The Kingdom of Kush, an ancient kingdom located in the Sudanese and southern Egyptian Nile Valley, had a trade monopoly in the African interior, trading mined minerals and high-quality stones. The kings of Dahomey initially sought to operate the slave trade as a royal monopoly, relying exclusively on slave-raiding rather than purchasing slaves from other countries.
A well-established gold and ivory trade network existed between African kingdoms in the interior and cities on the east coast of Africa. For centuries, Arabs had traded with states and kingdoms along the Senegal River, which was the first area involved in trans-Saharan trade and the catalyst for European expansion into the region.
The kingdom of Dahomey is often presented as the classic instance of the operation of a royal monopoly of the Atlantic trade in West Africa. However, a detailed study by P.T. Bauer, published in 1954 and reissued with a new introduction in 1963, establishes that the Company of Royal Adventurers became the Royal Company of Royal Adventurers.
Over time, the Portuguese developed additional slave trade partnerships with African leaders along the West and Central African coast and claimed a monopoly. In the sixteenth century, the Portuguese drove the Arabs away from the east coast of Africa and established their own trade monopoly in the region.
The advent of steamship service to the African coast from 1852 ended the monopoly over trade of expatriate companies who owned their own sailing ships. The Kingdom of Kush and the Company of Royal Adventurers played significant roles in the history of trade and trade in Africa.
📹 Africa-Free-Trade Zone | Inside Story
A new year, and a new start for Africa. The world’s largest single market has opened, enabling all but one of the 54 nations to …
📹 Roman Trade with Africa DOCUMENTARY
The Great Courses Plus is currently available to watch through a web browser to almost anyone in the world and optimized for the …
It was predictable that Al Jazeera would take a negative bend to this. You can’t wait for perfection to move forward. You have to begin with a vision and slowly realise it by solving the challenges. Listening to this program one would think that this is a futile exercise. Pundits and critics are more often than not, wet blankets to anything positive.
We keep saying we need credible leaders. Each one if us are the leaders. Each one has to undertake the hard tasks of building The Africa We Want. Whether by deep study. Hard work. Teaching the little ones. Being honest with each other. Men working hard and leaving the drink alone and supporting the ladies. Hard work by all not just the leadership will bring about a prosperous Africa.
I’ve been lucky to travel to some of Africa and it has so much potential, not just in the wealth of its resources but also in the huge talent of its young people. This continent is beautiful and it should be the centre of tourism so more people can experience its hospitable, warm cultures, gorgeous landscapes and wildlife, and exciting cities, from Cape Town to Marrakech and Lagos to Dar es Salaam! Such a misunderstood place. Much love from Pakistan 🇵🇰 – I hope there’s more cooperation between African countries and Pakistan in the future.
Europeans will always try to find anything negative in African progress especially when it does not benefit them !!!! infrastructure or not, we are moving forward with the trade agreement, One has start somewhere and you will make mistakes along the way and change how you look at things. Developed countries also started somewhere and look where they are now. Let us African unite and try to progress without these pink human beings.
we have being trading among ourselfs since the West come to the land, why should all this so called luck of development stop trades relationships in Africa. This very stupid, why can we find we each need and start from there from small scale and grow throw there than this western or world banks tell us we can not .
Ofcourse the foreign diaspora wouldn’t be happy for this move, but watch us move! God will strengthens and guide us. It’s time for this manipulation and oppression to come to an end. In the eyes of those greedy western world, believe me we ain’t nothing but a liability. African leaders don’t let us down! Don’t let us down! For once just show what u are capable of. And that’s working on ur interest, the interest of this and the generations to come. We tried of being oppressed! I can’t stand dirty Babylon and their sick teachings. It’s gonna be challenging for sure, but yeah let’s take the step and give Africa and it’s people what it deserve. Corrupt African leaders, don’t let us down! It’s time to show some dignity and move in the right direction. Am calling on u African leaders, don’t let us down. We should all be pulling in the same direction towards achieving the same goal. God will guide us.
