Title
The World of the Swahili: An African Mercantile Civilization,Used
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The Swahili of East Africa have a long and distinctive history as a literate, Muslim, urban, and mercantile society. In this book a leading Africanist presents the first fulllength anthropological account of the Swahili and offers an original analysis of their littleunderstood and unusual culture. Swahili towns, some urban with elegant stone buildings and others more rural with palmleafmatting houses, are spread along the thousandmile East African coast. Because each local community is culturally different from its neighbors, previous historians and anthropologists have viewed the Swahili as a series of isolated and 'detribalized' groups. John Middleton argues, on the contrary, that beneath the cultural variation is a single structure, that of a welldefined and complex trading society that has shown little change through the ages. Drawing on his own field research and on earlier writings on the Swahili, Middleton describes this centuriesold mercantile cultureits local and descent groupings, marriage patterns, religion, and values. He traces the history of their colonized past as subjects to Arabs, Portuguese, British, and others and shows that, although their economic and political role has continually been a subordinate one, their sense of their unique identity enables them to persist as an ongoing civilization.
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- Q: What is the primary focus of 'The World of the Swahili'? A: The book provides a comprehensive anthropological account of the Swahili culture, exploring their history as a literate, Muslim, urban, and mercantile society along the East African coast.
- Q: Who is the author of this book? A: The author of 'The World of the Swahili' is John Middleton, a notable Africanist with extensive field research on the Swahili culture.
- Q: How many pages does this book contain? A: The book has a total of 266 pages.
- Q: What type of binding does this book have? A: This book is available in paperback binding.
- Q: When was 'The World of the Swahili' published? A: The book was published on September 10, 1994.
- Q: What themes does John Middleton explore in the book? A: Middleton explores themes such as local and descent groupings, marriage patterns, religion, values, and the historical context of the Swahili as a trading society.
- Q: Is this book suitable for those unfamiliar with African history? A: Yes, the book is written to be accessible for readers unfamiliar with African history, providing foundational insights into the Swahili civilization.
- Q: What cultural aspects of the Swahili does the book discuss? A: The book discusses the Swahili's mercantile culture, architectural styles, and the unique identity that has persisted despite colonial influences.
- Q: Does this book provide a singular view of the Swahili culture? A: No, Middleton argues against viewing the Swahili as isolated groups, instead presenting them as part of a complex, unified trading society.
- Q: What is the condition of the book being sold? A: The book is in new condition.