The Swahili World

The Swahili World explores aspects of the archaeology, history, linguistics and anthropology of the eastern African coast. It covers a 1,500-year sweep of history, during which time the coast was initially settled, towns developed, people converted to Islam, and successive colonial regimes preceded the current nation states which make up the shoreline. The ‘Swahili Age’ forms the backbone of this study, from approximately AD700 – 1500 and reflects the fact that most of our knowledge of this civilization comes from archaeology. However, with the inclusion of chapters from other disciplines The Swahili World provides the most nuanced and detailed consideration of Swahili culture ever produced.

The Swahili World presents the fascinating story of a major world civilization, exploring the archaeology, history, linguistics, and anthropology of the Indian Ocean coast of Africa. It covers a 1,500-year sweep of history, from the first settlement of the coast to the complex urban tradition found there today. Swahili towns contain monumental palaces, tombs, and mosques, set among more humble houses; they were home to fishers, farmers, traders, and specialists of many kinds. The towns have been Muslim since perhaps the eighth century CE, participating in international networks connecting people around the Indian Ocean rim and beyond. Successive colonial regimes have helped shape modern Swahili society, which has incorporated such influences into the region’s long-standing cosmopolitan tradition.

This is the first volume to explore the Swahili in chronological perspective. Each chapter offers a unique wealth of detail on an aspect of the region’s past, written by the leading scholars on the subject. The result is a book that allows both specialist and non-specialist readers to explore the diversity of the Swahili tradition, how Swahili society has changed over time, as well as how our understandings of the region have shifted since Swahili studies first began.

Scholars of the African continent will find the most nuanced and detailed consideration of Swahili culture, language and history ever produced. For readers unfamiliar with the region or the people involved, the chapters here provide an ideal introduction to a new and wonderful geography, at the interface of Africa and the Indian Ocean world, and among a people whose culture remains one of Africa’s most distinctive achievements.