History homework

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

1. Where was the author from?
2. From this reading, why do you think the author wrote this work? Give at lease one piece of evidence to your speculation.
3. What is one passage that is about the local economy?
4. What is one passage about local political power?
5. What is one passage that is interesting to you?