Mwalimu Makoba

Early contacts with the Middle East and Far East Contacts with the Middle East and Far East began as early as 200BC. Early foreigners to visit the African coast were people from Asia including countries like Syria, Arabia, India, Burma, Thailand, China and Spice Islands. Availability of goods such as ivory, gold, animal skins and slaves was one of the motives which attracted the traders to visit the East African Coast. Social and Economic motives of contacts between Africa, the middle east and far east 1. Availability of goods such as ivory, gold, animal skins and slaves which had attracted the traders. 2. The discovery of the power of wind and its patterns i.e. the Monsoon which helped to drive their vessels across the Indian Ocean to East Africa (South West Monsoon, November, to April) and back to their home lands (North East Monsoon, May to October). 3. Development of marine technology. They could contract large dhows which enabled them to carry huge quality of goods. ...

  Interaction can be defined as the way in which people from a given community came into contact with another community. Major interactions between the peoples of Africa begun during the Late Stone Age and the Iron Age up to the middle of 19 th century. Interaction among the people of Africa were caused by social, political and economic factors. Social factors which gave rise to interactions among the people of Africa 1.    War Internal conflicts over land, minerals, water, and control of trade or power led to movement of some societies from their original land. A typical example was the movement of the Ngoni from South Africa to other parts of Africa. 2.    Migration As communities grew in number this lead to a scarcity of resources, which forced others to migrate in search of resources. For example the Bantu migration and the Ngoni migration. 3.    Intermarriage Some people left their places because of marriage. For example, Nyamwezi and Hehe marrie...