Sorry Aljazeer your negative propaganda won’t work here. You’re reporting is part of the problem. Lets be truthful on why the Congo is having so many problems, and who is causing the problem. This is why it is so important that African people around the globe get involved in this initiative. The Brotha’s on the panel need to be more direct, and not be concerned about saying the wrong thing. The host of this discussion needs to be checked.
They should build railway way that will carry goods all over the continent and the railways benefit alone is going to be huge. Imagine from Tanzania to Libya. Libya to niger chad Sudan Nigeria Ghana Zambia Gambia Rwanda Kenya Cameroon Senegal and other African countries that especially south Africa. Africa should use cargo trains for business
Great start that will lead to formal unity of Africa. The west should back off with their envy. Africa is on the move no turning back and we will now sit at around table with the west as partners not as needy Africa to discuss business with them on our tune. Great job my two African brothers on the panel
I support African development. The basis of establishing the economic development has to surely be spiritual unity amongst black African brothers and sisters,mainly rejecting the influence of foreigners and their unfairly targeting the best of African resources. Yes trading with outsiders is necessary but not at any cost. Africa for purely African people.
Model processing of raw materials as finished goods. African countries world export raw materials and will need to be more focused in industry and manufacturing for end consumption products to actualize continental intra-reliance. Investing in physical connectivity, including rail, road, enhanced port efficiency and telecommunications infrastructure to standardize information availability and oversight will momentumise growth in Africa open trade. Likewise, non-tarriff barriers (NTB) as disparate cross-border trade regulations, unharmonised Customs procedures and differing border opening hours need to be coordinated. Much success to “the motherland” prosperity vision!
We (African Americans in the Diaspora) here in the U.S. and Black People around the world 🌎 will and is going to help make our agreement a success on the African Continent. In Fact, our next achievement will be Nationalizing one African Language to be spoken by all of us (Hopefully Swahili) and One 1 Currency will be our next goal to be achieved by the AU soon. We just got our ball rolling. We will unite and we are going to be successful… Central Africa 🇨🇫 and the Congo 🇨🇩 President has no other choice but to spend Billions building quality roads across Central Africa and all of Africa….. This is our time ⏲️ this century…..and its going to take some time to get it done. This is Africa’s Century…. Allah-u-Akbar!!!! Facts..
Truth be told, Africans built the so called infrastructures that europe and america is enjoying today. But that is by the way, saying that africa is in debt to america is a fool hardy way of the oppressor. On the contrary, europe and america owe africa so much that this is an opportunity for their “support”, if i have to undermine the word “retribution”. In a nutshell, We have done it for you, and we can do it for ourselves, only if you stair clear. Kudos africa! One love!
Yisra’el we are congregating to form the new power house. Judah it’s time to return to the promised land. On the Passover in 2021 the portal will be opened and a flow of enormous energy will draw millions to the promised land. The scripture will be fulfilled. Our Black Messiah Yeshua Hamashiach is returning soon to rule over the heavens and the earth for 1000 years. Get ready Yisra’el. Unite the tribes now. Shalom.
Bob Marley said it all, Africa unite. Imagine if African leaders tried to establish this 20yrs ago? Imagine where Africa will be now? Yes lack of infrastructure but the thoughts of Africans uniting is causing the westerners fear Africans should stay strong and united, that’s the only way forward. Disregard any form of negativity. The westerners started from somewhere too
“Economists says wealthier African Countries will benefit more from this deal than other not so wealthy countries” Better this than African wealth leaving the African continent,. Today I’m a proud citizen of this rich African continent that’s only realizing how powerful it is, now. The Lion has awoken….
Finally a first step towards continental integration. hopefully this will lead to a complete integration. Of course there will be some issues, same issues one would assume the EU had faced at the beginning or the MERCOSUR. This is a project sure to pay off on the long term for future generations. Also, there are already best practices available from other unions that we can learn from.
France is the problem Africa continues to have especially in relation to one currency. FRANCE HAVE BEEN SUBVERSIVE IN D EFFORTS TOWARDS Aftikan unitary CURRENCY BACKED BY GOLD. WHICH IS Y THEY CHAMPIONED D PROPAGANDA AGAINST GADDAFI’S EFFORTS TO ESTABLISH ONE AFRIKAN CURRENCY. DOES ANYONE KNOW HOW AFRIKA GET FRANCE OUT OF AFRIKAN AFFAIRS?
