SWAHILI CITY-STATES By the eleventh and twelfth centuries, trade brought wealth to the Swahili city-states. Local chiefs were able to strengthen and increase the influence of their communities. Eventually, trade moved to more convenient locations, such as Lamu, Malindi, Mombasa, and more, which ended up developing into successful city states. Due to their accumulating wealth, city-states were able to undergo remarkable transformations. Buildings became larger and started to be built with sturdier material, such as stone instead of mud. Overall, city-states in Swahili were quite successful. AFRICAN ISLAM