African maritime trade

Other than some references to a Malian Atlantic expedition in the 14th century (and excluding the North African/Mediterranean/Red Sea maritime tradition), is there evidence of long-distance African, Atlantic, and Indian Ocean maritime trade routes being independently exploited by native African cultures? What was the state of African ship technologies, especially in the period 1000-1500? I'm trying to find more information on this topic, so book recommendations are welcome.
 
The Malian expedition is IMO a load of bunk. The Sahel barely had access to the coast, and even then only through intermediaries. The old myth is played up for blatantly political reasons.

Unlike the Europeans and Arabs, who shared shipbuilding tech in one ocean, the West African coast was isolated (Cape Bojador was a bitch).

East African, of course, had a huge maritime culture. However, the Swahili weren't as sophisticated state-wise as the Arabs or Indians -- and the Arabs ended up dominating the Indian Ocean trade until, by and large, the coming of the Portuguese. Part of this was that the East African ports were largely receiving outside traders and getting goods from the interior.
 
Speaking quickly about the legendary expedition of Abu Bakr. One have to really understand the source it was mentioned : an account of Musa I's hajj by an Arab chronicler.
The parallel is quite clear : one is a pious muslim, abide by the hajj and goes east leaving a reputation of wealth, generousity, knowledge and grandeur. The other goes west on the great sea, is only known to be dead for a far objective.

While you may have a genuine expedition, this heavily symbolical text is the only account we have for this mansa and a fortiori the expedition : simply said there's no material traces of such strong marine in western Africa.

Back to the main question.

The vital artera of western african cultures in middle ages were the terrestrial roads : it was simply more convenient and you really have to wait the European tentatives to bypass Islamic trade of Africa in the XVth to see a real change. There's simply no real motivation to do otherwise.

As for Eastern shores, that's different : since Pharaonic times, you did have a maritime trade with the Horn of Africa, and further south and other centers in Near East and Indias (think Somali or Swahili city-states).
But, it was essentially at the initiative of these cores, not eastern African entities that had more a role of middle-men with hinterland peoples (once again favouring land ways).

But, if you'd want a more active African maritime power, you'd have to search rather in Eastern Africa, as you at least had a long and important history of maritime trade (one could argue that the Sultanate of Oman was as much an African maritime power than Arab, and there's room for this argument)

The main obstacles are the harsh hinterland especially for irrigation, and more generally for the important production of trade goods : the problem was partially overcome in the XVIth century with Ajuran, but too late.

I'd think an earlier Persian presence on the Horn, as it existed in Eastern and Southern Arabia, in Antiquity, could provide enough of a boost to see hegemonic mercantile power. Of course, saying that butterflies would be huge would be an understatement.

If you're looking for sources, the freely avaible UNESCO History of Africa should interest you.
 
There is a Bantu or East African genetic component to the Malagasy, especially along the coasts of Madagascar. I've heard both ideas that they came there independently on their own boats, or they were brought there by others. I'm bnot sure which is true.
 
The problem is that the boats that can be used for the red sea easily aren't able to be used in the Indian Ocean for some reason. ( I can't find the information about it sadly, someone help?) You had alot more trade coming in the Gulf of Oman and the Persian gulf over-all and from the horn of Africa then further in the actual red sea.
 
Speaking quickly about the legendary expedition of Abu Bakr. One have to really understand the source it was mentioned : an account of Musa I's hajj by an Arab chronicler.
The parallel is quite clear : one is a pious muslim, abide by the hajj and goes east leaving a reputation of wealth, generousity, knowledge and grandeur. The other goes west on the great sea, is only known to be dead for a far objective.

While you may have a genuine expedition, this heavily symbolical text is the only account we have for this mansa and a fortiori the expedition : simply said there's no material traces of such strong marine in western Africa.

Back to the main question.

The vital artera of western african cultures in middle ages were the terrestrial roads : it was simply more convenient and you really have to wait the European tentatives to bypass Islamic trade of Africa in the XVth to see a real change. There's simply no real motivation to do otherwise.

As for Eastern shores, that's different : since Pharaonic times, you did have a maritime trade with the Horn of Africa, and further south and other centers in Near East and Indias (think Somali or Swahili city-states).
But, it was essentially at the initiative of these cores, not eastern African entities that had more a role of middle-men with hinterland peoples (once again favouring land ways).

