State Building in Africa (1200 - 1450)

Introduction

• Focus on state-building in Africa during 1200-1450
• Key areas: Sub-Saharan Africa, Swahili civilization, Great Zimbabwe, West Africa, Ethiopia

Swahili Civilization

• Emerged on Africa's East Coast around the 8th Century
• Comprised of independent city-states
• Location: Strategic coast, accessible to Indian Ocean trade
• Main trade goods: gold, ivory, timber, and some enslaved people

Trade and Commerce

• Imported goods from African interior (farmers and pastoralists)
• Dominant belief system: Islam

Influence of Islam

• Conversion among Swahili elite connected them to the economic world of Dar al-Islam
• Swahili language: Hybrid between Bantu languages and Arabic
• Each city had its own king
• Competition among city-states due to focus on International Trade

Comparison with Song China

• Both expanded wealth via trade beyond borders
• Hierarchical class structures:
  • China: Confucian ideals
  • Swahili States: Merchant elite above commoners
• China had a centralized political structure; Swahili did not

Great Zimbabwe

• Inland, yet wealthy due to Indian Ocean trade
• Main export: Gold
• Economic base: Farming and cattle herding
• Capital city: Largest structures in Africa after Egyptian pyramids
• Represented the seat of power

West Africa

• Various state structures over the centuries
• Key empires: Ghana, Mali, Songhai
• Focus on Hausa Kingdoms:
  • Collection of independent city-states
  • Gained wealth through trans-Saharan Trade
  • Urbanized, commercialized, acted as intermediaries for interior goods
  • Ruled by kings with social hierarchies
  • Conversion to Islam facilitated trade with Muslim merchants

General Trends

• Influential African states often adopted Islam for societal organization and trade facilitation

Ethiopia: The Exception

• Christian kingdom
• Built massive stone churches
• Grew wealthy through Mediterranean and Indian Ocean trade
• Main commodity: Salt
• Centralized power: King at the top, with a class hierarchy
• Similar in power structure to other global societies

Conclusion

• Varied state structures and trade-focused economies characterized African state-building from 1200-1450
• Ongoing influence of Islam in many regions, with important exceptions like Ethiopia