What is History?

History is the study of past events, especially the human past. It helps us understand how societies, cultures, and civilizations developed over time.

1. Sources of History

Historians use different sources to learn about the past.

• Oral Tradition: Passing history by word of mouth through stories, songs, and proverbs.
  Example: African elders telling stories about their ancestors.
• Written Records: Documents such as letters, books, official records, and newspapers.
  Example: Diaries from explorers, colonial government reports.
• Archaeology: Study of objects made and used by people in the past, such as tools, pottery, and buildings.
  Example: Olduvai Gorge fossils in Tanzania.
• Historical Sites and Monuments: Places or buildings important in history.
  Example: Kilwa Kisiwani ruins, Great Zimbabwe.
• Artifacts: Physical objects left behind by previous generations, like weapons, jewelry, and clothing.

2. Importance of History

Studying history is very important for several reasons:

1. Understanding Our Past: It helps us know where we come from and how societies have changed.
2. Learning from Mistakes: History teaches us what caused wars, conflicts, and problems so we can avoid them in future.
3. Appreciating Culture and Traditions: It helps us value our heritage and identity.
4. Building Citizenship: Knowing history helps citizens understand rights, responsibilities, and how governments work.
5. Developing Critical Thinking: Analyzing causes and effects improves reasoning and decision-making skills.

3. Advantages and Limitations of Different Sources

4. Visual Aid: Simple Diagram of Sources of History

Introduction

Economic activities are ways in which people in society produce, distribute, and consume goods and services. In pre-colonial Africa, especially East Africa, these activities played a crucial role in shaping communities, trade, and social life.

Understanding the development of economic activities helps students appreciate how early societies survived, interacted, and grew.

Key Economic Activities

• 1. Agriculture: Farming was the main economic activity. People grew crops like millet, sorghum, maize, and bananas depending on the climate.
• 2. Pastoralism: Many communities kept animals like cattle, goats, and sheep. This provided food, clothing, and wealth.
• 3. Hunting and Gathering: Some groups survived by hunting wild animals and gathering fruits, roots, and honey.
• 4. Handcraft and Mining: People produced pottery, tools, and iron goods. Mining of minerals like salt and gold was important for trade.

Trade and Its Development

Trade developed as communities started exchanging goods they produced for those they lacked. Trade routes were established across Africa, including:

• Trans-Saharan trade linking North Africa and West Africa
• Indian Ocean trade along East African coast

Example: The Swahili Coast became famous for trade with Arabs and Persians, exchanging gold, ivory, and slaves for textiles and beads.

Factors that Led to the Development of Trade

1. Availability of Surplus Goods: Farming and mining produced more goods than needed, allowing exchange.
2. Specialization of Labor: People became skilled in particular crafts, making goods for trade.
3. Geographical Location: Coastal and river communities used waterways for easier transportation.
4. Use of Currency: Items like cowrie shells and iron bars became mediums of exchange.
5. Political Stability: Strong kingdoms provided safe trade routes.

Impact of Economic Activities

• Social Interaction: Trade led to cultural exchange and spread of ideas and religion (e.g., Islam on East African coast).
• Economic Growth: Wealth from trade helped build cities and kingdoms like Kilwa, Ghana, and Mali.
• Urbanization: Trade centers grew into towns and cities.
• Conflict and Cooperation: Competition over resources and trade routes sometimes caused wars but also alliances.

Vivid Example: The Kilwa Sultanate

Kilwa was a powerful trading city-state on the East African coast. It traded gold from Great Zimbabwe for luxury goods like Chinese porcelain and Persian rugs. This illustrates how trade connected different parts of the world long before Europeans arrived.

Ruins of Kilwa Kisiwani, a major trading center (Photo: Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Visual Aid: Simple Trade Flow Diagram

Diagram shows main goods traded between regions

Introduction

This topic explores some of the important historical sites in Tanzania and East Africa, types of trade practiced before colonization, methods of production such as salt making, and the factors that led to the development of trade in African societies. Understanding these concepts helps students appreciate the rich history and economic activities of their ancestors.

Key Definitions

• Historical Site: A place where evidence of past human activities or civilizations is found. It can include ruins, caves, artifacts, and ancient settlements.
• Local Trade: The exchange of goods and services between people living within the same region or community.
• Long Distance Trade: Trade between people or communities separated by large distances, often involving transportation by caravans, boats, or other means.
• Salt Production: The process of extracting salt from natural sources, such as salt lakes or salt pans, which was an important economic activity in ancient Africa.

Important Historical Sites

Olduvai Gorge

Located in northern Tanzania, Olduvai Gorge is one of the most important paleoanthropological sites in the world. It has yielded fossils of early human ancestors dating back over 2 million years. The site helps us understand human evolution.

Source: Wikimedia Commons (Public Domain)

Isimila Stone Age Site

Located near Iringa, Tanzania, Isimila is known for its well-preserved Stone Age tools. These tools give insight into the technology and lifestyle of early humans in East Africa.

Source: Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Kondoa Irangi Rock Paintings

Kondoa is famous for its ancient rock art painted by early hunter-gatherer communities. The paintings reveal their beliefs, culture, and way of life.

Source: Wikimedia Commons (Public Domain)

Kalenga Ruins

Kalenga is the historical capital of the Hehe people in Tanzania. It is known for the remains of ancient stone buildings and walls used as fortifications during the 19th century.

Source: Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Types of Trade

Local Trade

Local trade is the buying and selling of goods within the same village, town, or region. Examples include exchanging food, pottery, tools, and livestock between neighboring communities.

Long Distance Trade

Long distance trade involves the exchange of goods over large distances, often connecting different regions or countries. Traders used caravans, boats, and sometimes camels to transport goods such as gold, salt, ivory, and cloth.

Example: The Trans-Saharan trade routes connected West Africa to North Africa and Europe, allowing gold from Ghana to be exchanged for salt and other goods.

Salt Production

Salt was an important product for trade and daily use. It was extracted from salt lakes and salt pans using various methods:

• Mining: Digging salt crystals from salt deposits in the earth.
• Evaporation: Collecting salt by evaporating salty water from lakes or sea pans using sunlight.
• Boiling: Boiling salty water until salt crystals form.

Salt was valuable because it preserves food and is essential for human health. Many African societies traded salt extensively.

Factors Leading to the Development of Trade

1. Natural Resources: Different regions had various products such as gold, salt, ivory, and crops, creating a need for exchange.
2. Technological Advancements: Development of transportation means like caravans, boats, and roads facilitated movement of goods.
3. Stable Political Systems: Kingdoms and empires provided security along trade routes encouraging merchants to trade safely.
4. Demand for Goods: Growing populations and wealth increased demand for goods not locally available.
5. Cultural Exchange: Trade also encouraged interaction of different peoples, sharing ideas, culture, and religion.

Visual Aid: Simple East African Trade Routes

This simple map shows important trade centers and routes in East Africa used for local and long distance trade.