ABSTRACT
Tio political and commercial institutions overshadow all the other structures in the society. The political system faded away beyond the plains, whereas commerce was part of a worldwide system and within it a network stretched from the ocean to the ends of the navigated river stretches of the Congo and its affluents. Because its area was much wider, trade was much less a Tio affair than politics. The political structure as a whole was based on the core statuses of squire, lord, and king. Because there was only one king, the sub-system of Mbe differed from all the others. The core of the commercial economy was the market and within it, bargaining set the price. Bargaining in conflicts was also the core of the political system. At the level of the domain the political structure was a simple outgrowth of the social organization. The political structure affected culture by enriching its symbols, patronizing literature, and spreading the language and ideas of the court.
