INTERACTIONS AMONG THE PEOPLE OF AFRICA
Introduction
Interaction was a state in which people from one community got into contact with one another. The contacts among African people resulted from their various struggles to meet their daily requirements and further social and economic development. Before colonialism, African communities had social and economic interactions.
Interaction was a state in which people from one community got into contact with one another. The contacts among African people resulted from their various struggles to meet their daily requirements and further social and economic development. Before colonialism, African communities had social and economic interactions.
A) SOCIAL INTERACTION:
Social interaction took place through migration, religion, war, music, medicine and marriage.
MIGRATION
East Africa belongs to four main language groups namely the Khoisan, the Cushites, the Nilotes and the Bantu.Historical evidences show that the earliest inhabitants of East Africa were of Khoisan origin. Their speech is described as had “click” sound. It was similar to the language of present day KhoiKhoi and San of South Africa. They were nomadic hunters and gathers. These early large groups interacted with the larger Cushites, Bantu and the Nilotes communities that began settling in East Africa from the first century A.D. The remnants of them include Sandawe and Hadzabe of Tanzania and the Okiek (Dorobo) of Kenya. The origin home kind of the Nilotes was in the Nile valley in Sudan. Some Bantu communities of East Africa included Nyamwezi, Sukuma, Chagga and Pare of Tanzania, kikuyu, Kamba. Luhya of Kenya and Baganda, Basoga and Banyoro of Uganda. Through interaction of one community practiced medicine interacted with another led to some changes such as introduction of iron technology in East Africa.
East Africa belongs to four main language groups namely the Khoisan, the Cushites, the Nilotes and the Bantu.Historical evidences show that the earliest inhabitants of East Africa were of Khoisan origin. Their speech is described as had “click” sound. It was similar to the language of present day KhoiKhoi and San of South Africa. They were nomadic hunters and gathers. These early large groups interacted with the larger Cushites, Bantu and the Nilotes communities that began settling in East Africa from the first century A.D. The remnants of them include Sandawe and Hadzabe of Tanzania and the Okiek (Dorobo) of Kenya. The origin home kind of the Nilotes was in the Nile valley in Sudan. Some Bantu communities of East Africa included Nyamwezi, Sukuma, Chagga and Pare of Tanzania, kikuyu, Kamba. Luhya of Kenya and Baganda, Basoga and Banyoro of Uganda. Through interaction of one community practiced medicine interacted with another led to some changes such as introduction of iron technology in East Africa.
2. RELIGION
Religion played a crucial role in all African societies. Religious beliefs were taken seriously and affected every phase of life. There was a variety of religious activities in pre-colonial Africa. These included burial rites purifications, rituals naming of ceremonies and prayers to bless soldiers before they went to war. Religious activities took place at different levels such as family level, clan level and community level e.g. The Bushmen of Congo held prayers before going to hunt as they believed that God was the source of all food. Among the Asante people of West Africa the king of Asante (Asantehene) based his right to office on the possession of the Royal or Golden stool, Asantehene was regarded as the chief priest. Natural cults also existed in many parts of Africa. Their main aim was to please the spirits and legendary heroes e.g. the juju practiced in Western Africa the Shona held a cult called Mwani. The king of Shona (Mwanamtapa) was regarded as decline.
WARS
African communities engaged in war from time to time; they fought with various reasons such as to increase the number of the herds of livestock, to get fertile land for agriculture purposes and expansion of the kingdom e.g. Buganda conquered Buddu, Karagwe and Busoga to expand their kingdom by 1839. Egyptian army had established their base at Gondokora the area located around Southern Khartoum and by 1869, Egyptian had raided and destroyed the Lango and Ancholi religion in the modern day Uganda.
MUSIC AND DANCES
African music and dances brought people together; communities’ rites and ceremonies were accompanied by songs and dances. Every African society developed songs for work, Labourers sang while clearing fields, sowing and harvesting goods example of dances were Mdundiko among the Zaramo and Sindimba of Makonde. The Yomba of West Africa performed Orik music where by other songs praised or condemned certain characteristics including leadership and relation with neighbours. Dance were also performed for different purposes; some dance were open to everyone while others restricted to a certain secret society professional and artisans example Chagga men and women performed a dance called Rring during wedding ceremonies and Luguru led their dance called Gubi.
