Reversing the Sail: a brief note on African travelers in the western Indian Ocean
The Swahili in Arabia and the Persian gulf
=========================== #### Discover more from African History Extra All about African history; narrating the continent's neglected past Over 6,000 subscribers Reversing the Sail: a brief note on African travelers in the western Indian Ocean
================================================================================= ### The Swahili in Arabia and the Persian gulf ( Jan 21, 2024 24 In December of 2000, a team of researchers exploring the island of Socotra off the coast of Yemen made a startling discovery. Hidden in the limestone caves of the island was a massive corpus of inscriptions and drawings left by ancient visitors from India, Africa, and the Middle East. At least eight of the inscriptions they found were written in the Ge'ez script associated with the kingdom of Aksum in the northern horn of Africa. The remarkable discovery of the epigraphic material from Socotra is of extraordinary significance for elucidating the extent and scale of the Indo-Roman trade of late antiquity, which linked the Indian Ocean world to the Meditterean world. Unfortunately, most historiography regarding this period overlooks the role played by intermediaries such as the (
, as evidenced by Aksumite material culture spread across the region from the Jordanian city of Aqaba to the city of Karur in south-Eastern India. The Aksumite Empire and the island of Socotra _**one of the stalagmites bearing Aksumite, Brāhmī, and Arabian inscriptions.**_ The limited interest in the role of African societies in ancient exchanges reifies the misconception of the continent as one that was isolated in global processes. As one historian remarks; _**"Narratives of Africa’s relation to global processes have yet to take full account of mutuality in Africa’s global exchanges. One of the most complicated questions analysts of African pasts have faced is how African interests figure into an equation of global interfaces historiographically weighted toward the effects of outsiders’ actions."(
**_ For the northern Horn of Africa in particular, ancient societies such as the Aksumites were actively involved in the political processes of the western Indian Ocean. Aksumite armies sent several expeditions into western Arabia from the 3rd to 6th century to support local allies and later to subsume the region as part of the Aksumite state. (
. The recent discovery of royal inscriptions in Ge'ez commissioned by Abraha across central, eastern, northern, and western Arabia indicates that Aksumite control of Arabia was more extensive than previously imagined. A few centuries later, the red-sea archipelago of Dahlak off the coast of Eritrea served as the base for the (
. From 1022 to 1159, this dynasty founded by an Abyssinian administrator named Najah controlled one of the most lucrative trade routes between the Red Sea and the western Indian Ocean. The Najahid rulers established their capital at Zabid in Yemen, struck their own coinage, and received the recognition of the Abbasid Caliph. Around the same time the Abyssinians controlled western Yemen, another African community established itself along the southern coast of Yemen. These were the Swahili of the East African coast, a cosmopolitan community whose activities in the Indian Ocean world were extensive. The Swahili presence in Portuguese India in particular is well-documented, but relatively little is known about their presence in south-western Asia. Cultural exchanges between East Africa and southwestern Asia are thought to have played a significant role in the development of Swahili culture, and resident East Africans in Arabia and the Persian Gulf were likely the agents of these cultural developments. **My latest Patreon article focuses on the Swahili presence in Arabia and the Persian Gulf from 1000 CE to 1900.** **subscribe and read about it here:** ( * * * Illustration of a ship engaged in the East African trade in the Persian Gulf. 1237, Maqamat al-Hariri, The passengers are Arab, and the crew and pilot are East African and/or Indian. while the illustration doesn’t represent a specific type of ship, it is broadly similar to the sewn ships of the western Indian Ocean such as the mtepe of the Swahili.( * * * Thanks for reading African History Extra! for free to receive new posts and support my work. ( Domesticating the World: African Consumerism and the Genealogies of Globalization by Jeremy Prestholdt, pg5 ( Trade in the Ancient Sahara and Beyond edited by D. J. Mattingly pg 147.
### Reversing the Sail: A Brief Note on African Travelers in the Western Indian Ocean

#### Title: The Swahili in Arabia and the Persian Gulf

1. **Discovery of Inscriptions on Socotra Island**:
   - In December 2000, researchers found inscriptions and drawings in limestone caves on Socotra, an island off Yemen's coast.
   - These inscriptions were created by ancient visitors from India, Africa, and the Middle East.
   - Notably, eight inscriptions were written in the Ge'ez script, linked to the kingdom of Aksum located in the northern Horn of Africa.

2. **Significance of the Inscriptions**:
   - The epigraphic material discovered on Socotra is crucial for understanding the Indo-Roman trade during late antiquity.
   - This trade network connected the Indian Ocean with the Mediterranean, highlighting the importance of African intermediaries, which is often overlooked in historical narratives.

3. **Aksumite Empire's Role in Ancient Trade**:
   - The Aksumite Empire was involved in various political dynamics within the western Indian Ocean from the 3rd to 6th centuries.
   - Aksumite armies conducted expeditions into western Arabia to support local allies and eventually incorporated the region into the Aksumite state.

4. **Expansive Aksumite Control**:
   - Recent findings of royal inscriptions in Ge'ez, commissioned by Aksumite ruler Abraha, suggest that Aksumite influence in Arabia was broader than previously believed.
   - During the period between 1022 and 1159, the Najahid dynasty, established by an Aksumite administrator Najah, controlled important trade routes between the Red Sea and the western Indian Ocean.

5. **Swahili Presence in Southwestern Asia**:
   - During the same era, the Swahili people, a cosmopolitan community from the East African coast, became prominent in trade across the Indian Ocean.
   - Their interactions in Portuguese India are well-documented, although their activities in southwestern Asia require further study.

6. **Cultural Exchanges and Implications**:
   - Cultural exchanges between East Africa and southwestern Asia were significant contributors to the development of Swahili culture.
   - East Africans residing in Arabia and the Persian Gulf likely played a key role in fostering these cultural developments.

7. **Illustrative Representation of Trade**:
   - An illustration from the 1237 work "Maqamat al-Hariri" depicts a ship involved in East African trade within the Persian Gulf, showcasing a diverse crew that included East Africans and/or Indians.
   - The vessel shared similarities with the sewn ships used by the Swahili, indicating the interconnectedness of maritime trade routes.

8. **Prominent Work on Swahili Presence**:
   - A recent article focuses on the Swahili presence in Arabia and the Persian Gulf from 1000 CE to 1900, highlighting their historical significance in the region.

9. **Conclusion**:
   - The limited focus on African societies in historical narratives creates a misunderstanding of Africa's role in global exchanges.
   - Greater recognition of the interactions, influences, and contributions of African travelers, particularly from the Swahili and Aksumite communities, offers a more nuanced understanding of the historical dynamics in the Indian Ocean world.