Porosité des frontières spatiales, ambiguïté des frontières identitaires : le cas des cités-États swahili de l’archipel de Lamu (vers 1600-1800)
Apprehending, if not defining, Swahili identity is a constant concern of studies dealing with the Muslim communities settled on the shores of precolonial East Africa. Beyond the common – and sometimes redundant – questioning, it seems useful to deepen the analysis of the relationships between the ma...
Saved in:
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | deu |
| Published: |
Institut des Mondes Africains
2010-04-01
|
| Series: | Afriques |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://journals.openedition.org/afriques/513 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1841552422387843072 |
|---|---|
| author | Thomas Vernet |
| author_facet | Thomas Vernet |
| author_sort | Thomas Vernet |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Apprehending, if not defining, Swahili identity is a constant concern of studies dealing with the Muslim communities settled on the shores of precolonial East Africa. Beyond the common – and sometimes redundant – questioning, it seems useful to deepen the analysis of the relationships between the main urban settlements and their mainland hinterland. Based on the case of the Lamu Archipelago ca.1600-1800, this paper aims to enlighten the links between social hierarchy and spatial hierarchy. Surely the Swahili towns were not conceived as open spatial units, yet they kept close relationships of interdependence with the mainland and worked like integrative bodies of great efficiency. Thus, beyond the legitimating discourse spread by the urban elites, it is shown that the porosity and fluidity of the territory of the coastal city-states mirrored the ambiguities of Swahili identity, which permeable and shifting nature should be admitted. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-62a59d2244d4417b865b33cfe259d2a9 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2108-6796 |
| language | deu |
| publishDate | 2010-04-01 |
| publisher | Institut des Mondes Africains |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Afriques |
| spelling | doaj-art-62a59d2244d4417b865b33cfe259d2a92025-01-09T13:03:08ZdeuInstitut des Mondes AfricainsAfriques2108-67962010-04-01110.4000/afriques.513Porosité des frontières spatiales, ambiguïté des frontières identitaires : le cas des cités-États swahili de l’archipel de Lamu (vers 1600-1800)Thomas VernetApprehending, if not defining, Swahili identity is a constant concern of studies dealing with the Muslim communities settled on the shores of precolonial East Africa. Beyond the common – and sometimes redundant – questioning, it seems useful to deepen the analysis of the relationships between the main urban settlements and their mainland hinterland. Based on the case of the Lamu Archipelago ca.1600-1800, this paper aims to enlighten the links between social hierarchy and spatial hierarchy. Surely the Swahili towns were not conceived as open spatial units, yet they kept close relationships of interdependence with the mainland and worked like integrative bodies of great efficiency. Thus, beyond the legitimating discourse spread by the urban elites, it is shown that the porosity and fluidity of the territory of the coastal city-states mirrored the ambiguities of Swahili identity, which permeable and shifting nature should be admitted.https://journals.openedition.org/afriques/513SwahiliLamuPateidentityterritoryclientship |
| spellingShingle | Thomas Vernet Porosité des frontières spatiales, ambiguïté des frontières identitaires : le cas des cités-États swahili de l’archipel de Lamu (vers 1600-1800) Afriques Swahili Lamu Pate identity territory clientship |
| title | Porosité des frontières spatiales, ambiguïté des frontières identitaires : le cas des cités-États swahili de l’archipel de Lamu (vers 1600-1800) |
| title_full | Porosité des frontières spatiales, ambiguïté des frontières identitaires : le cas des cités-États swahili de l’archipel de Lamu (vers 1600-1800) |
| title_fullStr | Porosité des frontières spatiales, ambiguïté des frontières identitaires : le cas des cités-États swahili de l’archipel de Lamu (vers 1600-1800) |
| title_full_unstemmed | Porosité des frontières spatiales, ambiguïté des frontières identitaires : le cas des cités-États swahili de l’archipel de Lamu (vers 1600-1800) |
| title_short | Porosité des frontières spatiales, ambiguïté des frontières identitaires : le cas des cités-États swahili de l’archipel de Lamu (vers 1600-1800) |
| title_sort | porosite des frontieres spatiales ambiguite des frontieres identitaires le cas des cites etats swahili de l archipel de lamu vers 1600 1800 |
| topic | Swahili Lamu Pate identity territory clientship |
| url | https://journals.openedition.org/afriques/513 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT thomasvernet porositedesfrontieresspatialesambiguitedesfrontieresidentitaireslecasdescitesetatsswahilidelarchipeldelamuvers16001800 |