SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND PRODUCTION IN PRE COLONIAL AFRICA

Key concept

v  Social organization: Refers to the mode of production  existing in particular place at particular time. It constitutes productive forces and relation of production.

v  Mode of production: Is the relationship between production and productive forces include  the following ; human labour,surplus production, instrument of labour, objective of labour and population.

v  Production: Is a major in the series of economic processes that brings goods and services to people. It includes creation, distribution and consumption.

TYPES OF SOCIAL ORGANISATION PRODUCTION

PRIMITIVE COMMUNALISM

Primitive communalism; was the first mode of production in which the major means of production were owned and shared by all members of the society. Under communalism the interest of the small groups are considered an individual.

The non productive members of the society such as the elders, disabled and children were exempted from the work due to their disabilities. The invention of agricultural tools encouraged to people to cultivate bigger plots of land. Rapid increases in population also encouraged people increase their farms so as to get more food which could feed the growing population.

Some of African societies in present days are still practicing communal mode of production. These include:

Ø  The Tindiga and Hadzabe of Singida and Lake  Mayara and Central Tanzania.

Ø  The Dorobo (Okiek) of Maumau forest and Tesoin Uganda.

Ø  The Mbali found in the equatorial rain forest of Congo DRC.

Ø  The bushman (san) of South Africa.

Ø  The Khoikhoi of Kalahari desert of Botswana.

Ø  The Tur of Ghana

CHARACTERISTICS OF COMMUNALISM

1.      Absence of exploitation; There was no exploitation among the people in a community. All the able bodied members of the society worked hard and shared what they produced

2.      Low level of production; The level of productive forces were low hence none or very little surplus was produced. The implements used in food procurement were crude and simple.

3.      Dependence on nature; In communalism life was entirely dependent on nature there fore the environment dictated how man lived

4.      Communal ownership; The  communal ownership of properties was a major characteristic of communalism. The major means of production like land, tools, and minerals were owned by the community.

5.      Hunting and gathering; This was main occupation in these communities people were grouped together in collective groups known as hunting bands to facilitate this means of production. This later led to the development of stock raising and agriculture then it brought the division of labour.

6.      Lack of specialization; Because of limitation of their science and technology (knowledge) these people learnt to perform all types of work. They worked together in making roots, hunting and looking  for food later on very simple division of labour based on gender occurred.

7.      Learning by doing; People in communal societies shared knowledge. This was acquire through learning by doing, youth and children  obtained skills and knowledge from the elders.

FACTORS FOR TRANSITION FROM PRIMITIVE COMMUNALISM TO SLAVERY AND FEUDAL MODE OF PRODUCTION.

       I.            Neolithic revolution: Is the term for the first agricultural change describing the transition from nomadic, hunting and gathering to permanent settlement. Neolithic revolution brought socioeconomic changes such as establishment of permanent settlement, extension of division of labor based on age and sex, emergence of specialization, surplus production and spread of diseases due to permanent settlement.

    II.            Advanced in science and technology:  This was the turning point that gave improvement in agricultural production. The tools produced were sharper and stronger than older ones. The improvement of tools led to the expansion socioeconomic activities above and beyond hunting and gathering

 III.            Population growth; by either natural  increase through giving birth or artificial means through  immigration which was associated with transformation of the social organization and forming of strong empire.

 IV.            The reliable rainfall and fertile land.

SLAVERY MODE OF PRODUCTION

Slavery refers to a situation in a society where a person owned by another purposely as an instrument of production. Or Slavery is the state of being owned and controlled by another person.  This economic system involved the ownership and use of slaves in economic production.  The slaves in pre-colonial Africa were therefore considered as personal possessions and could be inherited, given as gifts, brought or sold. Slaves were forced to work with no reward.

In East Africa, the  Sambaa, Kerewe, Haya, Ngoni, Ganda, Kamba and  Mijikenda owned slave. Also in Egypt slaves where constructed dams and pyramids. Along the coast of  East  Africa slaves were used in carrying loads buildings, cities, constructing dams and irrigation scheme. Slavery in Africa never existed as an institution except in Egypt Muslim communities and on the coast of East Africa

HOW PEOPLE BECAME SLAVES

1)      Some people were born into bondage by virtue of their parents having been slaves.


2)      Through the war among antagonistic societies, this during intercommunity warfare and enslaved and sold  into slavery

3)      Through selling peoples who were disadvantaged in particular society.