MEDICINE
African’s had medicine men and women who played important role both spiritually and medically. Those who practice medicine interacted with many members of the society as patient visited some of the well known medicine men and women. Some medicine men and women were also political advisors and leaders example Kinjekitile Ngwale of Southern Tanzania most of the medicine were extracted from plant roots, barks and leaves e.g. The (neem tree) Mwarobaini is mostly used by various medicine in Matebele.
MARRIAGE
Marriage occupies a position of great importance in African communities. Every member of the society jugs to build their own family. In Buganda the Kabaka married from different clans in order to enhance political unity in the kingdom. Therefore social interactions strengthened through marriage. At the same time marriage led to emergence of new culture examples Swahili culture as the result of mixture of Bantu and Arab culture.
B) ECONOMIC INTERACTION
Africa communities also interacted
due to economic factors such as crafts, trade, farming and pastoralism.
due to economic factors such as crafts, trade, farming and pastoralism.
1) METAL WORKING
African communities used various kinds of metal to make tools, weapons, utensil and ornaments; some of the widely used metals were iron, Bronze, Gold, Copper and tin. Archaeologists have discovered the remains of early in working beneath important religious shrine in the Great lakes religion dating back over 2,000 years ago.
Egyptians were the first people known to have used copper; Benin the Bronze casters had guild called Igun Eronwon through making various metal tools people interacted due to the need of the commodities through interactions.
2) AGRICULTURE:
Many Africans communities practiced agriculture and different types of interaction took place in the process. Apart from few communities such as the pastoral Maasai who never tilled land; other communities cultivated a variety of crops by using different farming methods, tools and crops were passed from one community to another. The Kwari who were purely pastoral community eventually became cultivators as the results they interacted with agricultural societies.
3) FISHING
Was an economic activity that was practiced by communities that lived near water bodies such as lakes, rivers and the seas. The Luo were and still are named fishermen in Pre-colonial East Africa the Ndengereko’s fished in the river Rufiji while the Zaramo and other coastal people in the Indian Ocean, such fishing communities interacted with pastoral and agriculturalist so as to acquire animal product and agricultural commodities.
4) TRADE
Trade conducted in pre–colonial period was in barter system, the trade network was based on the need to access what a community didn’t produce; Example pastoralists exchanged their animals’ products for vegetable and grains. The limbo clans among the Luo specialized in occupation such as iron working and pottery. Between 8th – 16th C. AD community from the Sudanic belt engaged in trade with the communities from north Africa in the Trans – Sahara trade. Among the most important commodities of exchange were iron, gold, slaves and salts.
5) THE NEED TO SEARCH NEW AREAS
Areas with fertile land and reliable rainfall were very attractive to the people within the regions or those coming from outside the regions. Agricultural societies kept on shifting from the area with infertile soil to areas with fertile soil; example in the interlacustrine regions were densely populated compared to areas like Central Tanzania and Northern part of Kenya where population was low.
IMPACTS /RESULTS /EFFECTS/ CONSEQUENCES/ OUTCOMES OF THE INTERACTIONS.
A: SOCIAL IMPACTS OF INTERACTIONS AMONG THE PEOPLE OF AFRICA.
- Loss of originality: in the process of migrations and trade interactions people moved from one place of their origin to various destinations, through this interactions probably there was interactions of new values, customs and beliefs.
- Emergence of new language. As people of different languages like Bantu, Nilotes and Khoisan meet with other groups; they developed new languages which were based on those new related groups of Swahili language developed in East Africa having most of the Bantu vocabularies.
- Inter marriage. When people moved from their original areas and established settlement in new areas they got married with the natures and established new social relations. These involved social conflicts since people were united together.
- Population increased. The places which were attractive for people’s settlements become highly populated. Those regions immigration was common than emigration.
B): THE IMPACTS OF ECONOMIC INTERACTIONS.
