INTRODUCTION

Central Africa is the largest zone compared with other zones .It is made up by six
historical zones namely North Central Africa, West Central Africa, East Central Africa, South
Central Africa, Forest Region and Savannah Region. Modern Central Africa consist of
thirteen(13) countries namely Democratic Republic of Congo, Angola, Central Africa
Republic,Cameroon,Chad,

Congo

Brazavile,Zimbabwe,

Zambia,

Equatorial

Guine,Gabon,Malawi, Mozambique, Sao Tome and Principle Island. Central Africa is

composed of Bantu, Khoisan, NIlotes, and Kushites. But 90% of Central African populations
Bantu people and also 90% is matrilineal based societies.
Communalism was the earliest and oldest mode of production which was practiced by all
pre colonial societies. This mode sometimes called primitive communalism, primitive because
of low level of productive forces and communalism because of people lived a communal life
without exploitation of man by man. Communalism characterized by low productivity,
communal ownership, no classes of people, equal and fair distribution of labor ,subsistence
economy, hunting and gathering, no exploitation of man by man.
Feudalism is the human exploitative mode of production where land owned by few and
rented to the majority landless people. The renters were called serfs or tenants who had to pay
rent to their landlords. Feudalism featured by private ownership of land, existence of two
classes like landlords and serfs, division and specialization of labor, exploitation of man by
man, surplus production and improvement of tools. These two modes of production existed
about two million years ago normally period of Stone, Bronze and Iron ages.

The following are the factors which explain how Central Africa transformed from
Communalism to feudalism before the 19th century;
Good climatic condition; the availability of moderate rainfall and temperature in
savannah and south central Africa has led to the expansion of agriculture like cultivation of
permanent crops that influenced establishment of permanent settlement. This was due to
assurance of food to these areas which won to transform from communalism to feudalism.
Fertile soil ;the presence of fertile soil that support cultivation in areas like savannah and
south central Africa people has influenced to live these areas and engaged in cultivation of
millets ,Bananas, and sorghum while people who lived in areas of unfertile soil became labor.
This created two classes like class of landlords and class of landless. This factor has influenced
many people to move from unproductive land to productive land. Hence transformation from
communalism to feudalism.
Discovery and use of metals; the discovery of iron in areas like East central Africa,
West central Africa, and South central Africa that produced iron tools which were sharper and
stronger than the older ones. They facilitated agriculture activities that increased production. The
improvement of tools led to the expansion of economic activities above and beyond hunting and
gathering. This has led to the assurance of food and security, ultimately people stop moving from
place to place in search of food and defence.Hence transformation from communalism to
feudalism.
Population growth; this were resulted by people live together in village despite the
number of village dwellers were smaller about 30-200adults. These people had different

occupations some were farmers, fishers, iron smelting and hunters who started to exchange their
products among themselves as time went on transformed from communalism to feudalism but
few societies not all and in few areas only.
Existence of surplus production; surplus food led to the increase of population which
caused interclan struggle formation of new and strong form of government (political
organization),hence private ownership of the means of production and break equal distribution of
labor. Stratified society emerged which led to feudal societies.
Emergence of permanent agriculture; such as crop cultivation such as millet, bananas,
and sorghum in areas like savannah, south central Africa and west central Africa. And animal
keeping in those areas were crop cultivation was done completely made people escape from what
was giving by nature. They could cultivate the land to produce commodities as a major feature of
feudalism.
Rise of trading activities like long distance trade that involves slave trade, slaves were
works in sugar plantation in Sao Tome and mines in America. Slave trade led the society to
transform from communalism to feudalism. Example large number of slaves transported from
Benguela River to Brazil for the European plantation and mining centers. Also barter trade using
metallic objects in South central Africa and West central Africa played big role to the
transformation from communalism to feudalism.
The competitive communities always should have the classes among the one who
owned the major means of production and other who owned nothing .The specialization left
some people with huge wealth but for the others left them with poorly, they are not able to

compete with the ones who owned the major means of production. Hence some societies
transformed from communalism to feudalism.
Emergence of political organization where there was need for leaders to organize army
for defense, conquest, and settle disputes within the societies. The leaders emerged and became
the owner of the means of production. Hence some societies transformed from communalism to
feudalism.

CONCLUSION
In contrast to Europe and Asia, most of Africa never developed past the stage of
communalism. Despite the indigenous development of feudalism and later imposition to
capitalism. Communal features persist to this day sometimes pervasively-in the majority of
African societies that lays outsides the big cities and township. Essentially, much of Africa is
communal in both cultural and descriptive senses. The changes from communalism to feudalism
in Africa were brought by various factors which exist due to environmental dynamism. These are
good climatic condition, fertile soil, discovery and use of metals, population growth, surplus
production, permanent agriculture, and rise of trading activities. Feudalism exist in many parts
of Africa and it collapsed in the last quarter of 19th due to the invasion of Europeans .European
establish capitalism in central Africa especially when King Leopold II dominated Congo as his
empire and authority. According to Rodney in Africa there is doubt that the societies which
eventually reached feudalism where extremely few. The transformation from communalism to
feudalism started in 15th but few societies reached in feudalism such as south central Africa,
West central Africa, and Savannah region.

REFERENCES
Birmingham, David (1997) Frontline Nationalism in Angola& Mozambique, Oxford, James
Currey.
James L. Newman (1995) the peopling of Africa; A geographic interpretation.
July R.W. (1998) A History of the African people, USA, Waveland press, INC.
Kelvin Shillington (1995) History of Africa, 2nd edition.
Talofa T. (2000) Africa History before 1885, USA, Carolina Academic press.

JORDAN UNIVERSITY COLLEGE