ABSTRACT

The central thesis of this book is that money has played a transformative role in Yoruba economy, politics, and culture. Out of this comes four interrelated conclusions. First, monetization occurred very early in Yorubaland, as early as the fifteenth century. Second, the monetization altered the nature and course of social stratification, and constantly changed the composition of the elite. Third, the concept of money has been dynamic with the dominant view being that money is indispensable in social and economic relations. Fourth, increased monetization combined with several other factors to promote criminality, such as theft, counterfeiting, and corruption. From the nineteenth century through the colonial era to the present, people would do almost anything to acquire money.