LESSON NOTE ON WEEK ONE

THE TRANS-SAHARAN TRADE ROUTE

Meaning and Origin of the Trans-Saharan Trade Route

Trans-Sahara n trade, conducted across the Sahara Desert, was a web of commercial interactions between the
Arab world (North Africa and the Persian/Arabian Gulf) and sub-Saharan Africa.
,

The trans-Saharan trade was the commercial link between the Negroes of Western Sudan and the Merchant
Berbers of North Africa through the Sahara desert by means of Camel transportation.
It required merchants to travel across the Sahara between sub-Saharan Africa and North Africa.
The Trans-Saharan trade dates back to at least 1000 years before the beginning of our period but got
to its peak around the 8th century. Its major trade items were salt and gold. This rapid growth of
the Trans Saharan trade was driven by the Muslim Arab invasion of North Africa in the 7th century as
well as the introduction of Camel and Camel saddles.
The introduction of Camels and the Camel saddles helped to make the Trans Saharan travel much easier and
also increased the volume of goods transported.
The trans-Saharan trade was also referred to as the Arab trade. It is the opposite of the trans-Atlantic trade.

Organization of the Trans Saharan Trade

The Trans Saharan trade was manly organized and controlled by the Berber merchants of North
Africa i.e. they provided the money for the organization of the caravan, employed Tuaregs who acted
as guides and guided them along pasture and well (water) routes.
The great North African cities of Marrakesh, Fez, Tunis, and Cairo were all important starting or
destination points for the trans-Saharan caravans while cities such as Koumbi Saleh, Djenne,
Timbuktu, Gao, Kano, Katsina and Bornu etc. were great trading centres where the merchants
exchanged the goods they brought from North Africa majorly salt and horses, with gold, slave, kola
nut , ivory etc.
The trade was done partly by barter and partly by metal currency. For instance, slaves were given in
exchange for salt. The bulk of trading was done with gold because gold was the major currency.

The commodities traded during the Trans Saharan trade include gold, salt, slaves, horses, ivory,
kolanut, spices, clothe s, fire arms, glasses, beads, cowries etc.

1. The Berbers: The Berbers are the indigenous people of North Africa, west of the Nile
Valley. The Berbers are a major ethnic group of North Africa. They provided the capital for the
organization of the caravans.
2. The Tuaregs: The Tuaregs inhabit the Saharan regions of North Africa Niger, Mali, Libya,
Algeria and Burkina Faso. They lived in the desert and knew the routes very well, so they were
employed as guides by the merchant Berbers to guide them along routes where wells and pastures
were available.
3. Camel saddles: Camel saddles helped traders (mostly Berber nomads) ride the camels (i.e. Camels were
the only pack of animals equipped to survive in the desert without water for long periods of time and
without injury too.) The camels made it easy to move goods faster

Picture of a Camel Saddle

4. The Caravans: Caravans were groups of traders traveling together which often protected them
from desert raiders. The caravan might have certain officials such as a scribe to record
transactions, specialist guides such as Tuaregs for particular areas of the route, messengers and
an imam to lead daily prayers. Most important of all was the caravan leader, called the khabir,
who exercised total authority en route. A caravan could be made up of between 500 to 12000 camels

.
Picture of a Trade Caravan during the Trans-Saharan Trade
5. Oases: it is a fertile tract of land that occurs in a desert wherever a perennial supply of fresh water
is available in a desert or semi-desert environment. Oases also provide habitats for animals and
plants.

Picture of oases
LESSON NOTE ON WEEK TWO
The Trans Saharan Trade Route
The major routes of the Trans Saharan trade routes were
1. The Western Trade Route: It was also known as the Taghaza-Timbuktu route. It was the
most important route in the Trans Saharan trade. It started from a city called Sijilmasa
(Morocco) to Tagahaza (Mali), through Taodeni (Mali) from where it branched off to old Ghana
and Mali Empire, Djenne and ended at Timbuktu. The popular historian, Ibn Batuta travelled on
this route.
2. The Central Route: It started from Tunis (Tunisia), and passed through Ghadames (Libya) to
Ghat (Libya) and Air (also called Agades in Libya) and terminated at Katsina and Kano in
Hausaland.
3. The Eastern Route: It was also known as the Fezzan-Bornu or Tripoli-Bornu- route. It started
from Tripoli in Libya to Fezzan to Bilma and then to Bornu.

