Tafkīk Riwāyat al-Bāntū: al-Hijrah wa-al-Istiʻmār wa-al-Tawārīkh al-Mutanāzaʻ ʻalayhā fī Sharq Ifrīqiyā - Bakrī, Ibrāhīm ibn Nūr ibn Sharīf; بروف. إبراهيم بن نور بن شريف البكري (Muʼtamar al-Istiqāmah al-Duwalī al-Thānī: al-ʻUmānīyūn wa-al-Sawāḥilīyah bayna al-Taʼthīr wa-al-Taʼaththur, 2026)
The migration of Bantu-speaking peoples to the Swahili coast constitutes one of the most contested historical questions in contemporary African studies. Whilst prevailing academic discourse presents this migration as an ancient expansion unfolding over millennia, revisionist historical narratives pose fundamental challenges to this chronological framework, suggesting that the Bantu arrival on the East African coast occurred only in the sixteenth century CE, concurrent with wider regional upheavals. This paper examines the evidence adduced on either side, the role colonial scholarship played in fixing the accepted chronology, and the implications each account carries for how the origins and identity of Swahili coastal society are understood. It argues that the question cannot be separated from the political uses to which competing histories of the coast have been put.
Title تفكيك رواية البانتو: الهجرة، الاستعمار، والتواريخ المتنازع عليها في شرق أفريقيا Deconstructing the Bantu Narrative: Migration, Colonization, and Contested Histories in East Africa By Professor Ibrahim bin Noor bin Shariff Al Bakri Abstract Submitted to: The Second Al-Istiqama International Conference Omanis and Swahili: Mutual Influence and Interaction Theme: Arabic Influence on Swahili Research Problem: The migration of Bantu-speaking peoples to the Swahili coast constitutes one of the most contested historical questions in contemporary African studies. Whilst prevailing academic discourse presents this migration as an ancient expansion unfolding over millennia, progressive historical narratives pose fundamental challenges to this chronological framework, suggesting that the Bantu arrival on the East African coast occurred only in the sixteenth century CE, concurrent with the Portuguese arrival by sea. This question assumes particular significance for understanding the Arab civilizational heritage on the Swahili coast, as Arab contributions are occasionally marginalized or distorted by contemporary historical and political biases. Objectives: This research aims to: (1) analyze competing narratives concerning Swahili coast history from a critical historiographical perspective; (2) evaluate the archaeological, linguistic, and genetic evidence relating to Bantu expansion and Arab presence; (3) document the Arab and civilizational heritage on the Swahili coast through linguistic, architectural, and religious evidence; (4) analyze contemporary identity politics and their influence on shaping historical narratives; and (5) illuminate the events of the 1964 Zanzibar Revolution and their relationship to politicized historical discourse. Expected Outcomes: This research is expected to contribute to: (1) presenting a balanced critical reading of competing narratives concerning Swahili coast history; (2) demonstrating the depth of Arab presence on the coast and its documented historical precedence since the first century CE; (3) clarifying that the Swahili language represents a unique civilizational achievement combining Arabic origins with profound Bantu influence; (4) revealing the relationship between politicized historical discourses; and (5) affirming the necessity of adopting rigorous evidence-based historical methodology free from political bias.
Keywords: conference publication; Bantu migration; East African history; Historiography; Swahili coast; Colonial scholarship; Contested histories