Swahili city-states

Swahili city-states was a state in Swahili Coast and East Africa (Central and Southern Africa) that lasted from c. 800 to 1700 CE, about 900 years. Its people spoke Bantu languages (Kongo, Shona, Zulu, Swahili, Luba, Ganda).

Muslim trading towns such as Mombasa, Malindi, Lamu, Pate and Kilwa lined some 3,000 km of coast, building in coral stone and exporting gold, ivory and slaves across the Indian Ocean. Their language, Swahili, is Bantu with many Arabic loans.

See Swahili city-states on the interactive timeline

Facts

Dates

c. 800 to 1700 CE

Duration

900 years

Type

State

Region

Swahili Coast and East Africa, Central and Southern Africa

Language family

Bantu

Events in Central and Southern Africa during its time

• 1331 Ibn Battuta visits Kilwa
• 1350 Great Enclosure built at Great Zimbabwe
• 1483 Diogo Cão reaches the Congo River
• 1491 Kongo's king is baptised
• 1498 Vasco da Gama on the Swahili coast
• 1505 Portuguese sack Kilwa and Mombasa
• 1652 Founding of Cape Town
• 1665 Battle of Mbwila

Neighbours in Central and Southern Africa

• Kingdom of Kongo c. 1390 to 1914 CE
• Kingdom of Zimbabwe c. 1220 to 1450 CE
• Kingdom of Buganda c. 1300 to 1966 CE
• Kilwa Sultanate c. 957 to 1513 CE
• Bunyoro-Kitara c. 1400 to 1899 CE
• Portuguese Mozambique 1505 to 1975 CE
• Portuguese Angola 1575 to 1975 CE
• Mutapa Empire c. 1430 to 1760 CE
• Luba Empire c. 1585 to 1889 CE
• Kingdom of Imerina c. 1540 to 1817 CE

Elsewhere in the world at the same time

• Republic of Venice c. 697 to 1797 CE, Europe
• Byzantine Empire 395 to 1453 CE, Europe
• Byzantine Empire 395 to 1453 CE, Middle East
• Ghana Empire (Wagadu) c. 300 to 1200 CE, North and West Africa
• Holy Roman Empire 962 to 1806 CE, Europe
• Kingdom of Aksum c. 100 to 940 CE, North and West Africa
• Srivijaya c. 650 to 1377 CE, Southeast Asia
• Ethiopian Empire (Solomonic dynasty) 1270 to 1974 CE, North and West Africa
• Moche (Mochica) c. 100 to 800 CE, South America
• Khmer Empire 802 to 1431 CE, Southeast Asia

Questions