Effects of the Trans Saharan Trade

1. The Trans Saharan trade helped to bridge the gap between North Africa, the Persian Gulf, and
Europe and sub Saharan Africa.
2. The trade made the merchant berbers and the medieval kingdoms such as Ghana, Mali and
Songhai and Bornu empires to be wealthy. This wealth came from levies, taxes or custom fees
charged on import and export goods.
3. The Trans Saharan trade led to the growth and expansion of African kingdoms as wealth made
from the trade were used in the transformation or expansion of this kingdoms into great empires
4. The Western Sudan became known to the outside world as a result of the Trans Saharan trade
5. It led to the introduction and spread of Islam/Arabic language and its type of education.
6. The Trans Saharan trade also led to the introduction of camels and horses as means of
transportation in West Africa.
7. It also led to the introduction of new laws based on Islam known as Sharia in Western Sudan.
8. The Trans Saharan trade also led to the development of great urban centers of learning and trade
like Timbuktu, Djenne, Kano, Katsina, Bornu, Teghaza, Gao, Koumbi Saleh etc.
9. It also led to the introduction and expansion of the slave trade business

Factors that led to the Growth of the Trans-Saharan Trade

1. The introduction of camel and the camel saddle.
2. The Arab Invasion of North Africa
3. The increase in the demand of gold
4. The spread of Islam

Decline of the Trans Saharan Trade

The Trans Saharan trade began to decline around the middle of the 19th Century. The following
reasons could be attributed to the decline of the trade
1. The discovery of a new sea route from the Mediterranean sea to the West African coast. The sea
routes made it easy for goods to be transported easily and cheaply.
2. The change in the direction of the Sudanese trade to the Atlantic coast from the 16th century.
3. Thirdly, was the abolition of slave trade in the 18th century around March 1807 by Britain
LESSON NOTE ON WEEK THREE
EARLY EUROPEAN CONTACTS WITH NIGERIA
Europeans began exploration, trade, and missionary endeavors along the West Coast of Africa in the
15th century. The Portuguese were the first to do so, establishing trade with the Benin Kingdom, Warri,
Lagos, and other regions along the coast.
The Portuguese discovery of the coast of Nigeria was by accident or error as they were searching for
alternative routes to get supply of spices and other luxuries from Asia as a result of the blockage of the
Mediterranean Sea and Black Sea by the Turks.
The Europeans could not explore the coast of Africa until the 15th century due to several factors such as lack
of navigational instruments (Boats, Compass and Astrolabe), fear of the unknown sea (The Atlantic Ocean).
Furthermore, Portuguese exploration of the coast of Africa was driven by the following factors
1. The blockage of the Mediterranean and the Black Sea trade route by the Turks.
2. The introduction of modern navigational instruments like the COMPASS and ASTROLABE for
finding directions and positions at sea.
3. A period referred to as the RENASSANCE movement
4. The input of Henry “The Navigator” who sponsored the Portuguese exploration of the coast of Africa,
building of new and bigger ships, introduced the compass and astrolabe, built a school of navigation
etc.
It is said that, Ruy-de Sequeira was the first Portuguese to visit Benin territory in 1472 during the reign of Oba
Eweka but he did not come down from his ship and so did not make contact with the Oba nor the Binis while
Affonso d’Aveiro sponsored by Henry “The Navigator” was the first to make contact with the Benin
Kingdom when he landed at Ughoton (Gwato) in 1486 under the reign of Oba Ozolua. The Portuguese
were also the first to exchange Ambassadors with Nigeria in Benin as well as also build an
embassy/trading post in Benin at Ughoton (Gwato).

Motives/Reasons for European Exploration of Nigeria

The Portuguese were driven by several reasons to the coast of Nigeria. The reasons are outlined below
1. Political Reasons: Portugal was a very small country and thus wanted to boost its ego and pride in
Europe. Henry The Navigator wanted to make Portugal a leading European power and this he hoped
to achieve through exploration and colonization of Africa as well as Asia i.e. Portuguese exploration
of West Africa was stained with the colours of colonialism.
2. Economic Reasons: The principal or major motive of the exploration of the coast of West Africa was
trade. The Portuguese wanted to monopolize trade with West Africa by sea as well as secure the
Trans-Saharan trade in gold, slaves, and ivory for themselves.
3. Religious Reasons: The Portuguese exploration of the West Africa coast was also to expand the
frontiers of Christianity to the Nigerian people in order to convert them to Christians.
4. Apart from all the reasons listed above, the Europeans were also curious to know about West Africa
i.e. about the people, culture, kingdoms etc. This is because, the coming of the Europeans into West
Africa coincided with the Renaissance Period when there was increase desire for knowledge across
Europe.
 Keypoints on this Lesson
1. The Europeans/Portuguese came to Nigeria in the 15th century.
2. The Portuguese discovered the coast of West Africa by error or mistake as they were searching for
alternative route around the Mediterranean and Black sea route blocked by the Turks.
3. Portuguese exploration to West Africa was greatly influenced by the introduction of the
COMPASS and ASTROLOBE from Arabs and the Chinese.
4. European exploration of the coast of West Africa was majorly driven by trade and the spread of
Christianity.
5. Prince Henry The Navigator was the brain behind most explorations by the Portuguese.
6. Affonso d’Aveiro was the first European/Portuguese to make contact with Nigeria with the Binis
at the port of Gwato also called Ughoton in 1486.
7. The first embassy/trade post in Nigeria was established at Ughoton also known as Gwato.
8. The first Nigeria king to make contact with the Europeans was Oba Esigie

Assignment
1. What year was the name Nigeria given to her by Flora Shaw?
2. Why the black sea is called the black sea?
3. Who are the Turks?
4. What is the meaning of the Renaissance movement?