In East Africa between A.D. 1000 and 1600, powerful coastal city-states emerged. These were located between what is today Somalia and Mozambique. These city-states grew as a result of trade contacts with South Asia and Arabia. Arabs, Persians, Indians, and Malaysians are said to have visited the east coast for commercial pursuits. Africans exported goods such as ivory, incense, spices, gold, iron, slaves, and perfumed oils in return for glazed pottery, cloth, glass beads, and china. With the wealth acquired through trade, the Africans built cities as centers of trade. These cities became self-governing; therefore, they were called city-states.. Because of Arab influence, Islam became the dominant religion in these cities, and numerous masques were built. Examples of these city-states were Kilwa, Mombasa, Zanzibar, and Mogadishu. An urban culture had developed along the coast of East Africa.
A culture known as Swahili developed between 1200 and 1400 in this area, combining the African and Islamic features. To facilitate trade and communication between the Arab-speaking merchants and Bantu-speaking Africans, a common language developed called Swahili (from the Arabic sawahil, meaning "coastlands"). The height of the Swahili culture came during the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries.
Ruling dynasties governed these cities. The rulers were known as sultans. The society consisted of the local nobility, commoners, resident foreigners employed in the local commerce, and slaves. |
