La Belle Epoque 3


 * La Belle Epoque 3
 * by Jonathan I. Edelstein
 * 20 January 2002

East Africa, history of ... The third century was a time of unprecedented prosperity for eastern Africa. Trade along the Indian Ocean rim increased to levels that had never been seen before, and that would not be seen again until the early sixth century. In later years, this period would be remembered in East African literature as the Golden Age -- in some cases a literal one, as many East African city-states made their fortunes from gold.

The "Merchant Kingdoms" along the coast grew steadily during this time; by the end of the third century, a native shipbuilding industry had begun to develop, and Africans sailed the Indian Ocean in their own ships as well as Arab dhows. Even Axum, never known as a maritime power, developed a merchant fleet at its new port of Djibouti, and established outposts in the Seychelles and on the east coast of Madagascar. FN1 In SE 292 [1064 CE], Mauritius was also colonized by an Omani expedition, representing the high- water mark in classical East African settlement.

The growth of the Merchant Kingdoms, in turn, stimulated state formation in the interior. By SE 275 [1047 CE], kingdoms or tribal confederacies had formed among the Maravi along the lake of the same name, the Hutus and Tutsis of the Lake Kivu area, and on the highlands of south-central Africa. These were known collectively as the "Cattle Kingdoms." Although their cultural and religious differences were many, they shared certain common elements -- a semi-feudal system based on ownership of cattle and pastureland, a considerable degree of ancestor-worship, excellent woodcraft, and little urbanization outside the royal capitals.

The classical Cattle Kingdoms also did not spread into Central Africa. In the Congo valley and the Ubangi-Shari, rugged terrain and poor agricultural methods prevented the formation of sedentary states; in addition, the trade routes from the coast did not reach this far, so there were no trading stations to grow into market towns. Many of the Central African cultures of this period were quite accomplished, but none achieved any political organization beyond the tribal level -- which meant that they continued to be prey for slavers.

Moreover, even as the Cattle Kingdoms of southern Africa rose, their prototype – Zimbabwe -- began to fall into decline. Zimbabwe's penchant for warfare and slaving had angered many of its neighbors, and its edge in weaponry and military discipline could not last forever. As the third century drew to a close, Zimbabwe found itself beset on all sides; although no written records of the late Zimbabwe kingdom survive, it is doubtful that the Monomatapa was a happy man...

... Two east African states fell outside the traditional distinction between Merchant Kingdoms and Cattle Kingdoms: Reshem and Axum. Throughout the third century, Reshem grew in importance as a religious center and place of pilgrimage and was also famous for its fine carbon-steel blades. The agriculture of Reshem was a mix of pastoralism and farming, reflecting both its Bantu and Nilotic roots, and the wealth and power of the nobility encouraged the growth of provincial market towns. The capital also grew in size and wealth; by the end of the century, Reshem city was home to 150,000 people and rivaled Gondar as the largest city in sub- Saharan Africa.

In Axum, the Second Solomonid dynasty was also at its height. Buoyed by military victories over Egypt, Axum extended its influence to the Islamic principalities of the Najd, and warred with Reshem and Yemen. At the same time, however, powerful nobles, especially in the south, were growing restive over the dominant position of Amharic soldiers and bureaucrats...