VIIᵉ siècle – XIIᵉ siècle
Ethiopia, Gulf of Aden and Red Sea coast
Traduction non disponible · Original (anglais) · français indisponible
The penetration of Islam into the Horn of Africa followed maritime and caravan routes from the Dahlak Islands and Zaylaʿ. Muslim coastal communities emerged from the eighth century, while trade enabled merchants to settle in Christian Ethiopia despite restrictions on missionary activity. From the Gulf of Aden, Muslim traders and clerics expanded inland, contributing to the formation of Muslim sultanates among Semitic- and Cushitic-speaking peoples by the eleventh and twelfth centuries.
Poursuivre l’exploration
Le récit
Islam entered Ethiopia through two major commercial corridors, one leading from the Dahlak Islands and the other from Zaylaʿ. The Dahlak Islands became Muslim at the beginning of the eighth century, while other Red Sea coastal settlements were occupied by Muslim merchants, many of Arab or other non-African origin. These coastal communities served as initial bases for Islamic influence among predominantly nomadic peoples.
Northern Ethiopia presented a strong obstacle to rapid conversion because the Christian Church was firmly established among Tigré-speaking and Amharic-speaking populations. Ethiopian rulers welcomed Muslim merchants but prohibited them from propagating their faith. Nevertheless, Muslim communities appeared by the ninth century in important centers and along major trade routes, where merchants gained influence through long-distance caravan commerce.
Southern Ethiopia received Islamic influence chiefly through Zaylaʿ, an important port in the Gulf of Aden. From the coastal cities and principalities, Muslim traders moved inland and founded small communities and political units. The decline of the Christian kingdom and the revival of Red Sea trade created favorable conditions for clerics, who began converting local populations.
By the beginning of the eleventh century, Muslim coastal cities and principalities had expanded along the Harar plateau. Muslim sultanates emerged among Semitic- and Cushitic-speaking peoples, although the precise foundation date of the sultanate of Shoa remains uncertain. The passage presents this expansion as both religious competition and a struggle for political and economic domination.
VIIᵉ siècle – XIIᵉ siècle
Ethiopia, Gulf of Aden and Red Sea coast
Traduction non disponible · Original (anglais) · français indisponible
The penetration of Islam into the Horn of Africa followed maritime and caravan routes from the Dahlak Islands and Zaylaʿ. Muslim coastal communities emerged from the eighth century, while trade enabled merchants to settle in Christian Ethiopia despite restrictions on missionary activity. From the Gulf of Aden, Muslim traders and clerics expanded inland, contributing to the formation of Muslim sultanates among Semitic- and Cushitic-speaking peoples by the eleventh and twelfth centuries.
Poursuivre l’exploration
Le récit
Islam entered Ethiopia through two major commercial corridors, one leading from the Dahlak Islands and the other from Zaylaʿ. The Dahlak Islands became Muslim at the beginning of the eighth century, while other Red Sea coastal settlements were occupied by Muslim merchants, many of Arab or other non-African origin. These coastal communities served as initial bases for Islamic influence among predominantly nomadic peoples.
Northern Ethiopia presented a strong obstacle to rapid conversion because the Christian Church was firmly established among Tigré-speaking and Amharic-speaking populations. Ethiopian rulers welcomed Muslim merchants but prohibited them from propagating their faith. Nevertheless, Muslim communities appeared by the ninth century in important centers and along major trade routes, where merchants gained influence through long-distance caravan commerce.
Southern Ethiopia received Islamic influence chiefly through Zaylaʿ, an important port in the Gulf of Aden. From the coastal cities and principalities, Muslim traders moved inland and founded small communities and political units. The decline of the Christian kingdom and the revival of Red Sea trade created favorable conditions for clerics, who began converting local populations.
By the beginning of the eleventh century, Muslim coastal cities and principalities had expanded along the Harar plateau. Muslim sultanates emerged among Semitic- and Cushitic-speaking peoples, although the precise foundation date of the sultanate of Shoa remains uncertain. The passage presents this expansion as both religious competition and a struggle for political and economic domination.