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Characteristics of slavery mode of production
    i. There was private ownership of the major means of production; during this time slave masters owned slaves as the major means of production. Also land owned by slave masters slaves become laborers.

ii. Presence of classes; there were emergence of two antagonist classes which were slave master and slaves. Example slaves were the producers while the slave master were the owner of production.

iii. Existence of dehumanization; human dignity destroyed in slavery mode of production. Example women were raped and people were sold while they were naked.

iv. There was low level of productive forces; productive forces were still low, but more improved compare to primitive communalism. Therefore it facilitated the production of surplus.

v. Existence of political system; these developed and emerged in different places at different times, which stimulated  by population growth. Also slave masters had army and prisons which were used in exploiting slaves.

vi. Emergence of exploitation; It was characterized by exploitation of man by man, whereby Slaves were the main producers, but slave master owned and enjoyed production.

vii. Slaves could be inherited along with other types of property. Hence generations of slaves from one family could work for generations of masters from another family.

FEUDALISM MODE OF PRODUCTION

Feudalism was a system of production where by were wealth landowners and landless commoners. Also feudalism was the third mode of production and the second pre- capitalists mode of production based on exploitation of man by man. The economy of feudal society was based on private ownership and renting of land, livestock by the ruling classes.

 The landowners allowed those without land to cultivate theirs in exchange for a fee in the form of services or goods. The landowners were kings, queens or chiefs.

   Most of the centralized state in Africa were based on feudalism, for example the Nupe, Hausa, Rwanda, Ankole, Buganda and Busoga, Buhaya and Karagwe.

Coastal lords overseeing the work of tenants

Feudalism existed in Africa in 14^th-19^thc. Example of places which practice feudalism in Africa includes Egypt, South Africa, Interlacustrine region, some parts of Tanzania etc.

Feudalism developed three types of rent, but in Africa there were only two types of rent;

i) Labour rent, serfs worked on the plot given by land lord in order to get food and then serfs required also to work on large part of land which belonged to the land lord as the payment.

ii) Rent in kind, peasant worked only on the plot given by land lord then the peasant /serfs provided/ offered portion of their products to the landlord. Example if serfs harvested 100 bags ten of them were given to the landlords as rent.

iii) Rent in money, this was the rent which was given in cash. But money rent did not develop in Africa.

Feudal Mode of Production among African States

  In African society’s feudal mode of production existed in different forms depending on the place in which it existed. In the interlacustrine area, the power of the ruler depended on the ownership and the control of land. This system of feudal relation was called Nyarubanja in Karagwe, and Buhaya.

a) In Buganda it was known as Nvunjo and  Busulu. The Kabaka was in charge of all productive forces which included women, cattle, land and tools and his subject paid feudal rent to him known as Nvujo or Busulu in case of land.

b) Ubugabire developed between the Tutsi and Hutu in Rwanda, Burundi  and  Buha. The feudal relationship in these areas depended on cattle ownership. The Tutsi could transfer some of their cattle to Hutu. The donor thus became the master (SEBUJA) of the recipient (BAGABIRE) the Omugabire and his family was obliged to perform duties for the master by cultivating and governing the property of the master.

c) Umwinyi , It existed along the Coast of East Africa. The Wamwinyi controlled land, tenants and serfs, monopolized economic and political power. The tenants and the serfs lived on the land of feudal lords in return for labor services and tribute. The Wamwinyi were political and religious leaders.

d) In Zanzibar the relationship of Umwinyi based on racism and religion .The society was divided into Arab, Shiraz and Africans in decreasing order of autonomy. The religion of Islam divided people into different categories; heathen (Washenzi) the non African Muslims and civilized (Waungwana) Arabs, Shiraz ,and Muslim Africans

e) The Wanyamwezi and Wasukuma; the power of the leader was based on the control of the producers themselves .The ability to control and mobilize labor was ideologically based. The Mtemi led the people to new land (kutema) wherever it was available .In Ethiopia tenant rented houses and were subjected to land lords.

                                

CHARACTERISTIC OF FEUDALISM MODE OF PRODUCTION

a)      Existence of exploitation of man by man; Example peasants (serf) were exploited by land lords and the distribution of production was not equal

b)      Little freedom to peasants; Peasants were fired due to various restrictions as they were treated as children

c)      Agriculture was the main economic activity; feudal lords owned larger portion of land and distribute those land to the peasant for agriculture in order to get rent.

d)      There were strong centralized states; feudalism supported development of political institutions, example Buganda, Bunyoro, Karagwe etc.  

e)       Development of two classes; this classes include feudal lords and peasants. Feudal lords owned land while peasant payed rent.
f)        Advancement of productive forces; due to the development of productive forces production increased and create availability of surplus production.    


                                                              

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