AWS 3020 Eastern Africa and the Indian Ocean World

This course explores the integration of Eastern Africa in the Indian Ocean World (IOW). We shall trace the emergence of an IOW through the development of oceanic trade relations as far back as the ancient civilizations of the Ancient Middle East and Indus Valley. We shall then consider the connection of Eastern Africa to this world based on the “discovery” of the regime of monsoon winds that governed sailing in the Indian Ocean; the rise and expansion of Islam throughout the IOW; the various migrations, diasporas, and networks that connect different peoples and places; and the different responses of the peoples of the IOW to European imperialism, from the Portuguese to the British. By looking at the history of Eastern Africa as part of the IOW, we will also be questioning the notion of globalization as a modern phenomenon.
Credits: 3.0