Now I do respect all panelists including the European man from London, they all remained on topic; They all stayed true to the subject of this conversation and brought forth valuable knowledge. But I have to say that it seems stereotypical of that host as a white individual to initially bring forth such strong pessimistic and dismissive attitudes on this clear incremental victory of Africa towards economic emancipation. The host very quickly began to ask questions derailing off topic of what was being discussed forcing the panelists to continuously bringing back the conversation back on rails. Despite his efforts, the end result showcased the fundamental genius behind the building blocks of the Africa-Free-Trade Zone. I do not know why Al Jazeera chose a European host to host panelists discussing African affairs. This decision, whether unconsciously or consciously made, could be rooted in a false and racist ideology that does not acknowledge the humanity and reasoning capacity of Africans as people capable of discussing and debating their own affairs without outside supervision. Nevertheless, as mentioned above, the end result of this conversation only showcased the fundamental genius behind the building blocks of the Africa-Free-Trade Zone. 😊
why are they focusing on the negative sides? we have been waiting for this all our lives, you think most of us study abroad for nothing!! WE ARE COMING BACK HOME TO BUILD!! i did not put up with racism in Europe for nothing, we are not collecting degrees and connections for nothing! All they can say is the negative things to discourage us but we cannot go any lower then we already are, the only way is up and this is happening at the perfect time. Long live mother Africa, for her people shall prosper
AFCTA must start now regardles of the infrastructure deficit. The infrastructure Africa has today should allow them to implement and start the continental free trade. In order to close Africa’s infrastructure deficit, it will take from 1-10 years. Africa cannot wait for another 1-10 years before implementing AFCTA coz we have lost valuable time and resources due to colonialsim, foreign-incited civil and regional wars. The infrastructure deficit will be closed as AFCTA moves along. And Africa will know exactly which type of infrastructure is critically needed. In life, you learn and develop while growing up/moving along. The earlier Africa starts, the better the chance than waiting for the infrastructure deficit to first be closed. But fast and foremost, corruption and the stupid civil wars (in D.R.C, C.A.R, S.Sudan, Libya, Somalia, etc, etc) must be stopped. Africa must stop exporting raw materials, and must instead process and manufacture products from its own raw materials. By African countries being very soft, it has allowed the developed industrialised and industrialising countries to exploit them. West African Francophone states that produce cocoa cannot process and produce chocolate because of French grip on Cocoa under the colonial secret agreement. Cocoa alone is a 10 US dollar business for the French government. That is why France played a key role in the overthrow and imprisonment of Gbagbo former president of Ivory Coast because he signed a multi-billion dollar contract with China to buuld cocoa processing plants and chocolate factories.
This is great news. Obviously some African countries have inadequate infrastructure and security… But that is almost irrelevant if the union and its governance allows for states to create infrastructure in neighbouring states for the purpose of expanding business, while boosting jobs in the receiving state. However… For this to work, properly… African countries in this new economic union should invest in their neighbours and outside investment from foreign companies and nation states should be intentionally limited. Growth might initially be lower and slower than it would be with outside investment… But in a few decades, there will not be foreign debts to pay and these debts cannot be leveraged against Africa for trade of African goods, materials, minerals and other exports.
We Are All One Family HOW do you feel about people of a skin color or ethnic group different from your own? Do you view them as equals? Sadly, many view certain races as inferior. “Racism,” according to one reference, is “a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race.” This belief has resulted in much harm. Feelings of racial superiority have “provided justification for colonial treatment and slavery of other groups of people,” wrote Professor Wen-Shing Tseng in his Handbook of Cultural Psychiatry. He added that race has been used “to justify social, economic, and political inequalities.” Even today, racism exists in many parts of the world. But is this hurtful belief based on truth? What do science and the Bible say? What Does Science Say? Discoveries in genetics have confirmed the fallacy of racism. Researchers studying people from different continents have found that the differences in DNA between any two randomly chosen individuals from virtually anywhere in the world amounted to about 0.5 percent. * And 86 to 90 percent of those differences occurred within any one racial group. Therefore, just 14 percent or less of the 0.5 percent variation occurred between racial groups. Because “humans are genetically homogeneous,” says the journal Nature, “genetics can and should be an important tool in helping to both illuminate and defuse the race issue.”