- Growth of towns and cities. Trading activities stimulated the emergence of urban centers along the trade natures and centers. Areas that produced trade commodities in West, North and East Africa become remarkable urban center; example Taghaza, Timbuktu, Gao, Kumbisaleh in West Africa, Alex and Rial in Tripoli and Cairo in north Africa, Malindi, Mombasa. Bagamoyo, Zanzibar, Tabora and Ujiji in East Africa.
- Exposure of Africa to the external world. The African coast and interior areas were invalided to the outside world. People were engaged in trading activities and slowly they created trading contacts with the Europeans. African was producing goods that were observed by the outside world.
- Intensification of agricultural production. Due to good manufacturing and use of better tools and high demands of food stuffs; cash crops and animals products became very important among Africans.
- Development of technical skills and new areas. Trading activities stimulated the emergency and growth of technical skills. Africans were able to process gold, iron smelting and cloth making.
- Over exploitation of African resources. Trade items such as ivory, gold, copper and animal
s skins, supplied within African and later to outside world. Later on those resources were highly demanded by the outside world like Asia and Europe. Therefore traders take them to outside world of large quantities. - The decrease of manpower. Many people in the Western Sudan and East Africa interior were captured as slaves to meet the high demands of slaves by long distance and Trans-Saharan trade.
- Emergence of classes: The interactions of people on Africa resulted into classes of rich and poor; those who engaged in trade and agricultural activities became economically powerful than those who did not engage in these activities.
THE COMING OF THE NGONI
Ngoni people originated in Kwazulu land and Natal region in the sent by the public of South Africa. Ngoni are the one who speak Nguni language in the 19th century; Zulu kingdom got new king called Tshaka. Tshaka through frequent war campaigns succeeded to expand his empire. The tribe defeated by Tshaka was recruited into his military service. Through this contradiction many other tribes fled northward to Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania, Malawi and Zambia. Due to contradictions and political ambition Tshaka was assassinated by his brother Dingane 1828.
Ngoni people originated in Kwazulu land and Natal region in the sent by the public of South Africa. Ngoni are the one who speak Nguni language in the 19th century; Zulu kingdom got new king called Tshaka. Tshaka through frequent war campaigns succeeded to expand his empire. The tribe defeated by Tshaka was recruited into his military service. Through this contradiction many other tribes fled northward to Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania, Malawi and Zambia. Due to contradictions and political ambition Tshaka was assassinated by his brother Dingane 1828.
CAUSES OF THE NGONI MIGRATIONS.
1. The mfecane war. This was the period of political instability and upheavals in South Africa which led to the creation of political alliances among the displaced communities. It covered the period 1820 – 1834 which referred as war of crushing the people. The war was narrated by the Ngoni as Ufuaru which meant the crushing and it was named as Difaune. As a result of this contradiction wide warrior divided into two groups one was Under shoshangane created Gaza Empire in Mozambique and Zwangendaba migrated northern wards through central Africa into present day Tanzania.
– One group under Mputa Maseko crossed Zambezi River and passed to
Eastern side of Lake Malawi (Nyasa) finally settled in present day Songea district.
Eastern side of Lake Malawi (Nyasa) finally settled in present day Songea district.
– Zwangedaba lead another groups reached and settled in Ufipa, and in the areas of
Lake Nyasa in 1840.Hence Zwangedaba died in 1845.
Lake Nyasa in 1840.Hence Zwangedaba died in 1845.
– The Ndebele under mzirikazi found their settlement in present day Zimbabwe.
– The Kololo under Swebatwane migrated north and built Lozi kingdom a centralized state.
– The Ngoni people were predominantly agriculturalists and pastoralists;
in order to protect their traditional way of life they decided to move northwards to central and Eastern Africa.
in order to protect their traditional way of life they decided to move northwards to central and Eastern Africa.
2. Boer expansion. Since the Ngoni’s economy depend much on land they wanted to expand southwards but due to presence of Boers it become difficult to them as they could not extend to west because Kens rub mountain or to East because of Indian Ocean hence they involved north wards.
3. Growth of population: Due to population increase in South Africa social organizations became more complex. Class conflicts over the control and distribution of the social products increased. In this process some groups split away to find new habitats and eventually establish their own social organization; Examples the Ngoni (N) serves shortage of land. Ngoni shortages experienced as serves land shortage which also resulted into shortage of pastures land became scene and there was increasing in scramble for by strong states leading to conflicts and family disputes.
