Business forecasting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Business forecasting - Essay Example Budgets do not simply indicate the upcoming period’s expenses and revenues, as competition in the market place increase, companies have recognized the need to accurately predict their future operations’ outcomes and the related resource requirements. Budgeting involves use of forecasting techniques, it is an organization-wide process and is central in strategic planning. Effectiveness of the budgeting process depend on the accuracy of forecasts, reliability, simplicity, and cost effectiveness, this accuracy can be enhanced by use of various techniques, using more than one method of forecasting, and obtaining enough and more accurate data (Rasmussen 2003, p. 113). Where budget forecasts fall far from actual outcomes for the period, it is likely that poor decisions on future projections are made and management may end up lacking trust in budgets made while the whole organization may suffer poor planning. Poor budgeting forecasts results from poor budgeting tools lack of s taff training on forecasting techniques, too little time allocated in making correct projections. Correct budget forecasts makes financial planning and execution of operating activities like staffing, inventory management, marketing plans, and performance easier. Budget forecasting is used in making different types of budgets including purchase of raw materials, inventory levels, adjusting incentive plans and staffing levels. Budget forecasting is central in project planning and costing, financial outlays and staff.

Football Essay Essay Example for Free

Football Essay Essay Football is a complex sport with many specifications, and although millions of people watch football, not all of them understand what is truly â€Å"behind the scenes† of each game. When thinking of a football game normally the different teams come to mind or a particular athlete stands out, but football is much more than that. There are more people than just the athletes that are involved with a football game, including the coaches of the teams, referees who call the shots, trainers who build up the athletes’ skill levels, and last the fans who support the teams. Each player is equipped with a type of â€Å"armor† they must wear to protect themselves. The rules of the game can be hard to comprehend until you become physically involved in a football match, but reading the rules may give a decent understanding of how football is played. Although football may be one of the most highly watched sports, there is more to the game than just the flashy jerseys and the bulky player. Who makes up a football team? There are exactly eleven players to a team. Each athlete has a designated position to participate in. Football does not just consist of the players in the game, but also the coaches, referees, the trainers and every single die-hard fan. Coaches assist the athletes in giving them adequate plays to score touchdowns; they push each athlete to their breaking point, because they know that each of them is capable of so much more. Even sometimes coaches are mentors to the rookie athletes, who later on become legends in football. Referees are there to make sure all of the rules are followed and to call out penalties when one of the rules has been broken. Theses game officials, the men on the field we all love to hate, but without these keepers of the rules, a football game could not progress with any sort of structure or sanity. Die-hard fans of football; watch, eat, sleep and live football as a religion, has a designated team or teams that they support and encourage. Fans are a ginormous part of the support the athletes receive. Football Trainers provide the athletes with the experience to preform adequately, medical assistance when injured and the rehabilitation to create star athletes. The over-all support from the individuals’ assistance constructs an athlete. Aside from the people involved in football, it is all too easy to mistakenly think of football as a game of athletics, and nothing more. Football actually encompasses a challenging mental game, paired with strategy and athleticism in order to secure a win. Before you head out to the field, preparing with and without your equipment will help you gear up for a more successful game. Athletes are protected with a type of armor. Football is classified as a contact sport, but it has been more accurately described as a collision sport. Consisting of; shoulder pads, helmet, face mask, chin strap, mouth guard, leg pads and cleats. Every article helps protect the athlete from getting injured. Shoulder pads are one of the most important pieces of equipment, because they allow you to tackle, block and run the football with a reduced risk for injury. As for the helmet attached with a chinstrap and facemask, it is made of hard plastic with foam pads inside to protect the head. Players are not supposed to hit opponents in the head, but the helmet is necessary because players often take shots to the head because the game is played at such a fast pace and players get hit in the head unintentionally. Mouth guards that the players wear can help prevent dental damage, and thigh pads are designed to protect the thigh or quadriceps area on the front of the upper leg, which help players who are frequently tackled and also hip pads are worn as part of a girdle under the pants or they can be attached to the pants with a belt. Linemen often prefer high-top cleats, to give them extra support and stability, while high performance players, such as wide receivers, running backs and defensive backs, will often wear low-cut cleats that are lightweight and allow for more maneuverability. All of this equipment is essential to how football is played. A game starts with the kickoff, the ball is placed on a kicking tee at the defenses thirty-yard line, and a placekicker kicks the ball to the offense. A kick returned to a man from the offense, tries to catch the ball and advance it by running to where he is positioned at the point from when the offense will begin its drive, or series of offensive plays. When a kickoff is caught in the offenses own end zone, the kick returner can either run the ball out of the end zone, or kneel in the end zone to signal a touchback as a sign to stop the play. The ball is then placed on the 20-yard line, where the offense begins play, a play begins with the snap, at the line of scrimmage, where the play begins, and the quarterback loudly calls out a play in code and the player in front of him. The center passes or snaps the ball under his legs to the quarterback, from there the quarterback can throw the ball, hand it off, or run with it, or the quarterback can sometimes the ball to confuse the defense, anyone on the offensive team is allowed to pass the ball as long as the pass is thrown from behind the line of scrimmage. A pass is complete if the ball is caught by another offensive player, usually the wide receiver or tight end, but if the ball hits the ground before someone catches it, it is called an incomplete pass. The defense prevents the offense from advancing the ball by bringing the ball carrier to the ground. A player is tackled when one or both of his knees touch the ground, then play is then over and also ends when a player runs out of bounds. All progress in a football game is measured in yards, the offensive team tries to get as much yardage as it can to try and move closer to the opponents end zone. Each time the offense gets the ball, it has four downs, or chances, in which to gain ten yards. If the offensive team successfully moves the ball ten or more yards, it earns a first down, and another set of four downs. If the offense fails to gain ten yards, it loses possession of the ball, as the defense tries to prevent the offense not only from scoring, but also from gaining the 10 yards needed for a first down. If the offense reaches fourth down, it usually punts the ball or kicks it away. This forces the other team to begin its drive further down the field, but if the offense cannot score a touchdown, they may try to kick a field goal. Football is a very complicated sport with many simple, but important aspects. For most people who enjoy football, they cannot wait until football season starts. The players on the field are told what to do by the coaches, who call different plays, while performing those plays the athletes use the skills obtained from their trainers. Football is a game of strength, ability, and toughness, for it is a very physical and mentally tough gridiron sport. Wearing the protective gear helps these athletes prevent major injuries during the game. Each piece of equipment provides protection to certain parts of the athlete’s body. The rules of football can be complex to understand right away, but become more easier to comprehend once physically engaged in a game.