But, if you'd want a more active African maritime power, you'd have to search rather in Eastern Africa, as you at least had a long and important history of maritime trade (one could argue that the Sultanate of Oman was as much an African maritime power than Arab, and there's room for this argument)

The main obstacles are the harsh hinterland especially for irrigation, and more generally for the important production of trade goods : the problem was partially overcome in the XVIth century with Ajuran, but too late.

I'd think an earlier Persian presence on the Horn, as it existed in Eastern and Southern Arabia, in Antiquity, could provide enough of a boost to see hegemonic mercantile power. Of course, saying that butterflies would be huge would be an understatement.

If you're looking for sources, the freely avaible UNESCO History of Africa should interest you.

Thanks LSCatilina :)
 
Does anyone know when the East African trade with the Arabian Peninsula and Iran began? Does it date to the Muslim era, or pre-date it? And was it mostly West Asian shipping that was used?

I'm still wondering about the lack of maritime exploration on the Atlantic side of Africa. Is there any evidence of trade between West African powers like Mali and states of the Congo basin and littoral, across the Gulf of Guinea?
 
Does anyone know when the East African trade with the Arabian Peninsula and Iran began? Does it date to the Muslim era, or pre-date it? And was it mostly West Asian shipping that was used?

I'm still wondering about the lack of maritime exploration on the Atlantic side of Africa. Is there any evidence of trade between West African powers like Mali and states of the Congo basin and littoral, across the Gulf of Guinea?

Depends on what you mean by "East Africa". Along the Horn (OTL Somalia), there was trade and intense contact from way into BCE.
As for farther South, beginning with present-day Kenya, it´s no so clear. There`s a reference in the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea to a port town called Rhapta... but that`s not much. Either way, maritime Bantu culture (later Swahili) seems to have taken off in the VI/VII centuries, i.e. slightly earlier than the Muslim unification of Arabia, and that`s also when the Bantu colonisation of Madagascar began.

I suppose Arabian, Persian and Indian contacts played a role here even before Islam, but I wouldn`t exclude a trickle-down of seafaring knowledge, skills and culture from Somalia Southwards along the continent`s coastline, either - just because this is out of the sphere of historicity doesn`t mean it hasn`t happened; it`s the closest geographical link, and we know that Bantu and Cushitic expansions went both ways, or rather towards each other.
 
It's somewhat tangential to African trade, but I highly recommend Aden and the Indian Ocean Trade. The book is a more municipal history of medieval Aden and its role as an Indian Ocean commercial hub. It does touch on the Arab trade with Africa as Aden was a prime spot for ships coming into and out of the Red Sea and a stopover between the East African coast and Oman or India. It's very interesting looking at the more urban and commercial history of Aden using merchant records and surviving records of customs laws and such.
 
Does anyone know where to find information on Aksumite maritime trade, like what types of goods they traded and especially their ship designs? It seems like they'd be a very important player in both the Red Sea and Indian Ocean trade for a few centuries at least. Did they ever interact with the proto-Swahili states?
 
The Malian expedition is IMO a load of bunk. The Sahel barely had access to the coast, and even then only through intermediaries. The old myth is played up for blatantly political reasons.

Unlike the Europeans and Arabs, who shared shipbuilding tech in one ocean, the West African coast was isolated (Cape Bojador was a bitch).

Made up by who and for what 'political reasons'? Not disagreeing with you just curious.
 
Made up by who and for what 'political reasons'? Not disagreeing with you just curious.

See above post (while "political" isn't what I'd called it)

Speaking quickly about the legendary expedition of Abu Bakr. One have to really understand the source it was mentioned : an account of Musa I's hajj by an Arab chronicler.
The parallel is quite clear : one is a pious muslim, abide by the hajj and goes east leaving a reputation of wealth, generousity, knowledge and grandeur. The other goes west on the great sea, is only known to be dead for a far objective.

While you may have a genuine expedition, this heavily symbolical text is the only account we have for this mansa and a fortiori the expedition : simply said there's no material traces of such strong marine in western Africa.
 
See above post (while "political" isn't what I'd called it)

Speaking quickly about the legendary expedition of Abu Bakr. One have to really understand the source it was mentioned : an account of Musa I's hajj by an Arab chronicler.
The parallel is quite clear : one is a pious muslim, abide by the hajj and goes east leaving a reputation of wealth, generousity, knowledge and grandeur. The other goes west on the great sea, is only known to be dead for a far objective.

While you may have a genuine expedition, this heavily symbolical text is the only account we have for this mansa and a fortiori the expedition : simply said there's no material traces of such strong marine in western Africa.

That's very interesting.
 
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