Final answer:
Some African kingdoms found new ways of leadership due to economic stability as they adapted to the evolving slave trade. They militarized their states and controlled trade terms to maintain wealth and power, changing their societal structures and political dynamics.
Step-by-step explanation:
As the slave trade increased in African states, some kingdoms found new ways of leadership primarily due to economic stability, which is option (a). The intensification of the slave trade, along with the influx of European demand for slaves and the consequent arrival of European goods and weapons, shifted the traditional structures of African societies. Kingdoms that engaged in the slave trade, such as Dahomey, adapted their leadership and militarized their states to take advantage of the new economic opportunities, often leading to an increase in warfare and raiding to capture more individuals for the trade. This expansion and militarization of states were partly driven by the desire to control the trade and generate wealth, which altered societal norms and created new political dynamics within those regions.
For instance, the Kingdom of Dahomey became heavily involved in the slave trade by positioning itself as a central player who controlled the terms of trade with Europeans. They implemented strategies such as keeping Europeans confined to the port at Whydah and making European merchants trade with only the king, strategies that denote option (d) B and C. Through these measures, Dahomey sought to maintain economic stability and grow its influence, thus transforming its leadership and governmental structure in response to the challenges and opportunities presented by the trade in human life.