He must have been aware of new states that were building their influence from as far afield as Great Zimbabwe and the Swahili sultanates, each engaged directly or indirectly beyond the continent itself, each driven also to invest in securing their intellectual and cultural legacy.
Il a dû avoir connaissance  de nouveaux États qui construisaient leur influence d'aussi loin que le Grand Zimbabwe et les sultanats swahilis, chacun impliqué directement ou  indirectement au-delà du continent, chacun poussé à investir pour sécuriser son héritage intellectuel et culturel.