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The Sack of Kilwa (Portuguese: Saque de Quiloa) was a military campaign carried out by the Portuguese on 24 July 1505, led by Dom Francisco de Almeida, against the city-state of the Kilwa Sultanate. The operation resulted in a decisive Portuguese victory and the sacking of Kilwa, a prominent trading hub along the Swahili Coast .
To the north, Kilwa's power was checked by the independent Somali city-state of Mogadishu (the once-dominant city, Kilwa's main rival) and the Adal Sultanate (the muslim Sultanate located in the Horn of Africa.). To the south, Kilwa's reach extended as far as Cape Correntes, below which merchant ships did not usually dare sail. [7]
The Swahili city-states were independent, self-governing urban centres that were located on the Swahili coast of East Africa between the 8th and 16th centuries. These were primarily coastal hubs, including Kilwa, Mombasa and Zanzibar, which prospered due to their advantageous locations along Indian Ocean trade networks, enabling interactions between Africa, the Middle East and Asia.
Kilwa had about 4000 inhabitants but its economic fortunes were on the decline. [1] Like most polities on the east African coast, Kilwa was an Islamic sultanate and the Portuguese were poorly received by the local elites. In 1502, the Portuguese reduced Kilwa to the status of tributary vassal.
The fort quickly became a vital possession for anyone with the intention of controlling Mombasa Island or the surrounding areas of trade. When the British colonized Kenya, they used it as a prison, until 1958, when they converted it into a historical monument. James Kirkman was then assigned to excavate the monument, which he did (with a large ...
In the following centuries, trade in goods from the African interior, such as gold, ivory, and slaves stimulated the development of market towns such as Mogadishu, Shanga, Kilwa, and Mombasa. These communities formed the earliest city-states in the region [ 39 ] which were collectively known to the Roman Empire as " Azania ".
He was tasked, among other things, with establishing a number of forts on the east African coast, namely at Sofala and Kilwa, and free Portuguese trade from opposition. [3] Malindi was an ally of Portugal since Vasco da Gama visited the city, and was a rival of Mombasa, which was hostile towards the Portuguese.
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