I dont know how it could happen, or if it is even possible, then again if Arabs were able to colonize Zanzibar... Anyway, the challenge is to have the eastern coast of Africa, as far south as possible, converted to Christianity before the age of discoveries. How coud it happen and what would be the effects on that part of the African continent?
AHC East Africa converts to Christianity in medieval period?
- Thread starter marcinL
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Ok. A few possibilities:
1. Islam never happens. The Byzantines or breakaway kingdoms in Arabia or North Africa spread their faith through trade and conquest of ports down the red sea.
2. Ethiopia gets a god-tier king which proceeds to conquer a large empire and through missionaries, trade, and conquest spread Christ's Good News all down the East Coast of Africa .
1. Islam never happens. The Byzantines or breakaway kingdoms in Arabia or North Africa spread their faith through trade and conquest of ports down the red sea.
2. Ethiopia gets a god-tier king which proceeds to conquer a large empire and through missionaries, trade, and conquest spread Christ's Good News all down the East Coast of Africa .
Hmmm, maybe we get some way for the Ibadi to be especially close with some branches of Christianity, so they both head down to East Africa around the same time? Though all the slavery stuff would put a damper on things. Apparently some tribes, I think in West Africa, converted to Islam to prevent being enslaved but it worked about as well as some of the tribes who converted to Christianity. Slavers only use religion as an excuse for getting profits. Maybe something with the St. Thomas Christians? Though we would need a much older POD, as they had evolved into a caste and didn’t try to actually convert people, to my knowledge. I had some Indians of that group at a church I used to go to andnthey mentoined How once one of the Muslim conquerors was slaughtering all the Christians they came across, though they didn’t get all the way down Kerala or the tip of India. Maybe find a way to make Christians a seafaring group. Though you will need the Christians to be a good distance into the interior of Africa to survive, unless the coastal areas become a strong state or confederation of cities working together against raids by Somalis, Arabs, etc.
Circa 525 Emperor Kaleb of Axum subjugates the trading center of Mosylon. He fortifies it and it becomes a key hub for the Axumites. By the late 7th century it is overwhelmingly Christian and becomes independent of Axum which is in decline. In the 9th century it subjugates first Opone then Sarapion, the precursor of Mogadishu. In the 10th century it dominates the Swahili Coast getting the jump on Kilwa. The thalassocracy it creates is Miaphysite Christian. With luck it might extend as far south as Sofala by the 12th century.