What did the Sotho gain from contact with the Paris Evangelical Missionary Society?

When Moshoeshoe I welcomed missionaries from the Paris Evangelical Missionary Society to Thaba Bosiu in 1833, he viewed them primarily as a valuable source of information regarding the outside world. By strategically placing these missionaries throughout the kingdom, the Sotho gained their first exposure to several key areas:

• Christianity: The missionaries introduced the Sotho to the Christian faith.12
• Literacy: The Sotho began to acquire skills in reading and writing.12
• Economic Development: The missionaries provided knowledge that facilitated commodity production, which enabled the Sotho to engage in long-distance trading.12

This engagement was part of Moshoeshoe’s broader diplomatic effort to acquire the skills of settlers and adventurers to help strengthen and protect his kingdom during a period of significant regional instability.12