealth through taxation, passed as tribute through hierarchy

Banana cultivation did not require fulltime labour: peasantry available for public works:

Roads radiating from capital enabled kabaka to maintain his authority over local clans

Territorial chieftaincies kept out of hands of royal clan, to prevent alternative power bases

18th century Buganda expansion, surpassed Bunyoro in strength by 1800

The east African interior west of the Victoria Nyanza

Pastoralist kingdoms of the south-western

highlands

Nkore, Rwanda, Burundi: in densely-populated fertile highlands

Ba-Hima in Nkore, Ba-Tutsi in Rwanda and Burundi: started as cattle-keepers in upland

grasslands

They gradually established dominance over valley cultivators, converting trading relationship

into clientship: lending cattle and demanding herding services and food tribute

Cattle-owners became aristocratic ‘warrior’ class of rulers who offered ‘protection’ from raids

by rival clans

By 18th century the Tutsi clans had merged into two kingdoms: Rwanda and Burundi

Developed elaborate rituals and myths of ancient origin to justify their dominance over

subservient ‘Ba-Hutu’ peasantry

Tutsi/Hutu: class distinction based upon wealth and power consolidated into a caste system,

that was to develop into ethnic antagonism from late-19th century

The east African interior east of the Victoria Nyanza

Pastoralist kingdoms of the south-western

highlands

Nilotic-speaking pastoralists pushed south into region in 16th-17th centuries:

Ateker and Teso (north-eastern Uganda), Turkana and Samburu (north-western

Kenya), Maasai (central Kenya, northern Tanzania)

Maasai found central rift valley already occupied (e.g. Kalenjin), so seized grazing

land by force, with myth that all cattle belonged to Maasai

Maasai: age-set system, along military lines (similar to Oromo, pp.170-1)

No single coherent group – related groups governed by councils of elders (3rd age-

set)

Developed peaceable relations with Bantu-speaking farmers, trading with Kikuyu

and Kamba

Kikuyu developed age-sets and initiation based on Maasia practices

Most Bantu-speaking farmers in small chiefdoms

The east African interior east of the Victoria Nyanza

Pastoralist kingdoms of the south-western

highlands

In higher rainfall regions (Kilimanjaro, Usambara and Pare mts) sizeable

states emerged among Chagga, Pare and Shambaa

Their age-sets and initiations ceremonies possibly from earlier Chushitic

neighbours

Tanzanian plateau: rich in iron ore and salt – long-distance trading

networks

18th century, Nyamwezi became professional traders and ivory-porters

They developed trading links between Lakeland kingdoms and Swahili

coast (important for ivory and slave trade of 19th century)

Bibliography

• Shillingtonton, K. History of Africa (2012). Retrieved on march 1, 2014.