Commercial activities are directly linked to the…

Commercial activities are directly linked to the dynamics of the Kongo Kingdom's internal fragmentation.

Just as the ownership of slaves has become a major source of wealth and prestige, both in turn have made it possible for the slave owners to challenge the authority of the king.

Here, as elsewhere in the savannas, the competition for slaves has introduced a major source of instability, creating a permanent state of social unrest and civil war.

The history of the old Kongo Kingdom encapsulates many of the crises experienced by several other states of the savannas in their efforts to cope with the challenge of the new economic forces.