Berlin Conference may not end. It was too detrimental for Africa that is beyond repair. However, we shall learn from the mistakes and positive aspects of EU trade treaties technology, and wisely take control of our borders and business. Also not forgetting, we have IMF and WB to supervise us. Notwithstanding, Africa has energy sector, how may we drive industrial growth? At least but not last, Africa needs genuine good-will, committed cooperation and, highly and mid-skilled workers.
Africa can build their finacial system on top of blockchain technologies already made. Cardano can be a cheap quick way for them all to involve the whole continent without the troubles of complicated bank accounts and identification issues. The security on blockchain creates a system where trust is automatic and not needed by individuals for the safety of daily transactions. OMG if only the government knew that there is a fix for this stuff already existing there would be a sudden boom of success popping up all over africa because the world will also have easy access to paying into african markets. This is wild to watch from the side lines. I hope they know this can be a reality and implimented within 1-2 months easy!
It is a huge potential. But it has to be easy to move goods from one african country to another. So infrastructure has to be number one. Then invest in education so that the people can participate in growing economy. But free trade presume investment. One of Africas challenge is to probide long term stable investment friendly environment.
Please elect engineers such as Dr Magufuli to plan and implement manufacturing in Africa. The usual orators should be assisting production, where you convert low-value raw materials into high-value products as China did to elevate 800 million out of poverty. (Over 60,000 American factories were closed to Make China Great Again, resulting in millions of jobless and homeless people). Africa does not have to compete with cheap imports UNLESS you sign up to open your doors to everyone.
This deal is a tool much like fire or the computer. The deal can be use to get the tools and materials needed to start, and improve business and infrastructure. These small economies have to find what they are uniquely positioned to do. On a continent with 1.2 billion people theirs alot of need to be addressed. If your African and have a product you know Africans want and or need get it out their now is the time. Get ahead of your competition.
The economy is most countries in Africa is largely driven by the informal retail sector, ie sale of imported goods, industry makes up a small percentage of the economy. Agriculture which feeds the populations is still rudimentary. How did they arrive at the $1.2T GDP figure? Furthermore, the success of AfCFTA is dependent on African leaders’ ability to negotiate properly on deals and not shortchange each other, this agreement should have people at heart otherwise we’d be barking at the old tree.
Although I am mildly disappointed that Liberia has not yet ratified the agreement, I am glad that as of the beginning of 2021 it’s in effect for the 33 that have. The momentum should pick up thereafter. Prayerfully, this compact should achieve two things in succession. It should congeal the historically tenuous political and economic stability that has been the de facto status in intra African affairs. And secondarily it should attract quality FDI. Let’s see what exciting developments the agreement and the year bring
Ladies and gentlemen ! I wish you a happy new year! The new year has arrived! A new ERA is coming! all troubles are behind! May the good mood never leave you !! Good luck to you, good luck to us !, good luck to everyone! … I love you all … With a bow, Gennady. Expensive! I am from Russia, Siberian … I position myself: INVENTOR! .. My know-how!, (Rotary-conveyor type of power take-off) will allow you to get energy from the river flow without any special hydraulic structures. No coal, gas or oil … all year round – ecological. Show in full ….
They will always find a way to break down the melanated man and woman’s struggle if they would focus more on themselves and training themselves and teaching themselves maybe we could all get along maybe they should find their own land stop colonizing everyone else’s, now African wants to speak up and they will and they are, fall back your turn is over, let the Original people show you how it must be done.
Somali sailors and merchants participated in the Indian Ocean-Red Sea-Mediterranean trade for millenniums. Trading spices like cinnamon and dried resins like frankincense, myrrh, and other things mentioned in the article. Ships came specifically to Ancient Somalia to buy these things. Our trade partners in the Mediterranean kept changing from Egyptian to Greek to Roman but we stayed the same. We also traded with China.