4. Zulu expansion: The use of Shaka as a leader in Zulu nations contributed greatly to the Ngoni migration. He was a political ambitious and an aggressive ruler who believed in the expansionism policy. He waged frequent wars against neighbouring states. The Ngoni moved northwards to search new areas; they succeeded due to their large number and good military techniques. The Ngoni army was highly disciplined with short stubbing spears known as Assegai clubs, sharp small areas and tough cow-hide-shield.
4. Zulu expansion: The use of Shaka as a leader in Zulu nations contributed greatly to the Ngoni migration. He was a political ambitious and an aggressive ruler who believed in the expansionism policy. He waged frequent wars against neighbouring states. The Ngoni moved northwards to search new areas; they succeeded due to their large number and good military techniques. The Ngoni army was highly disciplined with short stubbing spears known as Assegai clubs, sharp small areas and tough cow-hide-shield.
EFFECTS OF NGONI MIGRATION
The Ngoni migration had a number of effects on the Ngoni themselves and the people they come into contact with.
POLITICAL EFFECTS
- Conquest of weak states: Ngoni conquered weak states and subdivided them in the military areas they passed through Theha and Zinza.
- They brought unity to some societies of Tanzania. There was change of rule in the regions they had passed. For instance the Hehe, Sangu and Bena united together to fight with the Ngoni invaders.
- Formation of agreement. In 1881 Mkwawa fought with the Ngoni. In this war the losses on both sides were so great that they entered into political treaty not to fight again until their sons become adults.
- Changes in Military techniques.
SOCIAL EFFECTS
- Depopulation: Many people died in fighting and many were taken as war captives by the Ngoni.
- Marriage: The Ngoni people married women from the communities they conquered. Sometimes marriages were forced, where they took the women belonging to the captives and made them their wives.
A SKETCH MAP SHOWING INTERACTIONS AMONG THE PEOPLE OF AFRICA.
ECONOMIC EFFECTS
- Trade network between the traders of the east coast and the interior communities such as the Yao and Nyamwezi were disrupted by the Ngoni raids. Commodities could therefore not reach the communities that needed them.
- The Ngoni warriors destroyed both human life and livestock. Thus, they made some communities such as Ndebele economically disadvantaged.
- Due to insecurity, agricultural activities were disrupted. This caused food shortages.
- A lot of valuable time was wasted as young people prepared for war. There was therefore shortage of labor for economic activities such as agriculture, hunting and fishing.
- New technological skills
were introduced, especially in iron working as the long spears were replaced by short stabbing spears.
THE RISE OF MFECANE IN SOUTH AFRICA
Mfecane were wondering wars among the clans of the Ngoni speakers in Natal between the coast of Indian Ocean and the Drankers Burg Mountains of South Africa.
Sometimes Mfecane is referred as Difeqane or Mfetsane.
The famous Ngoni clan groups were;
- Zulu clan under Senzangakara.
- Mthethwa under Dingiswayo.
- Ngwane under Sobhuza.
- Ndwandwe under Zwide.
THE REASONS OF MFECANE WARS.
- Need for land – Zulu needed more land for farming and grazing.
- Rise of Zulu – Shaka fights the other clans in order to expand his kingdom.
- Population growth in Natal causes conflict.
- Clans denied expanding boundaries in order to make a large territory.
- Expansion of Boers from cape to Natal.
THE EFFECTS OF MFE
CANE.
CANE.
- Depopulation in Natal because of death.
- Empire building e.g. Ndebele Empire under Msilikazi in Zimbabwe, and Ngoni under Zwangedaba.
- Mfecane caused insecurity because of fighting.
- Mfecane helped the Boer to settle in large areas.
- Caused destruction of properties, crops and buildings.
- The rise of defensive kingdoms e.g. Basulo, Swazi and Bapendi.
SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND PRODUCTION IN PRE – COLONIAL AFRICA
Key concept
- Social organization: Refers to the mode of production existing in a particular place at particular time. It constitutes productive forces and relation of production.
- Modes 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.
- Human labor: Is the consciousness and purposeful activity of people to produce material wealth.
