Notes on Swahili, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, and State Building in Europe

Swahili is a new language developed through the blend of Bantu (an indigenous African language) and Arabic (from Islamic merchants).
This is an example of innovation.

The capital city of Great Zimbabwe had around 20,000 people living within its walls at its height.
Its mysterious abandonment is an example of diversity among African states.

Ethiopia emerged in the 12th century as a Christian kingdom, not an Islamic one.
They are known for their monumental architecture, specifically massive stone churches.
Ethiopian Christianity developed largely apart from Roman Catholic and Orthodox traditions, becoming its own distinct form.

Characterized by religious belief, feudalism, and decentralized monarchies. Religion played a significant role.
There was significant cultural continuity in Europe, namely through the Roman Catholic Church.
Universities and artists were typically men of the church.
Strong Muslim presence on the Iberian Peninsula.
Many Muslims were ejected after 1492 due to Ferdinand and Isabella's Reconquista. This led to a revival of Catholicism in Spain and an impulse to spread Christianity worldwide.
There was a small but relatively influential Jewish population in Europe, which also diminished after the Reconquista.
Europe was characterized by decentralized political systems with many small centers of power.
The organizing principle for these systems was feudalism.
The king granted land to lords (nobility) in exchange for tribute.
Lords hired knights to protect the land and engage in war if necessary.
Peasants were at the bottom, working the land to provide produce to the lords. Their lives were very tied to the land.

The manorial system was the larger organizing political and social order in Europe at the time.
The manor contained the whole village.
Many serfs lived their entire lives without leaving the manor.

The chief innovation was the three-field system.
Crops were rotated through three fields: two were planted, and one was left fallow.
This system enabled more food to be grown, feeding more people and leading to a population explosion.