Article review: Pepper and partnerships
This article focuses on the journeys of Abraham bin Yiju, (1120-1160CE), a Jewish trader born in Tunisia. Trade in this time was quite advanced as can be seen in this chapter, Abraham used to trade in spices from Asia to Africa and the Mediterranean coast. Trade was mainly learnt through apprenticeships and Abraham was no exception as he was sent by his father to an apprenticeship for six years at the hands of a prominent trader Mahmud Ibn Bandar who was later to be his important partner in trade.
The use of introduction letters by traders to other traders was an important way of maintaining contact as communication through other means was not available. Introduction letters meant that traders only did business with protégés of people they were already familiar. Entry into trade was near impossible without the support of a prominent businessperson, or a person of good repute such as Abraham’s father who was a Jewish religious leader, who introduced you to his trading partners through introduction letters. Business, due to the limited communication modes available had to be carried out by way of trust through the traders, thus the insistence on letters of introduction. The losses incurred by Abraham in 1138CE, where he lost a huge advance he had paid for the delivery of cardamom, and defrauded by a local supplier, demonstrates how risky it was to do business with persons with whom one had little knowledge of.
Religion was a hot potato then, and anti Semitism was rampant in Europe then, in 1148CE for instance Christian forces attacked Tunisia, kidnapped Abraham’s family and took them to Sicily. The Turkish attack and subsequent destruction of the Peasant crusade in 1096CE, the waves of war in ancient Syria and the frequent attack by the Venetian and Genoa forces on fleets from Cairo and other Muslim ports made trade in the Mediterranean region difficult. Abraham, like many traders of that time could not even contemplate moving to Europe owing to the Anti Semitism there. These circumstances forced the traders of these regions to concentrate on the Asian trade especially the spice trade from India.
Traders in these times were wealthy individuals, Abrahams mentor, Mahmud Ibn Bandar was a wealthy man for instance as can be attested to his habit of ordering ostentatious goods for use by his family such as fine plates and cups. Abraham too became a prominent and wealthy man in his own right away from the shadow of his trade partner Mahmud. He too used to import fine goods for use in his homestead, which was a sign of opulence then. The trade in spices from the Asian continent was a lucrative business then as can be attested by the success enjoyed by these traders, and the significance attached to the produce then such as black pepper, which was even demanded by kings as Ransom.
Trust being a key pillar to doing business, business partners used various methods to cement relationships between them. A method commonly used was the purchase of gifts for business partners such a ‘bottle filled with cumin seeds’ to signal good intention to their trade partners. Abraham for instance is recorded as to have sent an important business contact in Sri Lanka, sheikh Bilal, a hundred bags of cinnamon. A show of no regard to either business partners or even workers was greatly frowned upon. While Abraham was still a partner to Mahmud, he would get harsh reviews, for instance, for failing to compensate a worker and for using harsh language on him when he claimed compensation. Mahmud is not impressed by the show credits Abraham’s account for the compensation of the worker. Marriages were also used a way to cement relationships between the traders. Madmun, a trustee of Jewish traders at Aden, for instance, chose to marry the daughter of his associate, the trustee in Cairo.
The main impressions by this article are that trade in bin Yiju's time was profoundly family, religion and supported by the essential trade diasporas of a respective people or religion. There was no a legal framework for trade to run, and the personal relationships between the traders were fundamental.
