THE CENTRAL SLAVE AND IVORY TRADE ROUTE

THE CENTRAL SLAVE AND IVORY TRADE ROUTE

Until, not even 150 years ago, millions of Africans had to bear a cruel fate. They were captured by slave hunters, chained together and forced to walk some times hundred of kilometers to be sold for example to planters who used them as cheap labour in their fields. Central and East Africa was one of the main areas where the slave hunters and traders, most of them Arabs made their shade deals. They caught their victims e.g. in some areas which is today parts of Democratic Republic of Congo and in the Western and Central parts of what is today Tanzania.

The Slaves were brought to the coast and from there to the spice island of Zanzibar and many were sold further to the Arab countries, Persia, and India, Mauritania and Reunion. Officially, the slave trade was forbidden in 1873 under British pressure, but it went on secretly for several years. One of the routes that were used by the traders’ caravan started in Ujiji at the shore of Lake Tanganyika. It went over 1200 kilometers and ended in Bagamoyo just opposite of Zanzibar on main land Tanzania. Many experts view this as the main route of mainly three that were documented for East Africa. By now the list includes the Ujiji-Bagamoyo route as a whole. The idea is not only to protect the still visible reminds of the dark past like Arab Forts and other historic buildings or parts of the route that are existing, but also to intensify the research around the topic, to document the memories about the era and to preserve the culture and the traditions of the communities living along the route.

In this regard, there are possibilities of Trans-national Nomination with neighbouring countries like Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Kenya and Mozambique. This possibility will be investigated during the nomination process. Six centres have been identified along the central slave route to include Bagamoyo, Mamboya, Mpwapwa, Kilimatinde, Kwihara and Ujiji Bagamoyo. Due to its location along the Indian Ocean and being a major harbor and town along the coast of Tanzania that played a key role in the East Africa Slave trade; Bagamoyo is a “place of memory” for human suffering and humiliation caused by Slavery and the Slave trade and the imposition of European colonialism. The population of Bagamoyo groups is the result of the interaction and fusion of different ethnic groups from the interaction and fusion of different ethinic groups from the hinterland and immediate coastal built especially the Wazaramo, Wadoe, Wakwere and Wazigua and the interiors especially Wanyamwezi and Wamanyema.

Bagamoyo serves as the terminal which starts from Ujiji. From Bagamoyo, slaves were shipped to Zanzibar where the slave market used to be Important slave trade evidence include slave and slave descendants, buildings such as Caravan Serai, Von Wissman block, Old market, Customs house and the Old fort. Also the freedom village at the R.C. Mission premises and the RC Museum that has enough documentation Mamboya Located in Morogoro Region; Kilosa District is a very old settlement. Historical landmarks include mango stretch plantations, slave and slave traders descendents, graveyard for the Wanyamwezi, remains of Anglican Church and an area where the house belonging to one slave trade was built. Cards, coins and domestic utensils are available as well. Mpwapwa Located in Mpwapwa District, Dodoma Region in central Tanzania Important landmarks include part of the path at Vinga’we Village still visible and in use. Others include the Anglican Church built at a place where the first church was as evidence of missionaries who fought against slave trade. Descendants of slaves and slave traders are also part of the present community. Kilimatinde Located in Manyoni District, Singida Region.

Kilimatinde is another important place on the route where caravan rested at a well. The village with Arabic house, market and late the seat for the German administrative is an important place for information along the route. There existing small Arabic houses that are abandoned. Kazeh (Tabora) Kazeh was established by traders involved in the East Africa slave and Ivory trade on the area given to the traders chief Fundikara of Unyanayembe in 1852. It rapidly development into a key market centre located as it was at an interaction between the trading routes to the coast and those further inland to the Congo and north to what is today Burundi.

By 1871, it was estimated to have a population for 5000, by the 1890s the population had grown to about 20,000. The only building of significance that has survived is the Kwihara Livingstone Tembe. The Tembe was built by a wealth Arab Slave trader in 1857. The owner gave it to Dr. Livingstone. The building contribution continued to be throughout the colonial period, and was pronounced historical monuments one hundred years later, in 1957 when also major repairs were done on it. Other evidence is a mosque and residence near the Tembe, a Well, Mango trees, and coconut and date tree plantations. Ujiji was the last major trading center of the central of Caravan Trade Route located on the shores of Lake Tanganyika. It was a trading centre for slave and ivory coming from different parts of Lake Tanganyika, including Eastern region of Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Burundi.

By 1876, Stanley estimated that Ujiji had a population of 3,000. It is located within Kigoma Township, 5 km west of Kigoma Railway station. Important land marks are a site of formal port (no longer existing) coconuts and Mango Tree Avenue, Usagara grounds where slaves used to be held and auctioned and a site where the house of the former slave trade by the name of Tippu Tip used. A path running between Ujiji seminary and Kaluta Primary school through Kagera village to Luiche and beyond is clearly seen and improved by big historic Mango trees on both sides.

