8.7 Trading States of East Africa

After 100 B.C., the kingdom of Axum expanded across the northern Ethiopian highlands. By about A.D. 1, Axum had gained control of the Red Sea coast in present-day Eritrea. By controlling the Red Sea trade with Rome and Persia, Axum grew rich.

A portrait of King Lalibela, ruler of Ethiopia in the early 1200s

Objectives

• Explain how religion influenced the development of Axum and Ethiopia.
• Understand how trade affected the city-states in East Africa.
• Describe the economy of Great Zimbabwe.

Key Terms

• Axum
• Adulis
• Ethiopia
• Lalibela
• Swahili
• Great Zimbabwe

Axum

An Ideal Location for Trade

Located to the southeast of Nubia, Axum extended from the mountains of present-day Ethiopia to the sun-bleached shores of the Red Sea in present-day Eritrea. The peoples of Axum were descended from African farmers and people from the Middle East who brought Jewish traditions through Arabia. This merging of cultures gave rise to a unique written and spoken language, Geez.

The kingdom of Axum profited from the strategic location of its two main cities, the port of Adulis on the Red Sea, and the upland capital city of Axum. By A.D. 400, the kingdom commanded a triangular trade network that connected Africa, India, and the Mediterranean world.

A great variety of goods and enslaved people funneled in and out of the markets of these two cities. From the interior of Africa, traders brought ivory, animal hides, and gold to the markets of Axum. Goods from farther south and across the Indian Ocean came to the Red Sea harbor of Adulis. There, the traders and markets offered iron, spices, precious stones, and cotton cloth from India and other lands beyond the Indian Ocean. Ships carried these commodities up the Red Sea, where they collected goods from Europe and countries along the Mediterranean.

Table of Contents