- Production: Is a major in the series of economic processes that brings goods and services to people. It includes creation, distribution and consumption.
- Means of labour: Are the things used in production such as hoes, machines, roads, buildings etc.
- Objective of labour: Are things upon which man’s labour is applied (mostly land).
- Productive forces: These are means of production created by a society especially objects and instrument of labour.
- Relation of production: Are simple and direct relations which people enter to one another in actual production process either exploitive or exploited class.
- Class struggle: Are conflicts that developed between exploitative mode and non – exploitative modes example capitalism and socialism.
TYPES OF SOCIAL ORGANISATION PRODUCTION
A: 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 before an individual.
The nonproductive members of the society such as the elders, disabled and children were exempted from work due to their disabilities. The invention of agricultural tools encouraged man to cultivate bigger plots of land. Rapid increases in population also encouraged people to increase their farms so as to get more food which could feed the growing population.
Some of African societies in the present days are still practicing communal mode of production. These include;
- The Tindiga and Hadzabe of Singida and Lake Manyara and Central Tanzania.
- The Dorobo (Okiek) of Maumau forest and Tesoin Uganda.
- The Mbali found in the equatorial rain forest of the Congo DRC.
- The bushman (san) of South Africa.
- The KhoiKhoi of Kalahari desert of Botswana
- The Tur of Ghana.
CHARACTERISTICS OF COMMUNALISM
- 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.
- 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.
- Dependence on nature.
In communalism life was entirely dependent on nature therefore the environment dictated how man lived.
- 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.
- Hunting and gathering.
This was the 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 labor.
- Subsistence economy.
Due to low level of development of science and technology people produced enough food for their consumption.
- Lack of specialization.
Because of limitation of their science and technology (knowledge) these people learnt to perform all types of jobs. They worked together in marking roots, hunting and looking for food later on very simples division of labor based on gender occurred.
- People in communal society treated each other equally. There was no standing armies and ruling classes; even elders were not lords or rulers.
- Learning by doing: people in communal societies shared knowledge. This was acquired through learning by doing, youth and children obtained knowledge and skills from their elders.
FACTORS FOR TRANSITION FROM PRIMITIVE COMMUNALISM TO SLAVERY AND FEUDAL MODE OF PRODUCTION.
- 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.
- Advanced in science and technology. This was the turning point that gave improvement in agricultural production. The tools produced were sharper and stronger than the older ones. The improvement of tools led to the expansion of socioeconomic activities above and beyond hunting and gathering.
- The reliable rainfall and fertile land. Allowed the expansion of agriculture especially the cultivation of permanent crops such as banana in Uganda.
- 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.
B) SLAVERY MODE OF PRODUCTION.
Slavery refers to a situation in a society where a person is owned by another purposely as an instrument of production. Slavery mode of production was the second mode of production and the first exploitative mode of man by man. The emergence of surplus production created two different classes these were the rich and the poor. Under slavery systems slaves could not acquire wealthy and could not cultivate own land.
Slavery in Africa existed in;
- Egypt where they constructed dams and pyramids.
- Chagga, Haya, Ganda, Hehe. Kerewe and Sambaa in East Africa interior.
- 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.
FEATURES OF SLAVE MODE OF PRODUCTION
- Existence of two classes that is the slave masters who were exploiters and the slaves who were exploited group.
- Private ownership of the major means of production. The slave masters owned slaves, cattle and all implements of production.
- Low productive force under the slave mode of production, the productive forces were still low though more advanced compared to those used during communalism.
- Existence of surplus production. There were extra products due to the use of advanced tools and improved skills of man to control his environment. The slave masters owned surplus production produced by slaves.
- Existence of political institutions; these began to emerge and existed in various areas example slave masters had state apparatus such as army, prisons and police which were employed in exploiting and suppressing slaves.
- Class struggle existed between slaves and slave masters; the slaves started to resist in form of strikes, rebellions, idling and running away.
C. FEUDAL MODE OF PRODUCTION (FEUDALISM).
The term feudalism originated from the Germany word “feud” which means fees. In this context fees refer to payment of tax.
