What connection was there between Great Zimbabwe and Kilwa?
1 Answer
Trade, the empires of the Great Zimbabwe and Kilwa benefited from trade between the two empires.
Explanation:
The Empire of Kilwa Kisiwani was a Muslim Empire started by Ali ibn al Hassan a half black half Arab Muslim from the area of Persia. Established on an island off the coast of Tanzania. Using the Swahili trade language a mixture of Bantu and Arabic the Empire of Kilwa came to dominate the East Coast of Africa, sometimes called the Swahili Coast.
The Empire of the Great Zimbabwe dominated the interior of Eastern Africa. Its capital is located in the nation of Zimbabwe which is named after this African Empire. The Empire of the Zimbabwe mined and trades gold. This gold, ivory and slaves from conquered tribes were traded with the empire of Kilwa.
In the massive granite walls of the Great Zimbabwe ( I was immensely impressed by the size of the walls and city) were found trades goods from China, India and Persia. These goods came from the vast trading empire of Kilwa. The traded goods from Kilwa aided the Zimbabwe Empire to dominate the interior of East Africa.
When Vasco de Gama forced the sultanate of Kilwa to pay tribute the Portuguese collected massive amounts of gold that came from the Empire of the Great Zimbabwe. The wealth that Kilwa gained from the trade in gold and slaves allowed this maritime empire to dominate the East African coastal regions.
The two Empires were connected by trade. The trade benefited both Empires allowing them to dominate their respective areas.
