The Decline of the Kano-Tripoli Caravan Trade: Pre-Colonial Structures, Colonial Impact, Environment and Revolt

Abstract: The old caravan trade routes across the Sahara Desert largely fell out of use decades before the beginning of the 20th century. The route from Kano to Tripoli however remained active and continued to transport a significant volume of exports and regional trade well into the 20th century. This thesis investigates the resilience and downfall of this trade route against a backdrop of the European ‘Scramble for Africa’, severe drought, revolt and conquest. Through this investigation it hopes to contribute to the debate on colonial impact by examining the trades decline and its effects on the three groups who contributed to and relied upon it most. Using colonial export data, the thesis will explore the current assumptions of how the trade route came to vanish and utilise new understandings of the linkages between the political and economic spheres to test their credibility. Following this discussion, the thesis will further explore how the often-isolated Saharan economies managed to compensate for the loss of such an important source of income. It is hoped that overall the thesis will contribute to the understanding of how these isolated desert economies have flourished and faltered in the past to better integrate what are among the most marginalised areas of the planet.