Great Zimbabwe
“A History Almost Forgotten”
Nithin Thampi
The civilization of Great Zimbabwe, with its wealth of gold and ivory,
became a powerful trading partner with the Swahili Coast.The ruins of
the capital city of Great Zimbabwe were the largest in Africa.
Who did this civilization trade with?
 Extensive trade network within Africa
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India
China
Southwest Asia
Persia
What did they import and export?
Imports
 Glass Beads
 Ceramics
 Brass
Southwest Asia
 Silks
China and Persia
 Porcelain
 Gold
 Copper, bronze
 Soapstone
Trade within Africa
Exports
 Ivory- The chief export as Al Masudi, the great Mohammedan voyager and historian
found on the Swahili coast which went via the Persian Gulf to India and China
 Gold- Archaeological evidence of beginnings of mining at that period from the gold
produced by the ancestors of the Shona peoples.
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Iron
Slaves
Exotic Animals
Mangrove poles- for the treeless Persian Gulf
To what degree did the government control trade and the economy?
Great Zimbabwe was a sight of many different rulers who controlled major territories and
resources. Great Zimbabwe was a center of political authority and the presence of large
numbers of imported items indicates that this authority was linked with the control of trade.
Imported objects like glass beads, Persian and Chinese pottery, and even coins minted in the
name of the kings were mostly part of the area where Great Zimbabwe was located.
What trade routes did they regularly use?
Great Zimbabwe, through its management of gold production stood high in a massive trade
network which extended east across the Indian Ocean, though the Persian Gulf, to India and
even as far as China. It was not until the 18th century that east-west trade routes on the
continent were followed through by single caravans. Before that, there is evidence that goods
and products could make their way across great distances, but only small trade, involving
many different traders. The Arabs had been trading with the Swahili coastal people for
centuries before the Portuguese appeared. Trade went east through the Persian Gulf and
India, and on to the Far East. The Portuguese arrived in the late 15th century with the
principle aim of capturing the gold routes which drove this trade. In this they failed.
What was the impact of trade on your civilization?
The decline of Great Zimbabwe may have been caused by more than one factor. The
decrease in natural resources might have been a cause for declining so it was abandoned. The
civilization of Great Zimbabwe may have declined, but it left a lasting impact. During its
peak, Great Zimbabwe ruled the Zambezi Valley with its army and economics, and since it
was not located near the coast, the religion of Muhammad never influenced its way of life. It
was controlled by various cultures like the Portuguese but never was over taken by anybody
and that’s why Great Zimbabwe may be one of a small number of sub-Saharan cultures that
was completely an African tribe, having had no influence from cultures outside of the
African continent. The civilization of Great Zimbabwe remained unique in its culture
throughout its history, and we have proof of this from the remaining structures still located
there now.
Bibliography:
http://bruceowen.com/worldprehist/3250s14.htm : This site provided me information about who
Great Zimbabwe traded with and their major exports and imports.
http://www.manuampim.com/ZIMBABWE.html: Provided me some info about rising and
declining of the civilization.
A Crisis of Governance: Zimbabwe by Robert Chikuhwa : Provided more history and the trade
routes used in Great Zimbabwe.
http://books.google.com/books?id=bzJMyIUGcQ8C&pg=PA6&lpg=PA6&dq=al+masudi+great+z
imbabwe&source=web&ots=rFTtQMHxaI&sig=wJh_vrFgJ3E4iz25tYudPVAA7Rw&hl=en&sa=X
&oi=book_result&resnum=4&ct=result#PPP1,M1
Africans: The History of A Continent by John Iliffe- Provided information on Al Masudi’s
adventure and thoughts about Great Zimbabwe
thttp://books.google.com/books?id=dlHE51ScKTUC&pg=PA54&lpg=PA54&dq=great+zimbabwe
+exports&source=web&ots=v_OeVICm1R&sig=NKCWToIxfQM6UFhhl0wpNvUGVuU&hl=en&s
a=X&oi=book_result&resnum=7&ct=result#PPP1,M1