East Africa, the Western Indian Ocean Basin, and the World Economy, 1760 to 1880

This essay represents a small step towards placing East Africa—as part of the western Indian Ocean basin—into world history models of global economic integration.

For eastern Africa, the nineteenth century was truly a “Century of Ironies.” The region was integrated into the world economy, but little real economic development occurred. At the core of this lesson is Zanzibar’s commercial transformation, a process highly dependent on the trade in ivory, slaves, and cloves. The expansion of long-distance trade over a vast hinterland enabled this transformation. Omani rulers funneled trade from the interior through Zanzibar.

DIRECTIONS – Please take sometime to review and take notes on the following sections for your content knowledge.

Part 1: The Indian Ocean World of the Late Eighteenth Century
Part 2: Zanzibar’s Commercial Empire: 1800 to 1880
Part 3: Caravans and the Impact of Long-Distance Trade
Part 4: Slavery, the Slave Trade, Abolition, and Ironic Consequences
Part 5: The African Diaspora in the Indian Ocean

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