Editing History of Guinea-Bissau (section)

==== Society ====
Kaabu's ruling classes were composed of elite [[warrior]]s known as the [[Kaabu#The Nyancho|Nyancho]], who traced their patrilineal lineage to Tiramakhan Traore.<ref name="Archives-1980"/>{{rp|2}} The Nyancho were reportedly good cavalrymen and raiders.<ref name="Wright-1987"/>{{rp|6}} The Kaabu ''Mansaba'' was seated in Kansala (present-day [[Gabu (town)|Gabu]]) in the eastern [[Gabú region|Gebú]] region.<ref name="Old Men">{{Cite journal |last=Schoenmakers |first=Hans |date=1987 |title=Old Men and New State Structures in Guinea-Bissau |journal=The Journal of Legal Pluralism and Unofficial Law |language=en |volume=19 |issue=25–26 |pages=99–138 |doi=10.1080/07329113.1987.10756396}}</ref>{{rp|4}} Malian imperial history was central to Kaabu culture, maintaining its significant institutions and the [[lingua franca]] of Mandinka.<ref name="Wright-1987" />{{rp|11}} Individuals from other ethnic backgrounds were assimilated into this dominant culture, and frequent inter-ethnic marriages assisted the process.<ref name="Wright-1987" />{{rp|12}}

The slave trade dominated the economy, enriching the warrior classes with imported cloth, beads, metalware, and firearms.<ref name="Wright-1987" />{{rp|8}} Trade networks to North Africa were dominant until the 14th century, with coastal trade with the Europeans beginning to increase during the 15th century.<ref name="Old Men" />{{rp|3}} An estimated 700 enslaved people left the region annually in the 17th and 18th centuries, many from Kaabu.<ref name="Old Men" />{{rp|5}}