THE HISTORY OF DR. DAVID LIVINGSTONE AT UJIJI

Dr. Livingstone's Journeys
Dr. Livingstone, a medical doctor by profession, was born in a small town of Blantyre in Scotland on the 19th of March 1813. He came to Africa thrice. His first journey was in 1841 when he travelled to South Africa and become acquainted with Robert Moffat family who had settled there. Two years later, in 1843, Dr. Livingstone got married to Moffat's daughter, Mary, They raised family of two sons and one daughter. Unfortunately, his wife died of Malaria in Chupanga, Mozambique in 1852. He then sent his children to Europe for school.

Dr. Livingstone's second journey to Africa was in 1859, during which time he explored the Zambezi River and discovered the Victoria Falls in Zambia/Zimbabwe in southern Africa. He then went backto Britain where he gave a speech on his discoveries at Cambridge University. This journey is the one which made him one of the early explorers who opened the path to the heart of Africa for commerce and Christianity. This is evident in the call he made during his speech at Cambridge, when he said, "I know that in a few years, I shall be cut-off in that country which is now open..... try to make an open path for commerce and Christianity, carry out the work which I have begun, I leave it to you".

Dr. Livingstone's journey to Tanzania marked his third and final visit to Africa. His major mission this time was to look for the source of the River Nile. This journey started from the mouth of the River Ruvuma in Mikindani, Mtwara, in 1866. He followed this river up to  to lakes Nyasa, Banguela and Mweru.
He then went as far as Manyema in Zaire (modern day Democratic Republic of Congo). There he met some of the slave traders. mostly Swahili and Arabs. He then crossed Lake Tanganyika and came to Ujiji in 1869 where he established his temporary base. Ujiji was a major slave port. Slaves captured from Zaire then crossed Lake Tanganyika into Tanganyika (modern day Tanzania), via Ujiji enroute to Bagamoyo from where they were dipatched to various slave destinations. It was here at Ujiji where one would bid eternal farewell to their beloved motherlands heading for unknown, foreign land for slavery.

Dr. Livingstone feared dead
Unfortunately, news about Livingstone did not reach Europe during the five years he stayed in Africa (1866-1871). He was feared dead. In 1871, the physically fatigued, sickly and starved Dr, Livingstone decided to abandoned his mission of looking for the source of the Nile and retire at Ujiji. He spent most of his time resting in his tent as if waiting for his death.

Henry Morton Stanley
Although many people believed that Dr. Livingstone was dead, few were optimistic. Among them was James Gordon Bannett (Jnr.), the editor of the New York Herald. He decided to send one of his journalists, bold and energetic Henry Morton Stanley to search for Dr. Livingstone. Although employed by an American newspaper, Stanley was British by birth.
He arrived in Zanzibar on January 6, 1871. After about two months of preparation he started his in land track in search of Dr. Livingstone at Bagamoyo in March 1871.

Stanley finds Livingstone
It was 10 November 1871, a day that would change the world. That is the day when Henry Morton Stanley accomplished his mission: he found Dr. David Livingstone at Ujiji.
As usual, Dr.  Livingstone was in his tent resting when he heard one of his servants shouting, " A British is coming, a British is coming!" Livingstone was curious and got off to see the visitor who was approaching ahead of a long caravan. He got out of his tent and stood under the shade  of a mango tree where he had pitched his tent. The visitor was Henry Morton Stanley who had not met Livingstone before. But assumed that the white man in front of him must be the one, his salute was "Dr. David Livingstone I presume". Stanley stayed with Livingstone both at Ujiji and Tabora (Kwihara) for four months during which time he participated in Livingstone's expeditions north of Lake Tanganyika. When together, Stanley persuaded Livingstone to go back to London but Livingstone refused.
On 14 March 1872 Stanley left for the coast, taking with him Livingstone's journals and letters. He arrived in Bagamoyo on 6 May, 1872. The next morning he sailed to Zanzibar and left for Britain on 19 May. After his arrival in Britain on 1 August 1872, Stanley made several presentations that gave both of them the fame they have today.

The famous mango tree
 The mango tree under which Livingstone and Stanley met in 1871 survived until the 1920's. During the 1920's when tree started showing signs of death, Tanganyika Territorial Government made efforts to save the tree but all was in vain. Grafting became the only solution in the fight to save the tree. Branches were grafted into other young mango tree which survived until today. Two mango trees that stand close to the monument on the western side are believed to be part of the grafted trees. Today, a memorial tower has been erected where once this mango tree grew.

Dr. Livingstone dies

In August 1872, Livingstone left Tabora for Chitambo, Zambia where he diedd on 1 May 1873. Four of his most trusted servants; Susi, Chuma, Mumwaswere and Uchopere took care of his body. They removed the intestines and the heart, put them in a metal box and buried them. They treated the body with salt and spices to prevent it from decomposition before carrying it 1500 miles (2400 km) to Bagamoyo where it was received by missionaries. The body was then shipped to Zanzibar and from there to Britain. Livingstone's body arrived in Britain on 15 April 1874, almost a year after his death. He was buried in Westminster Abbey.