Effects of Slave Trade on EAST Africa Slave Trade had a deep impact on the social and economic set up of East Africa. 1. Itledtodepopulation.TheinvolvementofEastAfricasocietiesinslavetradeledtothedecreasein thenumberofpeopleintheregion.Thiswasbecauselargenumberofslaveswasexportedoutside EastAfrica.Otherpeoplelosttheirlivesintheprocessofresistingtobetakenasslaves 2. ItledtothecreationoffearandinsecurityintheeastAfricansocieties.However,afterthe introductionofslavetradeinEastAfricatherewasastateofinsecuritywithintheregion.Thiswas becausestrongstatescouldinvadeweakstatesandcaptureslaves.Forexample,Bugandacould invadeBunyoro.Thisprocessinvolvedwarsandmassmigrationbecausepeoplefearedtobe captured.Alltheseinterruptedpre-colonialAfricasocialsetup SlaveTradeintensifiedsocialclassesinEastAfrica.Thismeansthatthereweresocialclassesinthe societies.However,thesituationbecameworseaftertheintroductionofslavetradeintheregion. ThiswasbecausechiefscouldengageintradeandexploitwealthfromitforexamplechiefMirambo ofNyamwezi.Thiscreatedinequalitybetweenthosewhoparticipated(chiefs)againsttheirsubjects whichrankedchiefstobeinhigherclassleavingotherstobelowerclass. 3. Itledtothespreadofpolygamy;aftertheintroductionofslavetradeinEastAfrica,polygamous practicesbecamecommon.Thiswasbecauseslavetradewashedoutmen.Asaresult,therewasa scarcityofmeninnumberastheyoutcompetedmenintermsofratio.Therefore,theyhadnoother optionratherthanmorethanonewifetoshareonemanhenceviolatingorinterruptingthesocialculturalpre-colonialsocietiesofeastAfrica 4. Economically,itledtothefollowinginterruptions;Destructionoflocaltrade;beforecolonialtimes, Africansocietieswerestronglyorganizedeconomically.Theycouldparticipateinproductionand trade.Forexample,insouth-WesternTanganyika,Fipasmithsexchangedtheirproductforcloth woveninRukwaandalsopot,cloth,ironandsaltwerethestapleofregiontrade.However,withthe comingofslavetrade,allthesewereinterruptedthusleadingtotheunderdevelopmentofthe region 5. Itledtothedeclineofagriculturalproduction;thiswasbecauseAfricanmanpowersweretakento ArabicfarmsespeciallyinZanzibarandotherpartsofMiddleEast.Theremainingpopulationwas theagedpeopleandchildrenwhocouldnotproduceenoughhencedeclineinagricultural production. 6. Itledtothedeclineoflocalindustries;inpre-colonialsocietiestherewerelocalskilledpeoplelike ironsmelters,skilledcraftsandpotterymakers.ForexampleKisswomenofNyasaLakebartered theirpotsfromhousetohouseinNyakusavillage.TheyalsomadeclothesfrombarkinBuhahaya, UnyakyusaandBuganda. Althoughslavetradeinterruptedsocialandeconomicdevelopmentinpre-colonialeastAfricasocieties,to someextentitledtodevelopmentoftownsandcities,forexampleZanzibar,UjijiandTabora,riseof
Posts