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Peak of Kilwa Sultanate Indian Ocean trade (1405)
Around 1405, the Kilwa Sultanate was in the golden age of the 14th–15th century Indian Ocean trade network, exporting East African gold, ivory, and s…
Timeline
- 1405Kilwa port · TanzaniaMerchant ships from Gujarat, Hormuz, and Yemen docked at Kilwa port, exporting gold, ivory, ambergris, and slaves, and importing cotton cloth, porcelain, and glass beads; port customs and warehousing became the sultanate's main source of revenue.
- 1405Sofala trading post · MozambiqueKilwa controlled the circulation of gold from the Zimbabwe Plateau through southern trading posts such as Sofala, converting inland resources into Indian Ocean trade advantages and consolidating its leadership among the Swahili city-state alliance.
Sources
- Kilwa Kisiwani: An Archaeological and Historical Narrative — Mark Horton (2004)
- The Swahili: Reconstructing the History and Language of an African Society, 800–1500 — Derek Nurse and Thomas Spear (1985)