Book Review

Comparative/World

Veteran historian Michael N. Pearson has extended his range of interest to a region that is new to him because, not being an African specialist, he believes he can apply historical precepts from other regions and disciplines to the Swahili civilization of East Africa. Since his training and prior research have been in Indian history during the early modern era, his comparisons largely are limited to India. Additionally, the framework in which he formulates his analogies is taken from "world systems" analysis, made famous by Immanuel Wallerstein. Pearson briefly explains this technique, then points to its obvious advantage: unlike other approaches, it specifically does not privilege Europe. African historians would applaud this. The hazard, however, is that the author's analysis sometimes privileges India.

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Indicative of this is Pearson's opening discussion in chapter two. Here, he describes East Africa's position in what he prefers to call the "Afrasian Sea," rather than the Arabian Sea, which thus subtly downplays the more powerful Middle Eastern influences on the East African coast. (Simultaneously, he has no such difficulties with the "Indian" Ocean because he situates India at its center and regions like East Africa at its "periphery.") Beyond this, and using the Mediterranean and western Sudanic worlds as examples, Pearson carefully defines coastal Swahili society as "littoral." The chapter especially limns the maritime, international character of coastal society, although Swahili ocean seafaring is itself debunked by Pearson (unreasonably, in this reviewer's opinion). Discussions of trade and manufacturing clearly are the author's forte, and he provides an excellent analysis for East Africa. He also presents a highly intelligent discussion of Islamic influences.

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