1929 Stock Market Crash :: essays research papers

The 1929 Stock Market Crash   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In early 1928 the Dow Jones Average went from a low of 191 early in the year, to a high of 300 in December of 1928 and peaked at 381 in September of 1929. (1929†¦) It was anticipated that the increases in earnings and dividends would continue. (1929†¦) The price to earnings ratings rose from 10 to 12 to 20 and higher for the market’s favorite stocks. (1929†¦) Observers believed that stock market prices in the first 6 months of 1929 were high, while others saw them to be cheap. (1929†¦) On October 3rd, the Dow Jones Average began to drop, declining through the week of October 14th. (1929†¦)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On the night of Monday, October 21st, 1929, margin calls were heavy and Dutch and German calls came in from overseas to sell overnight for the Tuesday morning opening. (1929†¦) On Tuesday morning, out-of-town banks and corporations sent in $150 million of call loans, and Wall Street was in a panic before the New York Stock Exchange opened. (1929†¦)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On Thursday, October 24th, 1929, people began to sell their stocks as fast as they could. Sell orders flooded the market exchanges. (1929†¦) This day became known as Black Thursday. (Black Thursday†¦) On a normal day, only 750-800 members of the New York Stock Exchange started the exchange. (1929†¦) There were 1100 members on the floor for the morning opening. (1929†¦) Furthermore, the exchange directed all employees to be on the floor since there were numerous margin calls and sell orders placed overnight. Extra telephone staff was also arranged at the member’s boxes around the floor. (1929†¦) The Dow Jones Average closed at 299 that day. (1929†¦)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On Tuesday, October 29th, 1929, the crash began. (1929†¦) Within the first few hours, the price fell so far as to wipe out all gains that had been made the entire previous year. (1929†¦) This day the Dow Jones Average would close at 230. (1929†¦) Between October 29th, and November 13 over 30 billion dollars disappeared from the American economy. (1929†¦) It took nearly 25 years for many of the stocks to recover. (1929†¦)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  By mid November, the value of the New York Stock Exchange listings had dropped over 40%, a loss of $26 billion. (1929-1931) At one point in the crash tickers were 68 minutes behind. (1929-1931) An average of about $50,000,000 a minute was wiped out on the exchange. (1929-1931) A few investors that lost all of their money jumped to their deaths from office buildings.

