Swahili Civilization flourished from around 11th-century CE to the 16th-century CE on the

eastern coast of Africa. Commerce helped this culture to thrive, as well as the spread of Islam
and the development of the Swahili language. We will focus on these factors in this lesson.

The Swahili Civilization: Culture through Commerce

When you think of African civilization, what typically comes to mind? Maybe you think of the
pyramids of Egypt or the slave trade after Columbus' voyage to the Americas. Well, the history
and culture of the continent are richer and more detailed than that. Indeed, societies flourished all
across Africa in the ancient world.
One of these societies was the Swahili Civilization. It had its beginnings around the 8th-
century CE, but it grew extensively during the ''medieval period,'' spanning the 11th- through
the 15th-centuries. This growth was largely a result of the Indian Ocean Trading Network that
brought in not just man-made riches, but also religious ideas, specifically Islam, which had a
significant impact on the local culture. Furthermore, the development of the Swahili
language gave a common cultural unity to the people.

The Indian Ocean Trading Network

Now, we can't really understand how Swahili civilization developed, without looking at the
larger context of the trading network that developed, across the Indian Ocean. This trading
network really took off in the early centuries CE as mariners started to understand how the
monsoon winds blew. This really changed the game. Merchants now understood the
predictable seasonal wind patterns and used this knowledge to their benefit. They could now
confidently travel to ports all across the Indian Ocean, including those on the eastern coast of
Africa.

From this interaction with Indian Ocean traders, eastern coastal villages rose to become
prosperous, rich cities. Furthermore, there were now kings that ruled over these areas, as well
as merchants who were among the elites of society. Clearly, trade spurred political and social
development. However, these cities did not unite, and instead remained independent.

Gold Ingots

What did traders want from the eastern coast of Africa? Well, those on the coast traded with
people in the interior of the continent to bring Indian Ocean traders gold, ivory, quartz, and
iron, just to name a few things. These merchants also took enslaved peoples to be bought and
sold from an already-existing interior slave trade.
In exchange, Swahili cities received both material goods and cultural elements. Materially,
merchants from the Indian Ocean exchanged porcelain and silk from China, and even cotton
from the Indian subcontinent. Sometimes these merchants even decided to stay in eastern
Africa, which contributed to a cultural mix of different peoples from India and the Middle East.
Perhaps the biggest thing they received wasn't something tangible, though. The most important
''commodity'' was arguably religious, with the adoption of Islam.

Beginning in the fifteenth-century, trade began to change as Portuguese mariners traveled to

Africa. These were the beginnings of the age of European exploration. As the centuries
unfolded, Europeans came to hold much power in the continent. As a result, the rich cultures
and histories of different African peoples, including the Swahili, was overtaken by European
colonizers.

Common Cultural Elements: Language and Islam

So, then, what united these peoples and places? How can we say there was a Swahili
''civilization'' with all of this disunity? Well, it's important to remember that civilizations in the
ancient world were not defined by political boundaries in the way we think of nations today.
Instead, it's important to look at common cultural elements. The two most important ones to
be aware of are the Swahili language, and the adoption of Islam.
trade with the interior of East Africa. Mainly it developed as a result of the native Bantu
tribes that encountered the Arabs who set up trading outposts that resulted in the future
development of villages and towns along the East African Coast.