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500
Colonization
Circa 500 AD first Arab traders stopped on the coast of East Africa and began to colonize this area. -
500
Slave Trade Begins
Around 500 AD when the Arabs were settling in they captured natives and began a slave trade. -
Jan 1, 1000
Cultural Diffusion
During the 11th and 12th centuries, Arab and African tradition blended together to create the Swahili civilization. -
Jan 1, 1000
Power
Swahili civilization dominated the coast of eastern Africa from the 1000s and still in modern times. -
Dec 31, 1200
Zenith and Decline
The Swahili Coast civilization reached it’s peak 1200s & 1300s but started to decline when people from Portugal began to colonize. -
Jan 1, 1300
Mombasa
In the 14th century Persian traders founded the city of Mombasa -
Jan 1, 1331
Battuta's Visit
Battuta visited East Africa in 1331 at a time when the Swahili civilization was at its peak. -
Jan 1, 1400
60 Towns and Cities
Between 1300 and 1500 the Swahili civilization had at least 60 towns and cities along the coast. -
Jan 1, 1400
Portuguese Arrive
The first Portuguese vistiors arrived to the coast of east Africa at end of the fifteenth century -
Jan 1, 1498
Vasco de Gama
Arrival of the portuguese explorer Vasco de Gama, signaled new era of foreign rule on the swahili coast -
Jan 1, 1505
Mombasa Destroyed
Mombasa was almost completely destroyed by a large fleet lead by Fransico de Almeida. -
Portuguese Overthrown
Portuguese were finally removed from power by combined forces form Oman and Pate, but they stayed in Mozambique until the late 20th century -
Swahili Writing
During the 1700s a great tradition of Swahili writing had appeared. -
Islamic Religious Movement
In the mid 1700s: an austere islamic religious movement came about around much of western africa. -
Slave Trade Intensifies
In the early 1800s the slave trade intensifies to meet labor demands. -
End of Slave Trade
The economy in the Swahili Coast suffered when Great Britain ended the slave trade at some point in the 1800s. -
Omani forces drive out Mazrui
The Mazrui clan from Mombasa that had taken power in the Swahili Coast was driven out by Omani forces. -
Hegemony gave in to European Power
In the late 1800s, after the Scramble for Africa, the hegemony of the sultan of Zanzibar gave in to European power. -
Prosperity
By 900 AD Eastern African coast became a prosperous commercial center. -
Cities Founded
Pate, Lamu, and Malindi and other cities were founded in the 9th century