Chapter 293: Entry
The tax package system introduced by East Africa was a new concept for the indigenous people of sub-Saharan Africa. This system was only implemented in newly occupied areas, such as Zambia and the Azande Plateau, which were geographically closer to East Africa. In regions closer to East Africa, the traditional method of orderly vacating and replacing the indigenous population was still in practice, especially during times of European wars when East Africa had an abundant immigrant population.
Government agencies were established in Zambia, with each region overseen by high-ranking officials. This allowed East Africa to avoid compromising with indigenous forces. The Azande Plateau, although relatively late in development, had proximity to the Great Lakes, which made it easy to control. Additionally, a significant portion of the indigenous population had already been relocated, requiring fewer resources.
At Lake Tanganyika, specifically at Mpron Port, Msiri arrived with his core group of 3,000 soldiers and civilians, guided by the Kingdom of East Africa. Tens of thousands of indigenous people had gathered in anticipation, filling the south bank of Lake Tanganyika.
Msiri was curious about the large number of indigenous people present and asked Capri for an explanation. Capri informed him that these people were a gift from East Africa, intended to assist Msiri in establishing a powerful army in West Africa. They were experienced in agriculture and could help Msiri accumulate personal wealth.
Msiri was initially skeptical about the generosity of East Africa, wondering why they would give away their population for free when they could use it for wealth creation. Capri explained that these individuals were essentially "retired" laborers from East Africa, and Zanzibar couldn't recruit them all due to quality standards imposed by Ottoman customers. Therefore, East Africa had decided to send them to West Africa with Msiri.
Capri assured Msiri that these individuals were well-trained and of good quality. They had worked on farms in East Africa and could adapt to agricultural work in West Africa. Furthermore, East Africa would provide them with the seeds and resources needed for farming.
Msiri was eager to examine these "gifts" from East Africa himself. After inspecting a group of indigenous people, he found them to be healthy and strong, much better than some of his own tribe's slaves.
Msiri ordered them to perform various physical tasks to test their abilities, and they displayed good overall health and strength.
Msiri thanked Capri for East Africa's generosity and assistance. Capri emphasized that East Africa was always generous to its friends.
In reality, the individuals sent to Msiri were laborers who had been heavily worked in East Africa. Although they appeared healthy, their strenuous labor had taken a toll on their bodies. However, they were sent to Msiri at their peak condition to ensure his satisfaction.
Msiri planned to use these laborers to form a regular combat force to go to West Africa and accumulate wealth. These troops, unlike Msiri's confidantes, would not have access to firearms. The advantage of using these laborers was that they all spoke Swahili, were strong adult males, and could demonstrate the combat effectiveness of Bantu people from East Africa to the West Africans.
Msiri intended to "enter the customs" in West Africa and establish a prosperous and wealthy legacy. While he had received only male laborers from East Africa, he knew he could find women in West Africa through conquest.
However, Msiri misunderstood East Africa's situation. Children and women were not part of the slave population given to him, as they had been relocated to the northwest by East Africa. His plan to obtain women in West Africa would prove to be a challenge, as most of them were already assets of various tribes and kingdoms.
This chapter concludes with Msiri's ambitions for his expedition to West Africa.
(Note: This is the end of this chapter.)