15th century – 18th century
Niger bend, upper Volta basin, and Gulf of Guinea hinterland
From the sixteenth century onward, Jula merchants, soldiers, and Muslim missionaries expanded southward through the savannahs between the Niger bend and the Gulf of Guinea. Their movements were stimulated by the growth of slave and firearms commerce, the fall of Gao, the rise of Asante, and demand for gold, ivory, cattle, and captives. Jula settlements combined commercial, political, military, and religious functions, helping create centres such as Kong, Bonduku, and Odienne and reshaping inland trade routes.
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The Story
Jula traders, known as Wangara, had long travelled toward the forest in search of gold and ivory. From the sixteenth century, the expansion of slave and firearms commerce altered the opportunities and pressures along the Gulf of Guinea. Jula groups consequently moved farther south into savannah zones where the commodities demanded by the changing commercial system were exchanged.
Jula activity was not confined to trade. The same diaspora included merchants, soldiers, and Muslim missionaries, and its settlements could therefore become commercial centres, political bases, military strongholds, and sites of religious teaching. Jula helped establish Begho, while the Begho route became connected to a corridor crossing Côte d’Ivoire from Assinie to Bobo and Bamako through Yakasso.
Several wider developments intensified this expansion from the seventeenth century. The fall of Gao, the creation of the Asante empire, and the densely populated savannah societies between the Niger and the Voltas all contributed to the growth of Jula activity. In the middle of the eighteenth century, armed bands from Segu under the Diarrasouba moved south and established a Manden kingdom at Odienne.
15th century – 18th century
Niger bend, upper Volta basin, and Gulf of Guinea hinterland
From the sixteenth century onward, Jula merchants, soldiers, and Muslim missionaries expanded southward through the savannahs between the Niger bend and the Gulf of Guinea. Their movements were stimulated by the growth of slave and firearms commerce, the fall of Gao, the rise of Asante, and demand for gold, ivory, cattle, and captives. Jula settlements combined commercial, political, military, and religious functions, helping create centres such as Kong, Bonduku, and Odienne and reshaping inland trade routes.
Continue exploring
The Story
Jula traders, known as Wangara, had long travelled toward the forest in search of gold and ivory. From the sixteenth century, the expansion of slave and firearms commerce altered the opportunities and pressures along the Gulf of Guinea. Jula groups consequently moved farther south into savannah zones where the commodities demanded by the changing commercial system were exchanged.
Jula activity was not confined to trade. The same diaspora included merchants, soldiers, and Muslim missionaries, and its settlements could therefore become commercial centres, political bases, military strongholds, and sites of religious teaching. Jula helped establish Begho, while the Begho route became connected to a corridor crossing Côte d’Ivoire from Assinie to Bobo and Bamako through Yakasso.
Several wider developments intensified this expansion from the seventeenth century. The fall of Gao, the creation of the Asante empire, and the densely populated savannah societies between the Niger and the Voltas all contributed to the growth of Jula activity. In the middle of the eighteenth century, armed bands from Segu under the Diarrasouba moved south and established a Manden kingdom at Odienne.
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