AFRICAN AND THE EXTERNAL WORLD EARLY CONTACTS WITH THE MIDDLE EAST AND FAR EAST
AFRICAN AND EXTERNAL
WORLD
EARLY CONTACTS WITH THE
MIDDLE EAST AND FAR EAST
The contacts with the middle
east and far east began as early as 200BC. The early foreigners to visit the
African coast were people from Asia including countries like Syria, Arabia, India, Burma,
Thailand, China, Spice Islands and Egypt from North Africa
ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL
MOTIVES OF THE CONTACT BETWEEN THE MIDDLE EAST AND THE FAR AFRICA.
I.
TRADE ACTIVITES
The traders were interested
to control trade along the African coast. The environment of East Africa coast
through Indian ocean attracted the traders.
The accessibility of East African coast by the sea enable the coastal societies
to make commercial contact with the outside world. The commercial contact
covered the whole area East
Africa Coast
via Sofala.
Also the natural harbour
attracted the traders to settlement at the coast. Monsoon winds helped people
from Asia to reach East Africa, South West monsoon
winds blow ships to African coast between November and April while North East
Monsoon between May-Oct would take them back to their countries.
Items from middle East and
far East African coast were cotton cloth, silk, porcelain, glassware,
beads,daggers, swords, ornaments, wheat, wine, rice,coconuts, dates, etc.
From East
Africa they obtained valuable such as animal skins, rhinoceros
horns, Ivory, Gold , Cowries shell, Copper, Bee wax, honey and slaves.
II)EXPLORATION/INVESTIGATION
OF AFRICA
The people from middle East
and Far East were interested to know about the East Africa
coast. Example Accessibility of the coast and market for their goods.
They were also interested to
find different goods which were needed in Asia.
The exploration done in Africa
was recorded in Different books and were the major sources of information
attracted people from outside to come to Africa
.
III)THE NEED OF SPREADING
ISLAM
Some visitors come to spread
the Islamic religion in Africa. The Islamic
religion was spread from 7th C and spread to other parts through the
Holly wars known as “JIHADS”. The war resulted into more prosperous of Islamic
Kingdom of Empires. Many muslims Arabs from middle East and far East visited
African coast aiming to Islamising the African people.
IV.
SEARCHING OF
NEW TRADING CENTERS/SETTLEMENT
Early visitors were
interested to establish settlement along the East African coast and the horn of
Africa in order to control the trade.
During 10th C and
11th C they began to penetrate the Awash
Valley towards the highlands of Ethiopia. The
Muslims Arabs managed to set up small trading settlements which they used to
link the external trade to interior trade, later they attracted other traders
to come and settle in the Coast.
THE MAP
THE SOCIAL EFFECTS OF THE
CONTACTS BETWEEN THE PEOPLE OF AFRICA, THE
MIDDLE EAST AND FAR EAST.
I)EMERGENCE OF SWAHILI
LANGUAGE AND CULTURE
Bantu and Arabs traders were
in contact and each group used their own language during communication. Later
on new language was formed known as SWAHILI which is a mixture of Bantu
language and Arabic language. As time went on the coast people formed new style
of life known as “SWAHILI CULTURE”.
II)SPREAD OF ISLAMIC
RELIGION AND CULTURE
The Islamic religion was
spread in the coastal of East Africa and later
on to the interior peacefully. The coastal towns were ruled by Islamic religion
under the Islamic law (SHARIA). Islamic religion mosques were built and
festival were held. The Quran and the Islamic law (SHARIA) became the legal
system of coastal towns.
The African women began to
wear long robes and cover their hairs and faces with veils while man started to
wear robes and turbans. Also they started eating rice and foods full of spices
using porcelain bowers .etc.
III.
GROWTH OF CITY STATES
AND TOWNS
Several towns were formed in
the coastal areas. Mostly endowed with good natural harbor while other were
located in the Island. Example of these towns
and cities were Mogadishu, Pemba, Mombasa, Pate, Lamu,
Malindi, Mafia , Kilwa and etc.
V.
DEPOPULATION/WARFARE
The contact between the
Africa Middle East and Far East resulted to
the slave trade and slavery. Number of African were captured and sold as
slaves. The rest of the societies lived in fear because of continuous wars to
capture slaves.
THE ECONOMIC EFFECT OF THE
CONTACT BETWEEN THE AFRIC THE FAR EAST AND THE MIDDLE EAST.
I)EMERGENCY
OF RICH CLASS
African people engaged in
trade activities obtained enough profit. The African merchants (traders)
organize high standard of leadership in the interior. In East Africa for
example the rich class included Mwakikango of Digo, chief Kivoi of Kamba,
Machemba of Yao, Msiri, Nyungu ya mawe Milambo etc.
II)EXPOSED AFRICA TO WORLD ECONOMY
II)EXPOSED AFRICA TO WORLD ECONOMY
Through the trade contacts of
Africa, Middle East and far East Africa was exposed
to external world. Africa integrated in the
world economy by supplying different commodities which were highly needed in
the outside world
.
III)EXPOITATION OF
AFRICANS RESOURCES.
Due to the increase of demand
of commodities such as ivory, Gold , Copper, Iron, animal skin and slaves
African resources were exploited and exported at large quantities outside of Africa.
IV)LOSS OF MAN POWER
Capture of able bodied people
as slaves reduced African man power. The aged (old) weak and children were only
left hence loss of labor needed for production. Death as a result of starvation
led to depopulation which caused under development to most parts of Africa.
V)DECLINE OF HAND CRAFTS
INDUSTRIES
The importation of different
goods from Asia eg. Cotton, Clothes, Food,
Utensils, Porcelain etc. Led to the decline of African industries like bark
clothe industries.
VI.
INTRODUCTION OF
NEW CROPS
These new crops were imported
from the middle and far East provided food staffs as well as cash crops.
Example Coconut, Palm, Rice, Millet, Wheat,Cloves, Sugar cane and fruits such
as mangoes, dates bananas, grapes etc.
VII.
INTRODUCTION
OF NEW ARTS AND CRAFTS
By the 15th
C various items where introduced in Africa and
villages were transformed from simple to complex towns. These towns developed
due to different building styles from Asia and
Arabian countries, the art of writing navigation and money was also introduced
during this period.
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