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In what ways did the Post Classical slavery practices in Africa change in the early modern era?
In what ways did Post Classical slavery practices in Africa continue in the early modern era?
![Framing:
The Atlantic System
Early Modern West Africa
sah a ra
Raw Material
como
Eur
MALI
Timbuk
North
KINGDOM
America
BAGA
MANDORI
YORURA
KINGDOM
Atlantic Ocean
ASANTE
BENIN
KINGDOM
CAMEROON
KINGDOM
Caribbe
Afric
Catle DAHOMEY
GRASSLANDS
KINGDOM
KINGDOM
ATLANTIC
K
FWIN
KIN
South
America
KONGO
KINGDOM
Mans
Konge
OCEAN
000
Source": Ihe African Slave Trade from the Fifteenth to the Nineteenth Century, published by the United
Nations, 1979 (modified]
The slave trade was a very ancient practice in Africa. The Europeans did not invent it. They only exploited it by
propelling the Africans to 'derive the greater part of their resources from it.
Prior to foreign intervention, the slave trade was undoubtedly practiced in Africa but on an extremely small
scale. It was developed chiefly as a means of reintegrating into society individuals who had been cut off from
their families following a war or other catastrophe. The African ideal is that of a community existence based on
powerful family ties with a view to a 'well ordered, secure life'. Enslaving peoples whom natural or other
disasters had cast adrift was a useful means of providing them with a social framework relevant to their
expectations in life.
It was the steadily increasing demand for slaves as a result of foreign intervention in the affairs of the
continent that brought about a fairly substantial increase in the volume of the trade, up to that point restricted
to a local scale. The material advantages to be gained by trading in slaves were an incentive to some of the
clans, especially in Postclassical times, to intensify their raids on neighboring tribes, to have something to
barter for Mediterranean or Asian goods. "The people of Lemlem', writes Arab Muslim geographer Muhammad
al-Idrisi (1100-1165), 'are perpetually being invaded by their neighbors, who take them as slaves...and carry
them off to their own lands to sell them by the dozen to the merchants. Every year great numbers are sent of
to [Northern Africa.)' Arab traders also took many captives from East Africa and sold them in Arabia, Iraq and
as far afield as China. In both cases, however, the number of slaves was actually comparatively small.
Between 1441 and the middle of the nineteenth century, the expanding slave trade ultimately became Black
Africa's only link with Europe and America. The establishment in the New World of European sugar, cotton and
tobacco plantations, as well as mining for precious metals, gave rise to a demand for an abundant, cheap
manpower force which could not be met by either the Amerindians or the European workers. The answer was
the Black Africans, who were regarded as good farmers. What is more, they would have no difficulty in
adapting to the tropical climate.
Tha Atrican Slave Trade from ha Fieenth to the Nineteanth Century by the United Nations modified and excerpted text Achievement First does not own the copyright
in The Origins of the Modem World and claims no copyright in this material. The material is being used excusively for non-profit educational purposes under fair use
principles in U.S. Copyright law. The user should make the judgment about whether this material may be used under fair use /fair dealing permissions in the user's country
The constant rise in demand led the African dealers to set up well-organized trade structures to keep the
Europeans supplied in slaves. Shortly before the date for departure to the coastal markets, where they would
meet up with the European slave-traders, the African merchants would begin to round up the slaves who were
to be sold along the coast at specific rallying-points.
organization was not the only means of supplying the European traders with slaves. For African States like
Benin, Ashanti and Dahomey were not prepared to bow to a system in which they were merely middlemen. At
the end of the seventeenth and the beginning of the eighteenth century, first Ashanti and then Dahomey
resolved to put an end to their inland position and open up a window to the coast in order to trade directly
with the Europeans. They did away with all the merchants who had previously passed through their territories
to take their slaves to the coast to sell them to the European slave-traders. From that time on, they became
involved in slave-dealing on a large scale.
Periodically they would send troops into the neighboring countries to capture slaves whom they would then
sell in order to secure arms and other European goods. In Ashanti and Dahomey the slave trade became a
State monopoly. Most of the slaves were now sold by the State and no longer by private individuals. There
also was an increased demand for male slaves, considered stronger laborers, over female slaves.
Although-the economic nerve-centers had shifted from the inland to the coast, the former trade relations
between Black Africa and North Africa (and by extension, Mediterranean) were as lively as ever. Only luxury
goods were traded. At the end of the seventeenth century an Arab horse was worth twenty-five slaves.
