Why did the city-states on East African coast fail to join together?

The city-states on the East African coast never truly joined together as one unified political entity for several reasons:

Lack of Cohesion and Shared Identity: The city-states were relatively autonomous and independent, each with its own distinct social, cultural, and political structures. While they shared some similarities in terms of trade, language, and religion, there was no overarching sense of unity or common identity that would drive them to merge politically.

Geographic and Political Fragmentation: The Swahili city-states were geographically dispersed along the coastline of East Africa, with significant distances between them. This geographic fragmentation made it challenging to establish and maintain effective communication, coordination, and transportation among the city-states, hindering any attempts at political unification.

Trade Rivalries and Competition: The city-states were primarily involved in trade, and there was intense competition for control of lucrative trade routes and access to valuable resources. This rivalry and competition made it difficult for the city-states to collaborate and cooperate, as they were more focused on their individual economic interests rather than a collective political alliance.

External Influences and Colonialism: The city-states were also subject to the influence and intervention of external powers, such as the Portuguese and Omani empires. These foreign incursions further complicated and hindered any attempts at political unification among the city-states, as they became embroiled in power struggles and conflicts with these external forces.

Political Disunity: Internally, the city-states often experienced political instability and internal conflicts. There were different ruling classes and factions within each city-state, leading to power struggles and divisions that diverted energy away from the possibility of regional unity.

In summary, the combination of geographic fragmentation, trade rivalries, external influences, and internal political disunity prevented the city-states on the East African coast from forming a unified political entity.