What was the state of African people before European trying to establish control in the mid-1800s?

Sub-Saharan Africa had largely been handicapped by nature in two particulars. One was its isolation due to distance, disease barriers, and a shortage of harbours with navigable rivers permitting inland access. While -- at great cost -- the Sahara Desert could be crossed, Tse-tse flies and altitude (in Ethiopia) were formidable barriers to travel much beyond it.

The consequence was that Sub-Saharan Africa never really had the chance to advance beyond tribal iron age cultures except on the very edge of the Sahara (Mali, the Sudan and Ethiopia).

The other barrier was the natural shortage of domesticable plants. Wheat, maize, rice, millet, barley and potatoes had allowed other civilizations to appear, but Sorghum was not reliable enough to allow civic culture to be maintained in most of Sub-Saharan Africa: Save were coastal enclaves let Arabs (from 700 AD) and Europeans (from 1450 AD or so) set up trading posts for slaves, gold and ivory.

Cattle had been domesticated for millennia in Europe and Asia, but disease resistant strains that could survive in Sub-Saharan Africa only appeared around 1000 AD -- allowing Bantu pastoralists to slowly spread through much of the continent.

The back-handed gift of the Slave Trade from both the Arabs and the Europeans was the importation of new food-crops: Yams, Rice, Millet, Maize, etc. That finally allowed greater concentrations of people, and new kingdoms were emerging just as Europeans got quinine, breech-loading firearms, and other advantages that let them go far beyond the coastal enclaves.

Before European attempts to establish control in Africa in the mid-1800s, African societies were diverse and varied, with a rich tapestry of cultures, languages, and traditions. Many African societies were organized into kingdoms, city-states, chiefdoms, or tribes, each with its own social structure, political system, and economic activities. These societies engaged in trade, agriculture, hunting, fishing, and craftsmanship, and some had sophisticated systems of governance and administration.

Additionally, Africa had a long history of trade both within the continent and with other regions, including the Middle East and Asia. Trade routes crisscrossed the continent, facilitating the exchange of goods, ideas, and cultural practices. Some regions of Africa were centers of learning, where scholars and intellectuals gathered to exchange knowledge and engage in intellectual pursuits.

Social structures in pre-colonial Africa were diverse and often based on kinship ties, with lineage, clan, or family connections playing significant roles in determining social status and access to resources. Many African societies had complex systems of governance, including monarchies, councils of elders, or democratic decision-making processes. In some cases, power was centralized in the hands of a king or chief, while in others, authority was decentralized among various community leaders.

Religion and spirituality were integral parts of African societies, with a wide range of belief systems, including animism, ancestor worship, polytheism, and Islam. These belief systems influenced various aspects of life, including social customs, rituals, and governance.

Overall, before European attempts to establish control in the mid-1800s, Africa was a continent characterized by diversity, dynamism, and complexity, with vibrant cultures and societies that had developed over millennia.