Arab-Swahili traders
E673870
Arab-Swahili traders were coastal East African merchant communities, largely Muslim and Swahili-speaking, who dominated Indian Ocean trade networks and spread commerce, culture, and Islam into the interior of Africa.
Statements (71)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
Muslim community
ⓘ
merchant community ⓘ trading diaspora ⓘ |
| architecture |
coral rag houses
ⓘ
stone-built towns ⓘ |
| center |
Kilwa Kisiwani
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
Lamu NERFINISHED ⓘ Malindi NERFINISHED ⓘ Mombasa NERFINISHED ⓘ Pate Island NERFINISHED ⓘ Sofala NERFINISHED ⓘ Zanzibar NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| culturalImpact |
Islamization of coastal East Africa
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
formation of Swahili as a lingua franca ⓘ |
| culturalRole |
diffusion of Swahili language inland
ⓘ
spread of Indian Ocean material culture into interior Africa ⓘ spread of Islam into East African interior ⓘ |
| declineFactors |
European colonial domination of trade
ⓘ
suppression of slave trade ⓘ |
| economicImpact | integration of East Africa into global trade ⓘ |
| economicRole | middlemen between Africa and Asia ⓘ |
| ethnicIdentity | Swahili ⓘ |
| exported |
gold
ⓘ
gum copal ⓘ ivory ⓘ rhinoceros horn ⓘ slaves ⓘ tortoiseshell ⓘ |
| heritage |
part of African diaspora trading networks
ⓘ
part of Indian Ocean maritime history ⓘ |
| historicalPeriod |
19th century
ⓘ
early modern period ⓘ medieval period ⓘ |
| imported |
beads
ⓘ
ceramics ⓘ dates ⓘ metal goods ⓘ spices ⓘ textiles ⓘ |
| interactedWith |
Omani Empire
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
Portuguese colonizers ⓘ |
| involvedIn |
East African slave trade
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
caravan trade to the interior ⓘ |
| language | Swahili NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| linkedTo |
Indian Ocean trade network
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
Swahili city-states NERFINISHED ⓘ Swahili culture ⓘ |
| operatedIn |
Indian Ocean
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
Western Indian Ocean NERFINISHED ⓘ interior of East Africa ⓘ |
| organized | long-distance caravans ⓘ |
| origin | Swahili Coast NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| patron | Omani sultans of Zanzibar NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| politicalForm |
city-states
ⓘ
sultanates ⓘ |
| region | East African coast NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| religion | Islam ⓘ |
| religiousArchitecture | mosques ⓘ |
| socialStructure |
mercantile elites
ⓘ
urban coastal settlements ⓘ |
| tradedWith |
Arabian Peninsula
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
Indian west coast ports ⓘ Persian Gulf ports NERFINISHED ⓘ Red Sea ports NERFINISHED ⓘ interior African societies ⓘ |
| tradeRoutes |
routes to present-day Kenya interior
ⓘ
routes to present-day Mozambique interior ⓘ routes to present-day Tanzania interior ⓘ routes to the Great Lakes region ⓘ |
| usedNavigation | monsoon wind system ⓘ |
| usedTechnology | dhow sailing vessels ⓘ |
Referenced by (1)
Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.