| Variable | Definition |
|---|---|
| Polity | The Seshat Polity ID |
| Year(s) | The years for which we have the data. [negative = BCE] |
| Tag | [Evidenced, Disputed, Suspected, Inferred, Unknown] |
| Verified | A Seshat Expert has approved this piece of data. |
| Variable | Definition |
|---|---|
| scientific_literature | The absence or presence of scientific literature for a polity. |
| # | Polity | Year(s) | Scientific Literature | Description | Edit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 |
(Bito Dynasty) |
1860 CE 1894 CE |
unknown |
"Literacy entered Uganda for the first time with the introduction of Islam in the late 1860’s and for nearly a decade instruction in Islam was progressing and flourishing at the royal court. When literacy was introduced into the kingdom of Buganda, it was confined to speakers of Arabic and Kiswahili. " [Pawliková-Vilhanová_Pawliková-Vilhanová_Moumouni 2014, p. 145] | |
| 20 |
(Maravi Empire) |
Full Year Range of Maravi Empire is assumed. [1622, 1870] |
absent |
The following suggests that writing did not develop indigenously in the region. "The earliest of the written documents on Malawi go back to the sixteenth century. Some adventurous Portuguese explorers and traders who periodically passed through central and southern Malawi as they sought minerals and other resources in the interior of the region wrote these documents." [Juwayeyi 2020] |