Reasons for the collapse of Long Distance Trade
Many factors contributed to the collapse of the Long Distance Trade.
The coming of the missionaries who decampaigned slavery and slave trade and advocated for its abolition, weakened the Long Distance Trade.
Scarcity of trading items along the coast discouraged traders especially those who never wanted to travel long distances into the interior.
Exhaustion of trading items in the interior due to over exploitation for example ivory and leopard skins.
Introduction of the cash economy, which replaced Barter system, affected the progress of the Long Distance Trade in villages.
The activities of scramble and partition of East Africa affected the Long Distance Trade.
Commercial rivalry between the Arabs, Europeans and Africans led to the decline of the Long Distance Trade.
Tropical diseases for example Malaria, sleeping sickness scared the traders hence the decline of Long Distance Trade.
Unfavourable climate in the interior for example heavy rains and prolonged drought disrupted and disturbed the movement of the Long Distance Trade.
The presence of wild animals in the forested areas that at times ate or scared the long distance traders.
The depletion of elephants and the scarcity of ivory (one of the leading trade items) led to decline of the Long Distance Trade.
Failure of some African communities to grasp the Kiswahili language made communication difficult and affected the progress of the Long Distance Trade hence its collapse.
Increased penetration of Arabs into the interior hence replacing the role of African chiefs created rivalry, which killed the Long Distance Trade,
Abolition of slave Trade reduced the volume of slaves, which were a major trade item.
The increasing conflicts in the interior (wars) disrupted trade and ensured its decline.
We are examining the topic are the following sub topics.
Factors that led to the growth ofthe long distance trade
Problems faced by the long distance traders
Role of the Baganda in Long Distance Trade
The Yao in the long distance trade
The Impact of long distance treade
Reasons for the collapse of Long Distance Trade
Why did the Arabs had little interest in the interior of East Africa up 1840?