Law and People Settings Essay

1.1 A duty of care in my own role is a legal obligation on me requiring me to adhere to a reasonable standard of care while performing acts of care. 1.2 I have a legal and professional duty of care. If I was to neglect someone and this caused them harm then a court of law could find me negligent and stop me working in care or impose sanctions on me and this is how duty of care contributes to safeguarding individuals. 2.1 There are a few potential dilemmas that can arise in care work for example individual’s rights, a person’s individual rights and dignity should be respected at all times so in a end of life situation I may wish to administer lifesaving support but can only do this with the individuals consent. Another example is if a carer does not believe in organ transplantation or blood transfusion because of their culture they would still be required to support a client who had been prescribed this type of treatment. 2.2 Conflicts and dilemmas should be dealt with by the most senior manager in charge at that time. The person in charge may delegate responsibilities to carers if appropriate but they will first identify and assess the issues and devise strategies to deal with them. 2.3 To get advice and support about conflicts and dilemmas you can talk to managers, senior carers, social workers, registering authority and other colleagues. CT236 Principles for implementing duty of care in health, social care or children’s and young people’s settings. 3.1 In the event of a complaint I would follow procedures and try and put the matter right. Ask for the complaint to be put into writing to help us avoid the same situation arising again and look into the complaint thoroughly, fairly and honestly. Dealing with it with confidentiality and politely. Give an apology if required and explain how the situation will be put right. 3.2 Agreed procedures for handling complaints are to deal with the complaint fairly, honestly, confidentially, promptly and resolve the issues effectively and appropriately.

