MC_A Concise History of Africa

A Concise History of Africa

Arab Slavery The Arab slave trade began from about the 7th century onward, with slaves being transported across the Sahara to North Africa and across East Africa to Zanzibar, Dar es Salaam and Mombasa. The Sultan of Oman moved his capital to Mombasa in 1837, where he set about expanding the trade. Some 11–17 million slaves crossed the Red Sea and Indian Ocean between 650 and 1900. Notable among these were the black eunuchs, provided for the Ottoman sultans to guard their harems, who were brought from Ethiopia and Sudan. Each sultan could have 200- –400 eunuchs, the chief among them having immense influence and huge wealth, being the third in importance at court after the sultan himself. Unlike the Atlantic trade, slaves taken from East Africa were mainly women and boys, the descendants of whom can be found living in India and Pakistan today.

decline because of Portuguese activity, but in 1587 marauders from the Zambezi valley, armed only with spears, massacred everyone in the town. The Omani Arabs of Paté managed to dislodge the Portuguese from their part of the coast in 1698, but Portuguese remained in Mozambique until the late 20th century.

European Intervention Kilwa’s fortunes changed in the late 15th century when the Portuguese explorer, Pedro Álvares Cabral, visited Kilwa and reported seeing beautiful houses made of coral. In 1502 the Portuguese established full control of the island, their intention being to capture the lucrative Indian Ocean spice trade. Kilwa began to

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