ABSTRACT
The previous chapter described the economic evolution, followed by involution, of Lesotho from its origins up to the 1960s. Changes in what was produced, how it was produced, and in what was consumed occurred throughout the nineteenth century, partly in response to exposure to European influences. There was substantial technical change in agriculture, notably the introduction and rapid spread of the plow and new crops, most obviously wheat. Trade permitted not only the use of the new technologies, but also a substantial increase in the range of goods consumed. Obvious examples include blankets, firearms, tools and implements, household equipment, building materials, clothing, and foodstuffs (e.g., tea and sugar). Artisan and handicraft production within Lesotho previously satisfied the wants now satisfied by cheaper or preferred imported substitutes, and such local production therefore declined.
