The Swahili Culture | World Civilization

Learning Objective

• Understand the impact of the Bantu migration on the Swahili culture.

Key Points

• Swahili Culture: Originates from the Swahili people on the Swahili Coast, speaking Swahili, a Niger-Congo family language.
• Bantu Influence: Swahili culture has a Bantu core, influenced by foreign cultures due to historical migration and trade.
• Migration: Bantu people migrated from West Africa 3,000 years ago, laying the foundation for Swahili culture.
• Trade Influence: By the 8th century, Swahili people were trading across the Indian Ocean, influenced by Arabic, Persian, Indian, and Chinese cultures.
• City-States: Independent Muslim city-states like Kilwa flourished along the Swahili Coast in the 10th century.
• Kilwa Sultanate: A medieval sultanate central to Swahili culture, influenced by Persian and Arab cultures.
• Cultural Mixture: Persian-Arab and Bantu cultures mixed in Kilwa, creating a distinctive Swahili culture and language.
• Multicultural Arts: Swahili arts are influenced by diverse history, seen in furniture, architecture, and music.

Terms

Bantu Expansion

• A long series of migrations from West Africa by speakers of the proto-Bantu language.
• Introduced Bantu peoples to central, southern, and southeastern Africa.

Kilwa Sultanate

• A medieval sultanate on an island off modern-day Tanzania.
• Founded in the 10th century by Ali ibn al-Hassan Shirazi.
• Fragmented by the Portuguese invasion in 1505.

Bantu and Swahili Culture

• Encompasses today's Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Mozambique, and adjacent islands.
• Swahili culture blends Bantu core with foreign influences from Arab, Persian, Indian, and Chinese cultures.
• Evolution due to increased trade and urbanization starting from the 6th century.

Swahili City-States

• Flourished during the Indian Ocean trade, influenced by various cultures.
• Wealthy, independent city-states like Kilwa, Malindi, and Zanzibar.
• Decline due to Portuguese advent in the 16th century.

Kilwa Sultanate

• Authority stretched over the entire Swahili Coast.
• Dependent on external commerce, acting as middlemen in trade.
• Promoted development of market towns in Bantu highlands.

Arts

• Swahili arts include geometric designs and the musical genre taarab.
• Architecture combines African traditions with Persian and South Asian elements.
• Structures on the Swahili Coast show a blend of local and foreign influences.