The Indian Ocean and the Swahili Coast · seed 1 · A4, ink-friendly. The answer key prints on its own page for grown-ups.
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Monsoon Winds and the Swahili Coast

History · World History · ages 12-13
Name ______________________   Date ____________

  1. Which of these was a stone town port on the Swahili coast?

    • Timbuktu
    • Gao
    • Kilwa

  2. Which wind pattern does the lesson describe for much of the northern Indian Ocean, using northern hemisphere seasons?

    • Summer winds favour travel toward India; winter winds toward East Africa.
    • Summer winds favour travel toward East Africa; winter winds toward India.
    • Summer and winter winds favour travel toward India; direction never changes.

  3. Chinese pottery found on the Swahili coast is evidence of distant trade, even if it passed through several traders.

    Circle one:   True   False

  4. Viewed from a Swahili port, which exchange matches the examples of overseas cargo in the lesson?

    • Cloth and pottery sent out; gold and ivory brought in.
    • Gold and ivory sent out; no cargo ever brought back from overseas.
    • Gold and ivory sent out; cloth and pottery brought in.

  5. A merchant follows the lesson's summer sailing plan from East Africa to India. Which return plan uses the seasonal wind change?

    • Return straight away, expecting the summer winds to favour the opposite direction.
    • Wait for winter winds that favour the return journey toward East Africa.
    • Wait for the wind to stop for the year, then sail with no wind in either direction.

  6. A dhow's triangular lateen sail meant its crew no longer needed to plan around seasonal winds.

    Circle one:   True   False

  7. A guide argues, "Swahili towns imported cloth and pots, so nobody there made those goods." Which evidence challenges that conclusion?

    • Swahili craftspeople also made cloth and pottery.
    • All the local cloth and pottery came from distant ports in Asia.
    • Only foreign merchants knew how to make cloth and pottery.

  8. Suppose archaeologists find a Chinese pot at Great Zimbabwe, an inland city. Which explanation fits the network without claiming an exact route?

    • An ocean ship could sail directly to the city without any overland transport.
    • Goods could arrive by sea, then travel overland to the city.
    • The find would show that Great Zimbabwe once stood on the Indian Ocean shore.
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Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

Monsoon Winds and the Swahili Coast W1-mt_0hVCaCE7QL-s1

  1. Kilwa · Kilwa was a Swahili port on an island off East Africa. It is the port named in the lesson.
  2. Summer winds favour travel toward India; winter winds toward East Africa. · The described summer winds blow from the southwest toward India. Winter winds blow from the northeast toward East Africa.
  3. True · The pottery connects its place of manufacture in China with its place of discovery in East Africa. Several traders could have carried it along the way.
  4. Gold and ivory sent out; cloth and pottery brought in. · Gold and ivory were examples of outgoing goods. Cloth and pottery were examples of imports. These examples do not describe every cargo.
  5. Wait for winter winds that favour the return journey toward East Africa. · The example merchant waits for winter winds that favour travel back toward East Africa. This helps planning but does not guarantee safe weather.
  6. False · Sail shape did not remove the need to consider winds. Crews still planned voyages around favourable seasons and actual weather.
  7. Swahili craftspeople also made cloth and pottery. · The lesson describes local cloth and pottery production as well as imports. Buying goods from overseas does not mean a town made none of its own.
  8. Goods could arrive by sea, then travel overland to the city. · An inland destination can receive goods through sea travel to a port followed by overland transport. This describes a possible chain, not an exact proven route.
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