There were Mycenaean Greek pottery discovered in the 70s in the port city of Opone (modern day Hafun) in the eastern coast of the Horn of Africa. Therefore, it should come as no suprise that the trade between the Western Civilisations and East African city states took place in a much more recent time like that of the Roman Empire. Ghee, spices myrrh and frankincense from that region were of high regard in the ancient world, it is sad that today when we hear the mention of Somalia and Ethiopia all we think about is civil war and famine.
Brilliant to see this facet of the Ancient Economy visualised! And the Roman-East African trade must have been large-scale and vibrant… – The Roman Empire and the Indian Ocean, page 113: “There were probably more than a hundred ships involved in this commerce since Strabo mentions large fleets bound for Somalia and India in the same sentence. He confirms that, ‘at this present time large fleets are sent as far as India and the extremities of Africa, from which the most valuable cargoes are brought to Egypt’ (Strabo, Geography, 17.1.13).
Kings and Generals. I just want to say that I have been perusal your website and subsidiary websites such as Officially Devin for years now. I have never been more entertained by anything on YouTube then when I watch your episodes.. You have done something unique for YouTube that can be only considered master storytelling. Whether or not you want to acknowledge your accomplishments in teaching others about history is not my business, but it should not be understated. I think that the world is better off with you in it and I hope you don’t go away anytime soon. Thank you for everything.
A really commendable work on History. ‘ Kings and Generals ‘ widens our horizon on historical subjects and excites in us a curiosity and love for knowing the distant past . This is undoubtedly a work of diligent research . The maps are wonderful . Above all, the voice is so clear. Wish this website my best wishes for giving us enlightening articles on lesser known subjects such as this in future .
Out of the 15 oldest cities in Africa 4 are Somali cities, Egypt comes second with 3 cities, In the past Somalis lived in city states just like the Greeks, they only shared a common language and culture, some cities had kings and others had chiefs and councils, the ancient cities of Sarapion and Malao are now called Mogadishu and Berbera respectively
This artwork is impressive. Most impressive, and likewise the detail you delved into. Something I wish to address is the definition of Barbaroi, which actually does not refer to uncivilised people. It is a misconception rather. Barbaroi really only refers to those who could not speak neither Latin nor Roman. The direct translation, albeit difficult can be babbling, A more correct term I believe would be the Greek”Etnoj” which refers to either broad categories of peoples not organised into city-states and it was also used to translate the Hebrew word for “non-Jew” or “non-Hebrew”. Better yet, a better term to use for tribes is “tribus” or “gens” and to refer to the so-called germanic tribes, these can be used as well as “natio” or, to a less accurate extent “proles”. all these are better than “Etnoj”, which in turn more suitable than “barbaroi”
Love it, a few years ago i used quite a few hours studying the ancient greco-roman expededitions. As in the potlemaic expeditions that supposedly went as far north as jule (mabye iceland, norway, faraoe, etc..) the roman expeditions to supposedly the “start” of the nile which a writer have uncannily correct details of. “Waters flows through a crack in a great rock” ish.. I also found herodotoses mentions the phyceneas sailing west past the pillars of hercules to a land of beaches and great wild forests whos people traded mainly in gold. Which is very very interesting considering the myths of south america
The Aksumite Empire at its height extended across most of present-day Eritrea, northern Ethiopia, western Yemen, southern Saudi Arabia, and Sudan. The capital city of the empire was Aksum, now in northern Ethiopia. Today a smaller community, the city of Aksum was once a bustling metropolis and cultural and economic center. By the reign of Endubis in the late 3rd century, the empire had begun minting its own currency. It converted to Christianity in 325 or 328 under King Ezana, and was the first state ever to use the image of the cross on its coins. The kingdom used the name “Ethiopia” as early as the 4th century. By 350, Aksum conquered the Kingdom of Kush. Around 520, King Kaleb sent an expedition to Yemen against the Jewish Himyarite King Dhu Nuwas, who was persecuting the Christian/Aksumite community in his kingdom. After several years of military and political struggles, Yemen fell under the rule of Aksumite general Abreha, who continued to promote the Christian faith until his death, not long after which Yemen was conquered by the Persians. According to Munro-Hay these wars may have been Aksum’s swan-song as a great power, with an overall weakening of Aksumite authority and over-expenditure in money and manpower. It is also possible that Ethiopia was affected by the Plague of Justinian around this time, a disease thought to be the first recorded instance of bubonic plague.
