African currency, economic manipulation and the Zanzibar slave trade

Dahomey as an example when it come to African economies

Said Mary's University Site:

http://stmarys.ca/~wmills/course316/7Dahomey.html "Economy

- Dahomey had a monetary system: cowry shells were the basic currency, but trade goods were used also—guns, bolts of cloth etc.

- Europeans tried to take advantage of this currency; they brought so many cowry shells that the shells lost value (inflation). As a result, European trade goods became the basic currency used in the purchase of slaves.

- farming was very important; agriculture was mostly carried out by men, usually in communal gangs of young men; this was different from most of the rest of Africa where women did most of the agricultural work. However, there were many artisans also who made products in addition to farming.

- the market economy mostly involved producers selling to consumers,but some women acted as middlemen. The latter would travel from market to market buying and selling goods.

- all trade with Europeans was a royal monopoly and guarded jealously by successive kings; kings never allowed Europeans to bypass and trade directly with people in the kingdom. As a military, predatory state, the costs of government and the military were high; thus,the king needed all the revenue from taxes and the profits of trade that he could get.

- Europeans and their influence were confined to one port on the coast—Whydah.

- permission to go inland, especially to the capital, was given only infrequently and as a special favour; because so few Europeans were allowed in, there were only a limited number of eyewitness accounts in spite of the long history of trade and contacts; no missionaries were allowed in."

Livingstone:

http://books.google.com/books?id=m-8MAAAAIAAJ&pg=RA1-PA556&dq=#v=onep...

Dr. Livingstone to Earl Granville Nov. 11, 1871.

"MY LORD :—In my letter dated Bambarre, November, 1870, now enclosed, I stated my grave suspicions that a packet of about forty letters—dispatches, copies of all the astronomical observations from the coast onwards, and ketch maps on tracing paper, intended to convey a clear idea of all the discoveries up to the time of arrival at Ujiji—would be destroyed. It was delivered to the agent hero of the Governor of Unyanyembe, and I paid him in full all he demanded to transmit it to Syde bin Salem Buraschid, the so-called Governor, who is merely a trade agent of certain Banians of Zanzibar, and a person who is reputed dishonest by all. As an agent, he pilfers from his employers, be they Banians or Arabs; as a Governor, expected to exercise the office of a magistrate, he dispenses justice to him who pays most; and as the subject of a Sultan, who entrusted him because he had no power on the mainland to supersede him, he robs his superior shamelessly. No Arab or native ever utters a good word for him, but all detest him for his injustice.

The following narrative requires it to be known that his brother, Ali bin Salem Buraschid, is equally notorious for unblushing dishonesty. All Arabs and Europeans who have had dealings with either, speak in unmeasured terms of their fraud and duplicity. The brothers are employed in trade, chiefly by Ludha Damji, the richest Banian in Zanzibar.

It is well known that the slave trade in this country is carried on almost entirely with his money and that of other Banian British subjects. The Banians advance the goods required, and the Arabs proceed inland as their agents, perform the trading, or rather murdering, and when slaves and ivory are brought to the coast the Arabs sell the slaves. The Banians pocket the price, and adroitly let the odium rest on their agents. As a rule no traveling Arab has money sufficient to undertake an inland journey. Those who have become rich imitate the Banians, and send their indigent countrymen and slaves to trade for them. The Banians could scarcely carry on their system of trade were they not in possession of the custom-house, and had power to seize all the goods that pass through it to pay themselves for debts. The so-called Governors are appointed on their recommendation, and become mere trade agents. When the Arabs in the interior are assaulted by the natives they never unite under a Governor as a leader, for they know that defending them or concerting means for their safety is no part of his duty.

The Arabs are nearly all in debt to the Banians, and the Banian slaves are employed in ferreting out every trade transaction of the debtors, and when watched by Governor's slaves and custom-house officers it is scarcely possible for even this cunning, deceitful race to escape being fleeced. To avoid this, many surrender all their ivory to their Banian creditors, and are allowed to keep or sell the slaves as their share of the profits. It will readily be perceived, that the prospect of in any way coming under the power of Banian British subjects at Zanzibar is very far from reassuring."

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Negro
• Arab
• African
• slave
• trade
• Swahili
• Islam
• European
• Livingstone
• currencies
• Zanzibar
• zanj
• debt
• credit
• British
• Brittan
• coast
• east
• Indian
• textiles
• cowry
• shells

[congobigp]

My mind colonised! I take offense to that. I am not seeing things the way I want to but rather the way they are. Most of sources that I've sent you have disregarded or totally misread. If a protagonist was active in the slave trade I will denounce it if not they are not. Start reading the links that I gave you.

3rd level thinking? Markellion I am not stupid! I woud have to do a video response to clear things.

[markellion]

Take a moment and look at the evidence.

Livingston himself wrote that the slave trade required funding from British subjects. Other sources make it clear that British merchandise was being used for the slave trade even during the abolition period.

[markellion]

To be specific this is what I want you to address, Livingston's quote:

"It is well known that the slave trade in this country is carried on almost entirely with his money and that of other Banian British subjects"

[congobigp]

In my response I made the mistake of asking of the value of the goods. The goods in your argument are to be used as currency local groupings depend upon but this type of manipulation would not have had a lots of benefits as I explain in the rest of my comments.

[congobigp]

considering it's relatively small size compared to west Africa (I sent you links to this effect ).

However I would have no problem agreeing if you had more precise sources pointing in your direction.

[congobigp]

I could use the case of the Congo when officers of the Force Public working for Leopold the second had a hard time conquering areas were locals had guns. The British under impulse of people such as Rhodes wanted to have the Cape to Cairo and areas in between under control. There is a local and indian sea dynamic concerning the slave trade.

And finally forgot to mention British influence came only later in the 19th century while the trade was already an ongoing process

[congobigp]

Compared to the financial gains of India, the jewel of the Empire, as well as the Opium trade was it even worth anything? That is if they did really manipulate it. It's more individuals reaping from it then the crown. This is not the 18th century and not west Africa, circumstances have changed. They could maintain unstable zones, playing up people one against the other, but not for too long. The aim during colonisation was gain of territory, raw material and manpower.

[congobigp]

You are basing yourself only the Livingstone quote, and the buying of goods for the sale. But this evidence is quite thin. What types of goods were they? Were they profitable?

British and French subjects were involved in the Trade with Brazil. But how much did the British crown benefit from that since they choked the Brazil trade (look back at the links) What and how would they finally reap from it?

[Azzaiel]

in depth, where is the person you are debating? i see no counters to anything you post?

thanks for the in depth though.

i do wonder how you can poor through all of that knowing the inclination of the writers