Introduction
The film Caravans of Gold tells of Africa and it’s past. Davidson uses various sources like the archeological evidence, interview, historical facts as well as quotes from historical diaries of both Africans and foreigners. This third episode of Davidson on his “Africa” focuses on gold and its critical roles in Africa. However, while the film analysis gold merchants of early Africa there are various factors that remain ambiguous in the film regarding involvement of African to African and African to outsiders in this trade. In the film religion has also played a big part in gold trade and expansion of trade all over Africa.
Meredith (30) notes that Trans-Sahara trade linked Sub-Saharan economies with the Mediterranean economies for supply of both salt and gold. Davidson illustrates gold not only as a raw material but also as a representation of wealth in Africa. Conspicuously, he depicts that people who had gold were ranked based on the amount they possessed. Gold served as a symbol of status for most leaders in the past as well as present. Plainly, the film demonstrates that gold was used as jewelry that many people wore with pride. Kings acquired much gold and displayed it with delight and pride. Notably, the film insinuates that gold trade was all Africa’s economy was based on. Even though gold was the chief trade item other items like salt have not been given emphasis in the film.
Even though the film demonstrates Mali as the centre for entire gold trade due to numerous gold pockets present in West Africa. The flow of gold in Sub-Saharan to the northeast probably was in a steady and relatively slow stream (Meredith 26). The video also shows many metal workers who used to turn gold into jewellery and other valuable things to help in displaying individual wealth. While the entire film depicts that only gold run the African trade, factually there were other trade ventures that run parallel to this famed trade that have not been duly acknowledged in the film i.e. animal trade, the slave trade, foods, ornaments among other trades that were present at time of the gold trade.
Other than the gold trade, other important factor that led to development of Kingdoms in Africa was Iron. The trade of iron with was essential in making tools have been omitted in the Davidson’s film as one of the key trade merchandise of the time. It is the use of iron tools and weapon that contributed to expansion and control over neighboring kingdoms. Such are changes that brought about social organization changes, contribution to controlled and centralized development as well as, control over neighbors (Meredith 26). Accordingly, horses and camel were used to carry important factors in how rulers incorporated small farmers in their empires. According to the film, the King of Ghana, in West Africa, was thought to be the wealthiest king worldwide. This was according to the ancient scholars who travelled to lands of Africa. Plainly, the film does not lay emphasis on the use of other resources like iron among other merchandise involved in the caravans.
The film further shows that Timbukto had been transformed by Kunkun Musa to be a city of learning and an Islamic state instead of trade. Possibly, it ended up being a city of highly educated, and literature was as important as the Islamic religion that was being propagated by Kunkun Musa. Conspicuously, camels are highly utilized in the film.
The film also illustrates that at Lamu-Kenya all the way to Mozambique it shows magnificent home of Swahili traders. The Swahili traders linked the world to Southern Africa gold product centers. Notably, the European had met an immense kingdom that had an already intercontinental trading network in Africa, but refused to credit the Africa for establishing such a cohesive trade. The Portuguese especially triggered destruction of entire African cities and took over all the trade routes. Notably, not all African cities were brought down by the European settlers. Most of the African cities were abandoned.
Works Cited
Davidson, B. (n.d). The Caravans of Gold. Retrieved from Africa: A Voyage of Discovery with Basil Davidson: dickinsg.intrasun.tcnj.edu/films/basil/bio.html
Fleur, J. D. Fusion foodways of Africa's Gold Coast in the Atlantic era. Leiden Boston: Brill, 2012. Print.
Meredith, Henry. An Account of the Gold Coast of Africa: with a Brief History of the African Company. Paderborn: Salzwasser Verlag, 2013. Print.
