THE SWAHILLI CIVILIZATIONS Flashcards
THE SWAHILLI CIVILIZATIONS
Location?
East Africa
The Swahili Corridor ( East African Coast- 3,000 km)
Northernmost (Mogadishu)
Southernmost (River Zambezi)
Lamu Archipelago (Kilwa Chronicles, Chronicles of Lamu)
THE SWAHILLI CIVILIZATIONS
Sources
what did the Roman Official write ?
Oral traditions, written documents, archaeological research
a Periplus of the Swahili Coast
THE SWAHILLI CIVILIZATIONS
Who were the Arab Writers?
- Arab writers
al Masudi,
El Idrisi,
Ibn Battuta
THE SWAHILLI CIVILIZATIONS
which writer said Kilwa was the most beautiful
Ibn Battuta
THE SWAHILLI CIVILIZATIONS
What were the Oral Traditions
what was the translation of the two
Oral Traditions
kilwa Chronicles : Swahili
Chronicles of Lamu: Arabic
THE SWAHILLI CIVILIZATIONS
What did the Chinese bring back from Africa during the Ming Dynasty ?
A Giraffe
THE SWAHILLI CIVILIZATIONS
what did the Chinese trade ?
coins,
porcelain,
books,
THE SWAHILLI CIVILIZATIONS
What made the Swahili so important ?
Indian Ocean Trade
- Swahili corridor resources
- Ivory, tortoiseshells, Ambergris, fruits, pomegranates, gold, Millet, Etc.
- India, China, and Mediterranean resources
- Cloth, grain, oils, spices, stoneware
THE SWAHILLI CIVILIZATIONS
Swahili people were great boat makers what was the name of the small boats they made ?
what are Tradewinds called ?
DHOWS
Seasonal Monsoon Winds
THE SWAHILLI CIVILIZATIONS
What was the social Organization?
Small villager Communities
City states
Highly Urbanized
Stone Houses ( Lime stone)
THE SWAHILLI CIVILIZATIONS
what is the population in some cities?
Pop. Over 10,000 in some cities
THE SWAHILLI CIVILIZATIONS
What was their reading and writing format
How did this become?
Arabic
- Islam came to the area
- Brought the book of the Quran
- Which is written in Arabic
THE SWAHILLI CIVILIZATIONS
Was their a Social Hierarchy if so what were they?
Nobles,
Freeman,
Slaves
THE SWAHILLI CIVILIZATIONS
What was the Craft Specialization?
Stone houses Boat Building Weaving - cotton cloth Salt Making - Sculpture - Figurines - Material : Ebony, Quartz Bead Making - Material : clay and stone, quartz
THE SWAHILLI CIVILIZATIONS
What was the decline of the Swahili?
Why did they do it?
How did they do it?
The Arrival of the (Portugueses)
- The Portugueses wanted to get the material directly from the Swahili people
so they attacked them
Gun Boats
