Compare how the Swahili coast of East Africa and the Kingdom of Kongo were impacted by their role in global trade during the seventeenth century

Answer 1

The Swahili coast of East Africa and the Kingdom of Kongo were both impacted by their involvement in global trade during the seventeenth century, but in different ways.

The Swahili coast, located in present-day Kenya and Tanzania, had a long history of trade with the Middle East, India, and China before the seventeenth century. The region's strategic location on the Indian Ocean made it a hub for the exchange of goods, ideas, and cultures. However, during the seventeenth century, the Portuguese began to exert control over the Swahili coast, disrupting their trade networks and imposing their own economic and political system.

The arrival of the Portuguese in the early sixteenth century initially had a significant impact on the Swahili city-states. The Portuguese sought to control the spice trade by establishing trading posts along the coast, leading to conflicts with local rulers. Many of the prosperous Swahili trading cities, such as Kilwa and Mombasa, were attacked and destroyed by the Portuguese in their quest for dominance. This disrupted the existing trade routes and led to the decline of the Swahili city-states' economic and political power.

Additionally, the Portuguese introduced Christianity to the region in an attempt to convert the local population. This religious influence had a lasting impact on the Swahili culture and society. Over time, the Portuguese influence waned, and other European powers, like the Dutch and the British, took control of trade in the region. This further shaped the Swahili coast's role in global trade in subsequent centuries.

In contrast, the Kingdom of Kongo, located in present-day Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo, had a different experience with global trade in the seventeenth century. The Kingdom of Kongo had established trade relations with the Portuguese in the fifteenth century, primarily in the form of a profitable slave trade. However, during the seventeenth century, the demand for slaves increased significantly, leading to a devastating impact on the Kingdom of Kongo.

The Portuguese, as well as other European powers, began heavily trading for slaves in West Africa to meet the labor demands of their colonies in the Americas. The Kingdom of Kongo, as a significant supplier of slaves, saw its population significantly depleted by forced enslavement. This led to social and economic instability within the kingdom as vital labor was taken away and families were torn apart.

Furthermore, the arrival of the Portuguese also brought with it diseases, such as smallpox, which ravaged the Kongo population. This further weakened the kingdom and its ability to withstand the impacts of the transatlantic slave trade.

Overall, while both the Swahili coast and the Kingdom of Kongo were impacted by their involvement in global trade during the seventeenth century, the Swahili coast experienced disruption and the decline of its existing trade networks due to European control, whereas the Kingdom of Kongo suffered heavily from the slave trade, leading to demographic, social, and economic devastation.