Before the period of European imperialism, many parts of North and East African were impacted by foreign influences from Islamic cultures. Following the death of the Prophet Muhammad, Islam established itself on a global scale spreading to parts of Europe, Asia and Northern Africa, coming to East Africa as early as the eighth century. Likewise to Christianity in Western Africa, Islam amalgamated well with the local cultures and traditions. This is particularly important as both religion and culture were able to thrive together making the Islam belief appear as a more attractive option. Additionally, the goal of expanding the Islamic beliefs was to do just that, meaning that building empires and forming settler colonies was not part of the ultimate goal. In
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For instance, the adaption of clothing that attributed to the Islamic faith is reflective of both an acceptance as well as recognizing the relevance of incorporating certain practices. In this case, this “style of clothing that happened to be appropriate for the climatic conditions of the regions”, it an interesting study. That being said, other items such as woven mats and sports were also incorporated, leaving long term influences in this region of Africa that go beyond faith based impacts. In comparison European contact in Africa took rise in the early nineteenth century with exploration, establishing legitimate commerce and expanding Christian missionary teachings as the primary goals. For example, David Livingstone (2004) is identified as one of the greatest explorers of him time for his discoveries in Central and Eastern Africa. With the goal of identifying safe passage this this
For instance, the adaption of clothing that attributed to the Islamic faith is reflective of both an acceptance as well as recognizing the relevance of incorporating certain practices. In this case, this “style of clothing that happened to be appropriate for the climatic conditions of the regions”, it an interesting study. That being said, other items such as woven mats and sports were also incorporated, leaving long term influences in this region of Africa that go beyond faith based impacts. In comparison European contact in Africa took rise in the early nineteenth century with exploration, establishing legitimate commerce and expanding Christian missionary teachings as the primary goals. For example, David Livingstone (2004) is identified as one of the greatest explorers of him time for his discoveries in Central and Eastern Africa. With the goal of identifying safe passage this this