Overview
despite the island being close to Africa, the vocabulary of the Malagasy language largely originated from one that was spoken along the Barito River valley of southeast Borneo. Some 90% of Malagasy vocabulary is from the language of the Ma’anyan, an indigenous group of roughly 70,000 people who live in remote inland areas of southeastern Borneo. Less than 10% of the vocabulary of the Malagasy language is from African languages (mainly Sabaki, a branch of Bantu). Archaeologists have also found cultural evidence — including ironworking techniques, outrigger boats, musical instruments such as the xylophone, and the cultivation of rice, bananas, yams and taro (a “tropical food kit”) — that supports a strong Southeast Asian connection. TC20
History
Banjar and the East African people (Swahilis community) interbred first in the Comoros archipelago around the eighth century and later in Madagascar around the 11th century. … Banjar ancestry ranges from 37% to 64% in Madagascar but is only 20% in the Comoros. This is probably because of major Swahili settlement in the Comoros prior to Austronesian arrival. TC20
Trade background
human migration is correlated to the volume of trade (estimated from historical records). …
The first phase began with the expansion of the Silk Road trading route (first to fifth centuries), which transported goods and ideas between China, Eurasia and South Asia. The second phase followed in the sixth to tenth centuries with the spread of Islam and Arab merchants. The third phase came with the rise of maritime routes beginning in the 11th century through to the 15th century. The fourth phase came with the arrival of Europeans in the 16th century, which drastically restructured the trade network to the present day.