DEVELOPMENT OF ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES AND THEIR IMPACT_TOPIC 3_HISTORY FORM 1

DEVELOPMENT OF ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES AND THEIR IMPACT

HANDCRAFT INDUSTRIES AND MINING IN PRE-COLONIAL AFRICA

Handcraft industries: Man used hands and skills to produce tools and weapons of these industries.

Industries-Is the place where raw materials are processed into finished goods e.g. cotton-cloth

Specialized handcraft industries in Africa.

Salt making industries; iron working; copper mining; gold mining; pottery making; spinning and weaving industries; bark –cloth industries; canoe making industries

1. Salt making industries

These are industries, which engaged in production of soil in pre-colonial Africa.

Methods of obtaining salt

·        Obtaining salt from different reeds:  Reeds were collected, dried and burned, the ashes would be filtered while the ashes remain liquid would be evaporated and residue would be used as salt.

Places: - Near Lake Victoria, Kyoga, and Albert, among Buganda and Bahaya tribes and among Mang’anja people near shores of Lake Nyasa.

·        Obtaining salt by boiling and evaporating method. Sea or ocean water put into pans and left to evaporate, the salt crystals would be collected and used as salt.

Places: around coastal areas.

·        Obtaining salt by mining under neath rocks. Places: At Taghaza, Bilma around Lake Chad in western Sudan. Near lake Bangwela and river Luapala in central Africa.

·        Obtaining salt using water by fire.  Spring water containing salt was boiled and finally salt was obtained. Places with salt; in uvinza salt spring along river malagarasi in central Africa.

TRADE IN THE PRE-COLONIAL AFRICA

Trade is the process of buying and selling of goods and services between people. There was need to trade in order to get all things needed by the communities. Trade tends to develop in any society where there is surplus production.

LOCAL TRADE

Refers to the kind of trade, which is conducted within the same geographical area. In local trade, goods are exchanged between people living in the same geographical area, such as a town or village. Local trade was not for profit making but just to obtain essential goods. i.e. pastoral communities like the Maasai needed vegetables and grains from cultivators like the Nyakyusa and the Chaga.

Impacts of local trade.

1. Local trade united people within the same area.

2. Communities obtained goods such as tools, weapons, foodstuffs and medical herbs.

3. Transport routes were improved.

4. Some important market centers emerged along the market routes.

5. Local trade encouraged communities to expand production.

REGIONAL TRADE

Regional trade refers to trade conducted from one region to another (Trade conducted between two different geographical regions). Regional trade involved a wider variety of goods compared to local trade. It was not for profit making. For example, regional trade was Trans Sahara trade, Long distance trade of East Africa and Central Africa. Regional trade in the pre-colonial Africa took place in 19^th century.

THE KAMBA. 

The Kamba were leading the long distance trade through northern route in the 19^th century. They Kamba caravan brought ivory, guns, hides and beeswax from the interior. From the Coast they obtained cloth, salt, copper, cowrie’s shells and jewellery.

THE YAO. 

The Yao traders got beads and cloth from Kilwa. They also captured and sold slaves from neighboring communities, Yao chiefs such as Mpanda, Mataka, Machemba and Mtalika dominated the Southern route during the long distance trade.

THE NYAMWEZI. 

The Nyamwezi dominated the central route conducted trade between the interior of Tanganyika and the coast. The Nyamwezi sold slaves and ivory, hide rhinoceros horn..

Impacts/ effects of regional trade.

Positive consequences/impacts.

§  Some traders became very rich. e.g. Mirambo and Isike.

§  The communities were able to obtain new commodities e.g. guns, clothes, beads, ivory, etc.

§  The rise of trade centers such as Saadans, Pangani, Bagamoyo, Tabora, Ujiji, Voi, and Taveta.

§  The rise of trade routes.

§  The rise of powerful Empires/Kingdoms such as Nyamwezi.

§  New food crops such as maize, rice and cassava were introduced.

§  Spread of Islam by the Arabs to the interior Tabora and Ujiji.

Negative impacts.

§  The rise of inter-tribal wars in Oder to get slaves.

§  Many elephants were killed, as there was high demand of Ivory.

§  It led to depopulation and under development in some areas.

§  Slave raids caused insecurity and loss of innocent lives.

§  Foreigners used trade routes to reach to the interior.

§   Exploitation of African wealth by Europeans and Asians.

§  Decline of local industries in Africa.