AFRS 300 Mariners and Merchants

Zipporah Oforlea
AFRS 300
Dr. Casey
FROM AFRICA TO OLMEC AMERICA
Questions for Introduction to African Civilization: Mariners and Merchants
1. Where were the ancient African ports that traded with China and India located?
What were their names?
A. There was a well established sea trade between India, China and Africa dating
back to the days of the earliest Egyptian dynasties. The Ethiopian ports for
this Indo-Chinese commerce were Adule and Arab, both situated on the Red
sea coast.
2. During what periods of time did these ancient Ethiopian coastal cities flourish?
What inner African kingdoms did they trade with?
A.It seems to be demonstrated that they possessed the navigation of the Indian
Ocean, not only into our own medieval times, but certainly through the period fo
the Ptolemies, and probably much earlier. Roads from these two points led to
Axum, in the interior on the western side of the Abyssinian mountains, a town of
which the colossal remains still testify to its ancient greatness. From Axum which
had its temples and was itself a great center of trade, the road led northwestward
through the state of Meroe.
3. What ancient African Kingdom did Ethiopia grow out of?
A. In the first millennium prior to the beginning of the Christian era, invaders
from southern Arabia established a kingdom in northern Ethiopia, with its
capital at Axum. The Ethiopian culture stemming from Axum, flourished for a
while, but it did not have the stay ing power of the old kushites of Meroe.
4. What is the story of the Queen of Sheba and the lineage of Solomon?
A. The Queen of Sheba was so impressed by the report of the merchant that she
organized a large caravan, visited the court of King Solomon, and gave him.
Many presents of great value. A romance developed between the royal pair,
which eventuated into the birth of a son to the queen, which was named
Menelik. Solomon recognized Menelik as his firs-born son and decreeing that
only Menelikes male heirs were to rule Ethiopia, he sent back with him as his
servants all the first-born sons of his own officers and counselors.
5. Who were the Zanji and in what city along the east African coast where they
located? Where is this located today?
A. These Zanj, as the Arabs called the dwellers of the East African shore, were
the “black people” who lived beyond Ethiopia. Though the word “Zanj” is
attributed to the Arabs, it may have been Persian in origin; for it was first used
in a Persian inscription. Today it is known as Zanzibar.
6. What trade existed between the peoples of East Africa and the India during the
12th century?
A. There was a brisk trade between the peoples of East Africa and India during
the twelfth century, especially in iron. The iron was mined in Africa and
exported to India and Indonesia.
7. What were the names of some of the east coast African trading cities?
A. Special mention made of the export of iron from southeast Africa to the
Zanjan islands (Java and Divah). When nthe first explores form Portugal
sailed up the east coast of Africa on the way to India they were dazzled by ta
series of seaport cities such a s Malinid, Mombasa, Sofala, Kilwa and
Zanzibar.
8. How was the African coastal city of Kilwa described?
A. We spent the night on the island of Mombasa and then set sail fo rKilwa, the
principal town on the Oast, the greater part of whose inhabitants ar Zanj of
very black complexion. Kilwa is one of the most beautiful and well-
constructed towns in the world. The whole of it is elegantly built o.
9. How did the Swahili culture of east Africa develop?
A. These great cities evolved from trading villages established over two thousand
years ago. This we know from an Egypto-Greek guidebook on the maritime
trade along the Indian Ocean shores at the beginning of the Christian Era.
10. What kind of trade did the east African cities have with the interior kingdoms of
central Africa?
A. In the tenth century, gold from mines of southern Rhodesia and Mozambique
was transported to the cities on the coast and from them exported to the lands of
the far east.

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Zipporah Oforlea

FROM AFRICA TO OLMEC AMERICA

Questions for Introduction to African Civilization: Mariners and Merchants

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