East Africa and Indian Ocean: Migration Patterns and Economic Interconnections during the Nineteenth Century

Abstract Across the Indian Ocean numerous contacts and relationships flourished between the littorals of South-Central Asia (Makran-Balochistan), the main coasts of Oman itself and the Swahili coasts of East Africa from Mogadishu to Kilwa. The present study aims to rethink about the movements and migration patterns during nineteenth century’s East African - Swahili - economy and society. Available literature on the subject, both from Afro-Asian and Western archival sources, has not been generous: in fact, for example, the life and times of the Baloch in East Africa around the 1800s has been often studied as a monolithic and static presence linked to other groups, and subdued to Arab political leaderships. In fact, it has for a long time believed that the Asian groups sailed to East Africa between the eighteenth and the nineteenth century mainly as defense military squadrons, while Asian communities changing roles in East African economy was an essential issue.