Trading States of East AfricaChapter 10Section 2

Ezana Ge’ez Lalibela Swahili

Key Terms

Aksum and Ethiopia

Grew in 1st century Located present day

Ethiopia Askum controlled the

Red Sea Most powerful

kingdom in East Africa

The Rise of Askum

• Descendants from Arabia• Two main cities– Askum– Adulis

• Kingdom from Ethiopian Highlands to the Red Sea

• Well suited for agriculture

The Rise of Askum

• Ideal for trade• Access to Indian Ocean• Attracted traders from

Africa’s interior• India, Persia, Egypt• Brought gold,

frankincense, ivory, enslaved Africans

• Exchanged goods for cloth and spices

Askum at its Height

• Wealthy• Strong military power• King Ezana- 320 reached

its height• Collected tribute from

other leaders• Attacked and defeated

Kush• Askum greatest power in

East Africa

Culture of Askum

• Diverse culture• 300’s Christianity• Stelae- stone

monument with Erzana’s promise

• Ge’ez- the written and spoken language of Askum

• One of first written languages

Culture of Askum

Still used in Ethiopian ceremonies

First to mint own coins

The Decline of Askum

600’s Askum declines Area became Muslim

and Christian Muslims destroyed

Adulis Helped shape

Ethiopian history

Ethiopia

1100’s Ethiopia is established

Zagwe dynastyKing Lalibela-

ruled during 1200’2 Built 11 stone Christian

churches Carved out of solid rock

Christianity unified Ethiopians

Ethiopia

• 1270 second dynasty of Christians

• “Glory of the Kings”– Claimed to be

descendants of Hebrew King Solomon and Queen of Sheba

– Solomonid Dynasty

• Fought religious wars• Ruled for 700 years to

1974

Ethiopia

Jews called Beta Jews lived there

1400 Christian Kings fought Beta Jews

Muslim Arabs called Kingdom of Adal

1300’s Muslim and Christian came into conflict

Coastal City-States

East coast drew traders

Indian Ocean and Monsoons winds

Blew from India to Africa between November and March

April to October they reverse

Zanj- eastern Africa

Coastal City-States

• Mogadishu, Mombasa, Kilwa, and Sofala

• Linked oversea traders with interior Africa

• Africa traded raw materials for other goods

• Ivory highly prized• Gold from southern

Africa

Coastal City-States

• Enslaved Africans from the interior are sold

• Sent to Asia as domestic servants

• Would increase after Europeans

• Reached peak 1300-1400

• Kilwa’s power increased because of trade

Swahili

Muslim, Arabs, Asians settled in the city-states

Groups intermarried Swahili-blending of

Bantu and Arab words Islam gained a hold on

coastal states Mosques appeared in

towns

Great Zimbabwe

Shoana people 1100’s Great

Zimbabwe Limpopo and Zambezi

Rivers Now part of Zimbabwe Lay along trade routes Interior mines to city-

states on the coast

The Great Enclosure

Zimbabwe means stone houses

Great enclosures-35 feet high 180 feet long

No mortar Used as astronomical

observatory

The Mutapa Empire

Great Zimbawe had 18,000 people

1400’s abandoned the area

1500’s in ruins Mutupa Empire

Based on oral tradition

Mutota founder

The Mutapa Empire

1400’s gained control of surrounding territory

Called master pillager Mwene Mutapa 1500 controlled

Zimbabwe Exported gold Controlled trade

through its territory