Go to AfricaBib home

Go to AfricaBib home AfricaBib Go to database home

bibliographic database
Line
Previous page New search

The free AfricaBib App for Android is available here

Periodical article Periodical article Leiden University catalogue Leiden University catalogue WorldCat catalogue WorldCat
Title:Islam and Swahili Culture on the Banadir Coast
Author:Kassim, Mohamed M.ISNI
Year:1995
Periodical:Northeast African Studies
Volume:2
Issue:3
Pages:21-37
Language:English
Geographic term:Somalia
Subjects:cultural history
ulema
Swahili
history
History and Exploration
Peoples of Africa (Ethnic Groups)
Religion and Witchcraft
External link:http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/northeast_african_studies/v002/2.3.kassim.pdf
Abstract:Historically, the Banadir coast is the coastal strip that extends from the towns of Warsheikh to Ras Kiamboni in present-day Somalia. This article highlights aspects of the cultural history of the Banadir. It first summarizes the background and early development of the Banadir as a whole. Most coastal historians agree that the earliest Swahili settlements on the east coast of Africa date from the 9th or 10th century and that they were located in the Banadir coastal area. All the early historic sites found today are credited to Arab-Persian settlers. During the 10th to 13th centuries, the Banadir coastal towns developed into important trading centres. Next, the article briefly examines the lives of five remarkable 'ulama' (religious scholars) who played key roles in the cultural life of Brava in the 19th and early 20th century, viz. Sheikh Uways Bin Muhammad Al-Barawi, Sheikh Nurein Ahmed Sabir al-Hatimy, Sheikh Qassim bin Muhyiddin al-Barawi, Dada Masiti - the only known female saint and prolific poet in Somalia, and Sheikh Moallim Nur Haji Abdulkadir, better known as Moallim Nuri. Through the oral and written records of their lives, a great deal can be learned about education, poetry, trade and gender roles in the precolonial Banadir. Notes, ref.
Views
Cover