Houghton Mifflin Social Studies
Chapter 6, Lesson 2: The Rise of Coastal Trading States (pp. 141-144)
I. Sailing with the Winds
A. Trade between seafaring Arabs and coastal East Africans became well-established about 200 B.C.
B. Arab merchants learned to use seasonal winds to sail between Indian and African ports.
C. Bantu language and culture dominated the coasts of East Africa by about A.D. 700.
B. The coastal Bantu people began to refer to themselves and their language by an Arabic word, Swahili, "people of the shore."
C. Inland African groups brought gold and other precious goods to the Swahili in the coastal cities to trade for foreign goods.
D. Many Swahili trading ports became wealthy city-states.
B. In 1505, the Portuguese fleet conquered many of the city-states and sought to control their trade and plunder their wealth.
C. By the late 1500s, Swahili groups had regained control of several ports from the Portuguese.
Lesson at a Glance Outline
II. The Rise of City-States
A. About A.D. 900, Arab, Persian, and Indian traders began to live among the Bantu in the coastal cities, influencing Bantu culture and language.
III. From Riches to Ruin
A. By the 1400s, East African port cities were among the most advanced in the world.
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