Medieval Africa Notes

Medieval Africa

Class Details

  • Instructor: Prof Jortner
  • Course: HIST 1010
  • Class Schedule: Virtual on 4/1. Lecture available as Panopto video. Recommended viewing time: 9:30-10:45.

Early Sources on African Trade

  • Du Huan, 751: Chronicles travels from China to Ethiopia.
  • Al-Masudi, 916: "Meadows of Gold" detailing trade from Arabia to Zanj.
  • Abram bin Yiju, 12th century: Travels from Tunisia to Mangalore (Southern India).

The Zanj (ca. 1000 – 1660 CE)

  • A collection of city-states along the East African coast.
  • Relied on trade networks with India, Southeast Asia, and Indonesia.
  • Culturally diverse, housing Muslim, Christian, Jewish, and Buddhist communities.

Zanj Trade Routes

  • Major trade cities: Mogadishu, Malinda, Mombasa, Zanzibar, Kilwa, Mozambique.
  • Trade dependent on monsoon winds and seasonal patterns:
    • Nov-Feb: North-East Monsoon
    • April-Sept: South-West Monsoon

Archaeological Findings

  • Chinese porcelain shards found at archaeological sites in Tanzania.
  • Various quantities of sherds (broken pottery) indicate extensive trade.

Kilwa

  • A prominent Zanj city (ca. 1250-1400).
  • Initially a free-market trade city.
  • Multilingual society with communities from Gujaratis, Tamils, Chinese, Arabs, and Javanese.

Source Limitations

  • Multilingual daily life in Zanj cities complicates historical understanding (languages: Swahili, Bantu, Urdu, Arabic, Portuguese).
  • Colonial history affected availability of sources, with many texts relocated to Western nations after 1800.

Linguistic Heritage

  • Example of Swahili text in Arabic script (ca. 1450).

West African Empires Timeline

  • Ghana Empire: 800-1200
  • Mali Empire: 1230-1430
  • Songhay Empire: 1460-1591

Ghana Empire (800-1200)

  • Trade routes connected Morocco, Egypt, and Europe via the Sahara.
  • Important cities: Kumbi Saleh, Walata, Timbuktu, Gao.

Mali Empire (1230-1430)

  • Mansa Musa: Known for pilgrimage to Mecca (1324) and story of Abu Bakari II's voyage.

Songhay Empire (1460-1591)

  • Continuation of the trading legacy with significant urban centers like Gao and Timbuktu.

Mansa Musa's Influence

  • Known as a wealthy king; introduced practices of Islamic shari’a to governing structures.

Afonso I of Kongo (1456-1542)

  • Engaged with Portuguese for political alliances.
  • Adopted certain European technologies and religion but maintained cultural autonomy.
  • Letters to the King of Portugal document the rise of the slave trade in the region.