African Trade Networks Essay

“No nation was ever ruined by trade.” This quote was said by Benjamin Franklin in the late 1700s. These words are so simple, and it seems like anyone could have said them. However, this quote has a bigger meaning in that throughout world history, trade has been so important to so many countries and it has led to many empires successes. It has occurred for a very long time, and it has progressed dramatically. Trade has changed a lot, but some parts of trade stayed the same over a long periods of time. In the era between 300 CE and 1450 CE, trade between Eurasia and Africa changed because the empires and kingdoms in power were replaced and their control over trade differed;

Africa, like many other continents, was a very tremendous and a very diverse civilization that is very complicated to introduce due to all its wonderful but also diverse features and beliefs. From the differences between its society and language to its religion and politics, Africa always had the reputation that its empires, cities, and kingdoms never progressed in the developments and achievements for their civilization. Many people believed that the Europeans were actually the cause of Africa’s achievements and advanced developments for their civilizations. However, this is further than the whole truth. Before the arrival of the Europeans between the 15th and 16th century, African kingdoms, empires, and cities had many achievements and accomplishments

In a way it was a precursor to the oncoming storm of the slave trade and its global impact. However it is evident through the letters of Afonso, in this moment, that although Africans were collaborating with the Portuguese in trade that they did not want them to kidnap their nobleman or weakening its currency. Furthermore, the trade relations of the Atlantic Age specifically with the Portuegeuse and the Kongo help us understand the expansion of commercial exchange between West Central Africa and Europeans and give us a glimpse at the long-term and widespread impact it would have in

If there was ever an important period historians, and people could put a finger on, this would be it. This is the important period where the world’s countries, kingdoms, and dynasties established trade routes. This is the period where countries were made and countries were destroyed because of the importance of trade and the importance of building a fundamental, religious, and economical way of life. This paper will discuss the goals and functions of trades, and traders, and a historical analysis of world trade. This paper will also get into world trade patterns, of The Americas, Sub-Saharan Africa, The Indian Ocean, The Silk routes, China and The South China Sea, Europe and The Mediterranean, and The Atlantic Exploration.

Even though these aspects describe the ways that change occurred with trade between Afro-Eurasia, one important part did stay the same. North Africa was consistent and always a key part of trade between the continents of Europe, Africa, and Asia. In 300, North Africa was the only area that traded with the Mediterranean. In the time of the gold-salt trade, European venders and Islamic merchants arrived in North Africa. North African merchants still traded even when Europeans started to shift the balance of trade to the Americas starting from the mid-1400s. This is how trade systems between Africa and Europe stayed the same between the years 300-1450.

Europeans began to export slaves out of Africa and eventually into the Americas through Triangular trade. This put Africa on the map economically, but this economy began to disrupt their society. Different tribes began to start wars over obtaining slaves to trade for European goods. Eventually slave trade also led to a decrease in population in Africa, which caused a loss in potential for growth and as a result weakened African civilizations. Many regions were left dominated by females because of the demand for male slaves. This disrupted the previous traditional African family structure. The Europeans also took it upon themselves to impose Christianity on the Africans, who formerly practiced many different religions based on their

People of the early African kingdoms were able to create successful trade routes with Europe and Asia, become very wealthy from conquering and gaining land, and were able to have a strong central government. All of this was done before the Europeans had reached Africa. Trade flourished on the East African coast, especially when trading was established with India and Arabia. African kingdoms were prosperous, because of their success with not only trading but also with their ability to conquer land. A governmental structure is key to allowing any kingdom to thrive, and the African people were able to achieve this.

West Africa has experienced migration, because of the cultural, ethnic, linguistic, and religious groups it contains, and because of the minerals, and goods it can produce. Around the ninth century C.E., in the trans- Saharan route, slave trade became popular. These slaves were used by the Arabs for military service, administration, domestic service, and concubinage. Extensive trade in the region led to urbanization, as well as the introduction of Islam. Muslim Berbers contributed to the expansion of Islam, by controlling the trade routes in Africa, and becoming conduits for economic activities, by the tenth century. During the mid-11th century, cities like Gao and Timbuktu had Muslim scholars traveling the routes, because of the intrusion of the Almoravids, and this resulted in turning these cities into hotspots for study and trade. The eleventh century brought the acceptance of the Islamic culture, and led to conversion of the elites, so they can have legal, political, administrative, cultural, and economic benefits. The Islamic culture did not disrupt indigenous African shamanist and animist beliefs, it united ethnic groups, and led to the development of Islamic states throughout Africa. (Africa, 3000 B.C.-A.D. 1500 / West African Trade /

Trade was one aspect of the advancement of African Kingdoms before the arrival of Europeans. Trade notably developed due to the location of Aksum, a kingdom in Eastern Africa. Aksum was elongated from the Red Sea to the mountains, in which is present day Ethiopia.

The early civilizations of Africa were different in many of their cultural traits. One common trait they did have in common was the importance of trade in their society. Although trade was good for the African civilizations, there was consequences that followed trading. I will be using documents B, F, and D to support how early African civilizations had consequences from trading. In document B it states that, “The door of the pavilion is guarded by dogs on an excellent breed… who wear collars of gold and silver,” this quote helps support the idea that Ghana had lots of gold and wealth.

Changes in political and cultural traditions during the post-classical period occurred in Africa because of intensive Islamic contact. When Arab conquerors introduced the Islamic faith into northern Africa, they expanded the region of commerce. Muslim merchants established trading centers for copper, iron, salts, and cotton textiles. The newly established trade affected traditional social and religious beliefs. After 1000 C.E., the kin-based social structure experienced difficult challenges. Increased conflict between peoples led to the creation of military forces for both offensive and defensive use. This led to the formation of chiefdoms exhibiting more formal structures of governing such as in the kingdoms of Kongo, Ghana, and Mali. Because most traders were Muslim, many African societies converted to Islam to improve their relations with the

Teachings of Christianity entered Africa long before the full swing of the slave trade. Christianity first entered the African continent in the early AD, around the first to third century from Israel through Egypt. This “first wave” had minimal effects on the region, and hardly spread into the southern regions. It wasn’t until the “Age of Discovery” (15th to 18th Century) when the Europeans made contact with Africans that Christianity took a hold in Africa. African nations took on Christian Monarchy as leadership, and began converting their populaces. The spread of Christianity in Africa, however, was not a full coverage of the continent. Not only did Christianity experience barriers in conversion due to an already present

In the African continent, they developed an economic relationship with the European nation. There was clear signs that European needed connections. Prior to their relationship, african rulers had established trade links with the Mediterranean world, Western Asia, and Indian Ocean region. The expansion provided Europeans goods that included, cloth, iron, copper, jewelry, beads, and more. In exchange, Europeans return with textiles, carving, spices. The main trade however was

Development of new trade networks feeding consumption have developed, influencing the way Africa integrates into the global economy. Dobler analyses different trade networks that link Oshikango, Nambibia to the world through four case studies on Scotch whisky, Brazilian furniture, Japanese used cars and Chinese sneakers commodities. Through the case studies, he exemplifies how there has been a shift from old colonial domination of trade to new manufacturing countries or trade routes, as well as the essential role of migrant entrepreneurs in these routes. The similarity underlying

Christianity in Africa is not a recent happening nor is it a product of colonialism if we go back to the very time of the apostle. Christianity in most area was confronted during the centuries after the struggle by Islam, the Christian religion suffered in some measure, but did not disappear. Christianity has been flourishing on the northern part of this continent for years before Islam was born. Christianity in North African seemed to have been well founded deeply entrenched and firmly led.