The African Middleman On Gold Coast In The 17^th Century

The term “middleman” refers to the role of intermediary communication between different groups at the economic or cultural level,and was originally a concept exclusive to economics and management Science.In recent years,anthropology,international relations,and historical study have also used this concept in their research,expanding its connotations and values.The term“African Middleman” is a derivative of Middleman,based on the criterion of race,and refers to the role of Middleman performed by Africans.In the course of the history of the Gold Coast of Western Africa,the African middleman is not only an individual but also a phenomenon.Under the special political and commercial environment of the Gold Coast in the 17 th century,the Royal African Company,a newly arrived British joint-stock chartered trading company,had to employ local people,and use the power of “African middlemen” to carry out its commercial activities smoothly.These Africans entered the company’s organization and trading network as“African Servant’,and some information of their background and activities were recorded in the company’s daily business correspondence,offering the possibility of studying the African middleman community on the Gold Coast.African Servant played multiple roles in the company:captains of merchant ships,diplomatic representatives,business associates,Middleman between the company’s headquarters in West Africa,the various lodge,and the local chiefdoms.The presence of the specific group of African Servant deepened the complexity of AfroEuropean relations during this period.Unlike unilateral colonial relations,Africans and Europeans benefited from each other’s contact: Europeans maintained normal commercial relations with local chiefdoms by employing Africans with their technical support in language,culture,and tools.Africans also learned commercial and military skills of Europeans in the process,seeking to change the existing political and economic landscape of the Gold Coast.Moreover,in the process of deepening Afro-European relations,the subjectivity and unique role of African Servant in the important historical trends that emerged on the Gold Coast in the late 17 th century is evident,which including the entry into the early global commercial system and the move toward political centralization.