The ruins of Kilwa still present today in Tanzania attest to the fact that this ancient African city was an architectural gem. The Sultanate of Kilwa is known for its prosperity of yesteryear acquired through the trade of several commodities including gold.
Birth of the Sultanate
In view of the splendor of the buildings on the island, several European researchers have agreed that this sumptuous city was not the work of Africans, but that it came from “foreign builders”. It was not until 1965 that the archaeologist Neville Chittick delivered the results of an archaeological dig started in 1958. According to him, some of the first elites of Kilwa came from the Muslim countries on the other side of the Indian Ocean. But not all. Other elites were indeed Afro-Arabs established in Africa for several generations. A certain tradition affirms that the first resident peoples of Kilwa were the Mkataka, then the Mranga then the Machinga, who all had Swahili as their common language, a very widespread language in East Africa.
As early as the 4th century AD, Arab traders opened vibrant trade routes and founded very prosperous port cities. By its strategic position, Kilwa becomes an attractive commercial port. In the 11th century, the island was sold to a merchant of Persian origin, Ali Ibn Al-Hassan Shirazi. The latter decides to transform this small island into a Sultanate, led by him and his family.
Heyday of the sultanate
The strategic commercial position of the now sultanate gave him grandiose ideas. The island engages in a rivalry with the then most important trading hub based in Mogadishu in Somalia. The objects marketed by the Sultanate are ivory and turtle shells at first. This business having turned out to be very lucrative, the city embarked on the trading of a precious sesame known as gold. Drawn from the depths of southern Africa, the gold was transported to the port of Sofala located in what is now Mozambique. This new wealth generated by gold, pushes the Shirazi dynasty to extend its influence to the port of Sofala.
In 1277, the Shirazi dynasty ceded the power of Kilwa to another Afro-Arab dynasty. That of the Mahdalis. Thanks to these, the Sultanate of Kilwa was able to direct all the trade of East Africa. The latter are not content only with East Africa. The dhows (boats) carrying gold, cereals, wood and ivory on board, left the ports of Kilwa and Sofala and sailed towards India, China, Arabia and Persia to tie business relationships. This attracted the attention of Europeans who were also seeking gold; which increased the city’s gold production.
On the other hand, the sultanate imported cotton, ceramics, Chinese porcelain and silk. In view of this prosperity, the city undertook to mint its own currency. Around the island, the Mahdali erected buildings made from coral specific of the seabed of the island, and decorated these with imported ceramics. The Great Mosque, whose construction began in the 11th century, was enlarged and embellished from the 12th to the 15th century. The sprawling palace of Husuni Kubwa, dating from the 14th century, combined the roles of fort, castle and warehouse.
All these innovations made the Sultanate of Kilwa one of the most beautiful, important and coveted of its time. The 14th century Muslim explorer Ibn Battuta visited Kilwa, he described it as “one of the most beautiful cities in the world”.
Decline of the sultanate
This prosperity was not viewed favorably by everyone. Thus, in the 16th century, Portugal undertook the colonization of regions rich in Swahili settlement. In 1505, Francisco de Almeida succeeded in seizing Kilwa. By this annexation, Portugal would have control of all the juicy trade routes of the Indian Ocean. They built in Kilwa the fort of Gereza. A military fort that was intended for their protection. In 1784, the Portuguese colonies were invaded by the Sultanate of Oman, which quickly occupied the East African coast. It was not enough to restore Kilwa to its former glory though. The city was abandoned in the middle of the 19th century, precisely in 1840. This marked the final end of this beautiful and prosperous sultanate which might have made the heyday of Africa.