Alongside this slave trade which served to export captives to America or Asia there was another trade network
within the continent itself which helped to meet local labor demands. Some of them were bought by Africans
and remained in Africa. They then became part of their master's domestic slave household. But since they had
not been born under their master's roof, they were called ordinary slaves. Admittedly they did the same work
as the household slaves, but their status was inferior, for their master could sell them without incurring any
recrimination, whereas household slaves could not be parted with unless it was absolutely necessary.](https://content.bartleby.com/qna-images/question/7c6a3dff-6729-485c-933e-bf615eefedb6/143397e0-39f2-475d-8d85-9eab20ad2ac3/qzow03k_processed.jpeg)
Transcribed Image Text:Framing:
The Atlantic System
Early Modern West Africa
sah a ra
Raw Material
como
Eur
MALI
Timbuk
North
KINGDOM
America
BAGA
MANDORI
YORURA
KINGDOM
Atlantic Ocean
ASANTE
BENIN
KINGDOM
CAMEROON
KINGDOM
Caribbe
Afric
Catle DAHOMEY
GRASSLANDS
KINGDOM
KINGDOM
ATLANTIC
K
FWIN
KIN
South
America
KONGO
KINGDOM
Mans
Konge
OCEAN
000
Source": Ihe African Slave Trade from the Fifteenth to the Nineteenth Century, published by the United
Nations, 1979 (modified]
The slave trade was a very ancient practice in Africa. The Europeans did not invent it. They only exploited it by
propelling the Africans to 'derive the greater part of their resources from it.
Prior to foreign intervention, the slave trade was undoubtedly practiced in Africa but on an extremely small
scale. It was developed chiefly as a means of reintegrating into society individuals who had been cut off from
their families following a war or other catastrophe. The African ideal is that of a community existence based on
powerful family ties with a view to a 'well ordered, secure life'. Enslaving peoples whom natural or other
disasters had cast adrift was a useful means of providing them with a social framework relevant to their
expectations in life.
It was the steadily increasing demand for slaves as a result of foreign intervention in the affairs of the
continent that brought about a fairly substantial increase in the volume of the trade, up to that point restricted
to a local scale. The material advantages to be gained by trading in slaves were an incentive to some of the
clans, especially in Postclassical times, to intensify their raids on neighboring tribes, to have something to
barter for Mediterranean or Asian goods. "The people of Lemlem', writes Arab Muslim geographer Muhammad
al-Idrisi (1100-1165), 'are perpetually being invaded by their neighbors, who take them as slaves...and carry
them off to their own lands to sell them by the dozen to the merchants. Every year great numbers are sent of
to [Northern Africa.)' Arab traders also took many captives from East Africa and sold them in Arabia, Iraq and
as far afield as China. In both cases, however, the number of slaves was actually comparatively small.
Between 1441 and the middle of the nineteenth century, the expanding slave trade ultimately became Black
Africa's only link with Europe and America. The establishment in the New World of European sugar, cotton and
tobacco plantations, as well as mining for precious metals, gave rise to a demand for an abundant, cheap
manpower force which could not be met by either the Amerindians or the European workers. The answer was
the Black Africans, who were regarded as good farmers. What is more, they would have no difficulty in
adapting to the tropical climate.
Tha Atrican Slave Trade from ha Fieenth to the Nineteanth Century by the United Nations modified and excerpted text Achievement First does not own the copyright
in The Origins of the Modem World and claims no copyright in this material. The material is being used excusively for non-profit educational purposes under fair use
principles in U.S. Copyright law. The user should make the judgment about whether this material may be used under fair use /fair dealing permissions in the user's country
The constant rise in demand led the African dealers to set up well-organized trade structures to keep the
Europeans supplied in slaves. Shortly before the date for departure to the coastal markets, where they would
meet up with the European slave-traders, the African merchants would begin to round up the slaves who were
to be sold along the coast at specific rallying-points.
organization was not the only means of supplying the European traders with slaves. For African States like
Benin, Ashanti and Dahomey were not prepared to bow to a system in which they were merely middlemen. At
the end of the seventeenth and the beginning of the eighteenth century, first Ashanti and then Dahomey
resolved to put an end to their inland position and open up a window to the coast in order to trade directly
with the Europeans. They did away with all the merchants who had previously passed through their territories
to take their slaves to the coast to sell them to the European slave-traders. From that time on, they became
involved in slave-dealing on a large scale.
Periodically they would send troops into the neighboring countries to capture slaves whom they would then
sell in order to secure arms and other European goods. In Ashanti and Dahomey the slave trade became a
State monopoly. Most of the slaves were now sold by the State and no longer by private individuals. There
also was an increased demand for male slaves, considered stronger laborers, over female slaves.
Although-the economic nerve-centers had shifted from the inland to the coast, the former trade relations
between Black Africa and North Africa (and by extension, Mediterranean) were as lively as ever. Only luxury
goods were traded. At the end of the seventeenth century an Arab horse was worth twenty-five slaves.
Alongside this slave trade which served to export captives to America or Asia there was another trade network
within the continent itself which helped to meet local labor demands. Some of them were bought by Africans
and remained in Africa. They then became part of their master's domestic slave household. But since they had
not been born under their master's roof, they were called ordinary slaves. Admittedly they did the same work
as the household slaves, but their status was inferior, for their master could sell them without incurring any
recrimination, whereas household slaves could not be parted with unless it was absolutely necessary.
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