Barbaroi or Barbara was the name of Somalia in antiquity. Its name is preserved in Berbera, a city in northern Somalia. It does not mean Barbarian. And those towns were cities. The sources even distinguish between the “Far-side” ports and villages in between each port. They were ruled by chiefs doesn’t mean they’re not civilized. Nowhere in the source does it say that. They made mention of their independence.
I can somehow feel that being a roman merchant in those times are full of adventures going into the unknown. Also, the dangers that goes along with it. Perhaps having a 3 or 4 ex-praetorian would be good as bodyguards. Thank you for the article Kings & Generals! It was full of educational information and fun to watch too.
If you’re going to give exact price figures – which indeed, yes, increases the value of the article – it would be extremely helpful if you could provide what a single unit of currency would buy. Could you get a loaf of bread for a denarius? How about enough flour for ten loaves? What was the rate for low-quality lodging for laborer’s families per month/week in denarii? The closest you get to this is ’16 denarii was more than twice a laborers wages for two weeks’…but that doesn’t tell me how much they earned in a week and what each of those coins could buy. I understand that this information may be hard to come by, but you must have SOME idea during your researches, and asking a primary expert before publishing a article could also be done.
I am a current history student, (already have a bachelors btw working on a masters) and i must say i learn a lot of new things on every article you post. the amount of research that must be done for you to create these articles… respect respect respect x1000 for you my friend. thank you for this website.
It’s crazy to think that the ancient worlds trading connections stretched down Africa’s coast as far south as Tanzania & Madagascar. This opens tons of doors in terms the possibilities. Since history is already a murky often not black & white subject there stands possibilities that other ancient civilizations on differs were connected through the various oceans of the time. Fascinating.
Nice article about the Roman trade with the kingdom of Axum and East African cities. The most valuable East African export to Rome was myrh that 16 denari per pound and cassia that cost 50 dinar per pound. The West African Akan chiefs stool seats and togas remind me of the Roman magistrate curule seats and togas The Romans also explored the interior of Africa. In 19 BC Roman Cornelius Balbinus crossed the Sahara and explored the Niger river. in 41 CE Roman consul Paulinus traveled from Morocco to the Senegal river. In 50 CE Roman Flaccus crossed the Sahara and reached Lake Chad in Nigeria. Roman merchants also traveled to Zanzibar in Tanzania coast.
@Kings and Generals by the way you got one thing WRONG, you said there were no Somali cities in Somalia in this time period and that these places they traded in were “trade-post” or “villages”, that was not the case a as there have been archeological evidence of great thriving cities where these market towns use to be. Mosylon, Malao, Avalites, Mundus, Opone etc etc, these were Somali city-states.
@03:50 Excuse me but you are wrong in saying that adulis was founded by ptolemaic king. I know that you didn’t had any bad intentions when saying so, but it is indicative of you subconscious thoughts of “Africans can’t build such an amazing civilised nation, it was probably a white king/guy that build it for them.” Again I can’t pass without mentioning that I mean no disrespect, but as a person from the area that you mentioned, I feel deeply disrespected. Pls next time use archeological proof when saying such an outrageous comment. Have a nice day.
This Christian has corrupted our stories. He gave unknown names to our cities, and he calls us uncivilized. And they could not take over us in any way. But the Nubian civilization was easily captured. He claims like many in the Christians that they know us more than we know ourselves!!! And they want us to agree to it!! Long life Somalis.
This is amazing stuff. Please can we get more content on Africa? Super fascinating and not enough out there. Like: Battle of Isandlwana – Zulu victory over the British Battle of Adwa – Ethiopian victory over Italy Anglo-Xhosa Wars History of Mali and Mansa Musa You’ll know better than me. Just some suggestions. Thanks.
