The Land of Zanj: Tenth-Century East Africa
Read Scanned on Canvas: “The Land of Zanj: Tenth-Century East Africa.”
This is a primary document chosen from a book written by al-Masu’di (850-956). This document is included in The Human Record: Sources of Global History, 4th edition, volume I edited by Alfred J. Andrea and James H. Overfield (New York: Houghton Mifflin Company 2001).
The section on original pages 378-79 is a general introduction to historical development of Africa in 500-1500. The section on pp. 379-80 is an introduction to this document by the editors.
The excerpts of the original work are on pp. 380-82. Your work should reflect you have done the whole of the reading of the original text.
No late work is accepted.
Zanj: in present-day Tanzania
- Where was the author from?
- From this reading, why do you think the author wrote this work? Give at lease one piece of evidence to your speculation.
- What is one passage that is about the local economy?
- What is one passage about local political power?
- What is one passage that is interesting to you?