ABSTRACT
Money changed the social stratification system in Yorubaland in a variety of ways. Members of the political elite transformed themselves into an economic elite through their access to the means of accumulation. Many members of the lower class, mostly among the freeborn, pursued the opportunity to move up into the class of nobility by engaging in money-making activities. Of course, many failed. Those who succeeded tried to engage in the politics of using their money for honor and privileges. Also, the gender division of labor was transformed in ways that made women more visible and more actively involved in the economic process, in the acquisition of property, and in the political system. In this chapter, we will examine the access that kings and chiefs had to making money, and how this strengthened their political power. We shall start by making some general statements on the nature of access to wealth, and then use the example of toll collection to illustrate the system during the pre-colonial and colonial period.