And I always thought the Indian Ocean trade network wasn’t broken into by Europeans until the Portuguese in the 15th century. I never knew Romans sailed so far from Egypt! But now it makes much more sense to me how St. Thomas established a small Christian enclave in India around 50AD. He just hopped a ship and transferred a few times.
as a student and angst ridden teen back in the days my dream had always been to discover ‘Raphta’ on the coast of Tanzania like a “Tanzaniana Juma” (my swahilized version of Indiana Jones) but alas life intervened. Seeing it shrouded in darkness around @16:48 almost got me tearing up… Great article as always
Love the addition of these trade articles!! Well done. Love how you do your battle articles. (Love the cracking troops and sound effects). Great material!!!!!! All very well done and thorough. Also- really like the articles about what life was like such as these trade articles and what people thought snd liked
I would like to point out that the natives were also often trading goods that were low value to them. This article kinda makes it seem like the Romans often made a bargain but especially stuff like incense and spices aren’t very valuable in the regions where they grow because well they grow there, it is often the distance that makes them valuable and the fact that limited ammounts are exported. But basically before the rise of globalism transporting stuff was actually really expensive and often risky and that’s how common goods like turtle shells or spices can become so expensive and vice versa with cloths and iron.
“eastern techniques unknown to Roman metalworkers.” What if the Romans learned them? Would there be something like the Sung “industrial revolution?” Edit: Another intriguing point: Why did the “Roman East Africa Company” not lead to a Roman colonial empire, especially as India was accessible? Or at least Axum would have come under some sort of Roman domination, as the British later did in India.
Now this is how you build interest in cultures .. I have interest in Roman history like many.. Through articles like these I get to learn about Africans as well… Maybe all the ” BLack activists” in USA would look at this article and understand how to make African culture known instead of the We Wuz kangz and Romans and Greeks were black bullshit.
Despite being nothing much more then lists of places and goods traded between 2 Empires…. This article was obscenely interesting ! I would love for more articles on Greek trade, Indian Trade, a Chinese Trade, All Old World trade really …. All the way from he ancient empires to the beginnings of the age of exploration !
Dude or group salute from East Africa I never Imagined this angle of Roman or as our ancestors used to call them Aramaa would be seen anywhere but you have to know my ancestors were not supposed to be anywhere near the East coast at the time and even the tiniest slithers of such history is dying off massively now because it is just the other day I learned that some people even older than me do not know of our oral history which is even less obscure than this…. So thanks even if you may never see this.
@10:05 there are obsidian deposits native to Italy, Sicily and the surrounding islands which had been in use during the Neolithic and Bronze Age. if the Romans were unaware of them it’s merely evidence that they were complete newcomers to the region and didn’t know wtf they were doing. the other evidence for that being virtually every other fact about them, their surprise at absolutely everything indigenous to Europe, and their culture at large.
I’m surprised Rome never made any big expedition’s to explore south Africa more or create a major Venice type city for more better trade can imagine the amount of money and trade a big roman type city could get ships from India Arabia and Africa would flood in and on top of that if anyone ever messes with them Rome can just sail over a legion or 2 as protection it would be a big what if scenario too and just saying i do know such a thing was unlikely with Rome being over extended anyway civil wars and hat not but still a cool idea and it would pay for itself
I am guessing the raids did not try to do anything potentially destroy any way for locals to sell at the port. Maybe it was seen like a valuable resource most opponents wished to fight for ownership. It’s like how some African places fight each over resources they can use to make a living off of or help their war effort.
Great article lots of useful information, maybe consider not referring to people as “native” when discussing Africans. It’s particularly redundant and carries very little useful information. It creates an unnecessary and somewhat problematic split. IE if it was the other way around it would sound odd to say Nubians traded with “native” Romans right?
Idea for more articles: how did commerce affect Roman’s world view. Did they think there was something beyond their known trading posts? What did Roman’s think of Africa, Arabia or India? Were they just “barbarians” or was somebody interested in other’s civilization’s culture? Where there explorers that visited southern Africa o East Asia?
I am at lost as to why the Somali peninsula (Horn of Africa) hasn’t had strong and vibrant empire/s over the past 3000 years?. Why does present day Somalia region strike me as a place in which the old empires (Greek, Roman, even Sassinads) only had minimum interactions with and not established a bustling civilisations. Were the Somali natives such barbarians that even Romans and Pershians couldn’t establish a lasting foothold?