Feudalism; was the third mode of production and second pre-capitalist mode of production based on exploitation of man by man. The economy of feudal society was based on private ownership and renting of land and livestock by the ruling classes.
CHARACTERISTICS OF FEUDALISM
1. Payment of rent to the land lords; rent was paid in various forms.
- Labour rent; existed in form of labour or service in which peasants (serf) were required to work for three days in week for the land lords.
- Rent in kind: The serfs regularly had to deliver the quantities of his products to the land lords. The products could be in form of grain, cattle or vegetables.
- Money rent: Was the system in which money used as a major means of paying rent.
- Exploitation of man by man example peasants (serf) were exploited by land lords and the distribution of production was not equal.
- Little freedom to peasant; peasants were tired due to various restrictions as they were treated as children.
- Private ownership of major means of production such as land, mining sites, houses and cattle all these belonged to feudal lords.
- Division labour based on sex where men specialized in military while women specialized in farming and taking care of children.
- Existence of classes; landlords as exploiters and serfs as exploited class.
7. Little surplus enjoyed by feudal lords.
- Existence of strong political institutions in form of kingdoms and empires example Bunyoro, Buganda and Karagwe.
–Feudalism in Africa existed in various forms. Its nature depended on place in which it was practiced for instance societies that exercised feudalism were those found in the interlacustine region of East Africa, South Africa, West Africa and the North Eastern Africa.
FEUDAL RELATIONS/FORMS OF FEUDALISM
- Nyarubanja system. In this form of feudalism the major means of production was land. Under Nyarubanja system in Buhaya and Karagwe there was two classes, that is the Batwazi (ruler) and Batwana (serfs). These two classes had to pay rent in kind and rent in labour services to the land lords.
In Buganda Nyarubanja system known as Mvunjo and Busulo, there were two classes that is Bataka (chiefs) and the poor people who rendered labour service and paid of their products to the land lords known as Bakopi. Under the system labour services provider was known as Akasamvu and part of their products was provided to the ruling class known as Obusulu. Bunyoro was the kingdom practiced feudalism in East Africa. The kingdom was divided into provinces known as Saza’s under chiefs. Also there was caste system in East Africa under this feudal system there was two classes which were Bahima (pastoralists) and Bairu (agriculturalists). Bahima who were pastoralists dominated and employed the Bairu who were agriculturalists. It was common in Rwanda, Burundi and Buhaya.
- Umwinyi system was another form of feudalism found along the coast of East Africa. Wamwinyi controlled the productive forces such as land, serfs and tenants; also monopolized the political and economic power. The serfs and tenants were given land by Wamwinyi (feudal lords) to live on them in return of labour services and tributes which were paid to Wamwinyi. Before Arabs colonization The Mwinyi mkuu was the greatest land lords and ruled Zanzibar with the help of Shehe in Unguja and Diwani in Pemba.
- Ubugabire system was another form of feudalism practiced among the Tutsi and Hutu in Rwanda and Burundi. The Tutsi (donor) also known as SEBUJA could transfer their cattle to the Ifutu (recipient) as sometimes known as BUGABIRE. The Omugabire and his family were obliged to perform several duties for the masters including house building cultivating.
- Ntemi system: This was practiced among the Nyamwezi and Sukuma. The power of ruler was based on the control of land The Mtemi organized his people to open up new land wherever it was available. The process of opening up new land was known as Kutema.
MERITS OF FEUDALISM
The following are some of merits of feudalism;
1) The weaker people in the society were protected by the king or the rich land owners. For example, among the Rwandans, the Tutsi had an obligation to protect their tenants, the Hutu.
2) The land owners gave all poor people in the society a piece of land to cultivate. This way, everyone had a means of earnin
g a living.
3) There was a piece in the state as the rich classes maintained law and order.
4) The rich supported the poor with food during drought and famine.
5) The society were highly stratified, with each class of people knowing their position and role. In this way, the feudal societies were very organized.
DEMERITS OF FEUDALISM
1) The rich exploited labour force of the poor.
2) Only a few people in society owned land.
3) There was inequality in society between the rich and the poor.
4) The peasant were forced to undertake military duties and endanger their lives for their landlords.
5) It encouraged inter-community warfare as landlords fought in order to increase their land and vassals.
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