DBQ: Swahili Vs. Hansa

DBQ: Swahili vs. Hansa Trading during the Post-classical era from 1000-1450 C.E. were what the many civilizations at that time heavily relied on, it had flourished and arouse to the point where many alliances were created. Many big cities were most notably successful in their trading and alliances. Smaller cities were also able to succeed by having alliance with one another; German Hansa in North Europe and the Swahili cities along the coast of East Africa were among the most successful cities in their trade organizations. Hansa and Swahili shared many similarities; they both craved for money and desired to emphasize their trading sites to extend. Their differences were as important, they were different in their economical, cultural aspects as to how trade might of intergraded with their cities as well as expanded. The given documents explain how the growth of trade influenced the changes in its cultural, economic, and political development. Documents one, three, five, and nine explain the economical developments which trade provoked. Document one written by an Archeologist who has researched the area around Swahili, he depicts the golden and silver coins found around those cities. The Archeologists point of view is that as an archeologist trying to prove his theory that trade was much more relevant around the cities of which he had found the coin, he just basically wants to prove his theory that trade was massive in those cities of Swahili. Historically by the 11th and 12th centuries, trade had brought tremendous wealth to coastal east Africa making the life of many especially local rules of the cities by strengthening their own authority and increasing their influence in society by being able to control their people/policies and taxing trade. An additional document needed is a document in which it may enlist the many trades that the Swahili people have completed as well as the major routes of trade. Document three written by Joao de Barros, a Portuguese