Around 1,200 years ago, African merchants and sailors from the Swahili Coast lived in Guangzhou during the Tang dynasty. Chinese texts called them “Kunlun,” describing dark-skinned seafarers skilled in diving and navigation.
#AfricanHistory #TangDynasty #IndianOceanTrade #SwahilCoast
#Africa #Trade

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Sailing the Spice Islands

Traditional sailboats called dhows sail Zanzibar's azure sea, adding color to blue-green waters.

#SpiceIslands #ZanzibarLandscapes #IndianOceanTrade

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Books about Black history in the Medieval Indian Ocean world.
Descriptions below…

Indigenous Black Iraqis by VKY
The Revolt of African Slaves in Iraq by Alexandre Popovic
City States of the Swahili Coast
The Blacks of Premodern China, Don J Wyatt
#indianoceantrade #blackhistory #history

🗺️ This map illustrates the Indian Ocean trade (15th–16th centuries), a vast maritime network linking East Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, and Southeast Asia, facilitating the exchange of spices, textiles, metals, timber, and luxury goods. #IndianOceanTrade #GlobalTradeHistory #HistoryLovers