Which statement best describes the Swahili Coast's society and economy?

• A. Economy based on timber, spices, and gold; aristocracy, with nobles, commoners, foreigners, and slaves.
• B. Economy based on fishing; democratically elected assembly.
• C. Economy based on inland farming; autocratic monarchy.
• D. Economy based on textile manufacturing; merchant guilds.

Answer: (A)

The focus is on how the Swahili Coast built wealth and arranged society. These coastal city-states along the Indian Ocean thrived as commercial hubs, linking inland producers of timber, gold, and other goods with distant markets in the Arab world, India, and beyond. Ships carried gold, ivory, timber, and later spices from interior and coastal regions, while luxury goods and ideas moved in the other direction, creating a cosmopolitan economy sustained by long-distance trade. The political and social order was aristocratic: ruling families and wealthy merchants controlled much of the commerce and land, within a hierarchy that included nobles, commoners, foreigners (notably Arab and Persian traders), and slaves who played a significant role in the urban economy. This blend of trade-based wealth and a stratified society best fits the described economy of the Swahili Coast.