Production, exchange & coercion
A worked landscape
In 1796, Park observed cultivated country near Ségou, numerous river canoes, and busy settlements. Farther along his journey he described harvesting shea fruit and processing it into butter for local use and exchange. These observations show an economy grounded in productive knowledge and everyday labor. They also challenge an account focused solely on kings and campaigns, although Park’s descriptions reflect the route and season of his visit. [13] [14]
The river as infrastructure
Ségou’s position made water transport and crossings economically important. Park reported that ferries generated royal revenue and that enslaved workers operated them. He also described cowrie-shell payments. Markets connected cultivators, river travelers, and merchants across political boundaries. The schematic separates these relationships from exact geographic routes: a route available in peacetime could become dangerous when Ségou and Kaarta fought, disrupting travel and exchange. [13]
The human cost of state wealth
Raiding and warfare supplied captives for sale through Saharan and Atlantic trading networks. The trade helped rulers acquire resources, while tearing people from their families and communities. Captivity also supplied labor and soldiers within the region. Agricultural production and coerced labor were therefore intertwined with state expansion. Neither recognizing African commercial agency nor acknowledging productive achievement removes the violence and loss of freedom that sustained important parts of this economy. [15] [13]