Pleasure turns Sour – Creative Writing

A big beautiful mansion sitting right up the road of a busy small town. The outer parts is as beautiful as a paradise and it everyman's fantasy with a welcoming golden writing hanging on the beautiful light blue wall. The inner part is as bright as a tunnel with loads of space. The building was so bright that it light up the whole town. I was on a tour with some friends to find an interesting adventure to write in our novel. We have travelled from town to town till we came to this town called GRAVE HILL. The people of Grave hill are very nice people and there were loads of things to write about the town and the way they survive on their little farm and how they live together as a family helping each other in time of trouble. They were very welcoming and made us feel appreciated and they also were willing to help us with our adventure and they also promised to show us around the town but because we arrived late they told us to wait till morning. The only problem we had was accommodation; the people never had a big apartment to accommodate us. You can pass the night in my Attic†¦Said the Old Lady AN ATTIC†¦ exclaimed Sandra Hell no, How can I live my big bedroom all just to come and sleep in an attic, there is absolutely no way that is going to happen (she whispered). We were not thrilled by the old woman's offer so we refuse it. Having being attracted by the golden bright writing ‘A HOME FOR PLEASURE' on the front of the big bright mansion that was up the road we ask the people if we can pass the night there, the people did not hesitate to let us stay there they just told us that if we know that we can stay there alone. YES†¦ We shouted excitedly We are going to be fine alone beside we have sleepovers and we have the whole house to ourselves, so that should not be a problem said Denise. Thrilled and excited about sleeping in a mansion we couldn't wait to get into the mansion. Having led us to the front of the beautiful and bright mansion the people said good night and went back to their hut. Excitedly we walked around the mansion went in and out of the building we saw a big swimming pool,7 double sized bedroom, a kitchen with loads of food and all the necessary things you need in a kitchen, a king sized living room with a big screen TV like the one in the cinema. This is way better than sleeping in some old attic†¦ said Clare. I cannot wait to get in that pool†¦said Denise I am so hungry†¦ said Clare I can wait to sleep in that big sized bedroom†¦ said Sandra What about you, why are u so quiet? Asked Denise Nothing on like you people I'm not so thrilled I just have this bad feeling†¦ I said What is it this time? Asked Clare I'm just surprised and baffled that's all†¦ I said About what? Asked Denise I just don't get it, why is a big beautiful mansion like this being abandoned here? Why is a big building like this built in a small town like this? Who lives here? Were are they? Why is there no evidence that someone live here not even a picture or if it was a hotel why is there no receptionist here? I had enough of you and your feelings we are here already and there is nothing that has happened†¦ said Sandra so why don't we just enjoy our one night stay here without your feelings can you do that for us please†¦ pleaded Sandra. Ok then I will try my best I'm just baffled that all†¦I replied. Denise got in the pool, while Sandra went to bed and Clare to the kitchen while I was left alone scared and baffled in the living room. After couple minute of silence ahhhhhhhhhhhhh†¦screamed Denise What is wrong? I asked as I raced outside to the pool. On getting there I found the pool has turned RED with Denise's body floating around lifelessly. I was so scared so I raced inside to tell my friends then I heard another scream but this time it was coming from the kitchen only to find Clare was no longer in the kitchen but all I found was a cracked egg with BLOOD in it and Clare's body was no were to be find. So scared I raced outside to see if we can get any help on get outside whole town was dark because the house that brightened up the town has turn dark and the golden writing has changed to red writing ‘A HOME OF HORROR' I was so scared I could not go out because it was already dark so I raced back inside to go and get Sandra and explain what has happened to her. on getting up the stair I did not find a big bedroom no more but all I saw was a big dark trench with loads of dead bodies and Sandra was no were to be found. So scared and knowing that I'm not safe I took my pen and wrote all that as happened and I left a note for the people to take to my school in the hope that I might be able to survive this horror. When I finished writing, it was already morning and things were back o normal except my friends were no more.

How To Create Content That Converts (With Happiness)

How To Create Content That Converts (With Happiness) Do people spend more money if they are happy or if they are sad? There is a tendency to avoid negativity in headlines and copy, although there are times when negative headlines are actually more powerful. Generally, though, the more common approach is to avoid negativity when creating our content. But should we? Are we doing the right thing by keeping our copy positive? How To Create Content That Converts By Writing Your Reader Happy #contentmarketing viaNot every reader is motivated to act by the same thing all of the time. Exclusivity, the offer itself, the color of the button, the quality of the persuasive argument- they all matter at some point, too. But how we make the reader feel does have an impact on whether they will buy, but it might not be in the way you think. How Mood Affects Buying Behavior Let's go back and revisit that opening question: Do people spend money (or, in your case, convert) if they are happy or if they are sad? As individuals, we often go shopping when we are down. Sad shoppers tend to spend more, and people who are in a  grumpy mood actually feel better after shopping (at least until the bills arrive), and a foul or depressed mood often leads to more impulse buying. Sad shoppers spend more. Here's how happy content sells. #contentmarketingOn the other hand, after a national tragedy, do you feel like shopping? Do you like seeing tweets that talk about being a consumer during such a time? Our mood, as an individual, makes us want to buy to alleviate sad feelings. But when we are a part of a sad group as a whole, buying is the last thing we want to do. It feels wrong. But hold on- that's not all. Consumer confidence is something we measure that shows when consumers are confident (and upbeat), the economy of the nation will increase. Consumer confidence is correlated with retail sales, which is different from cause and effect but effectively shows how our mood has a connection to our impulse to buy. Consumer confidence is that special mix where a person feels pretty good about the state of the economy and their own personal financial state. So, you could summarize it as follows: A sad  individual might use retail therapy to improve the mood in the moment. A grumpy individual  makes impulse purchases to break out of a rut. A sad group does not want to make purchases at all. Confidence inspires people to buy. Why does shopping seem to attract people who aren't at the top of their emotions? Distractions and the suggestion of hope, probably. That's what buying often does, when it is for something that isn't a need. While you can't control the mood of your reader, remember that an alleviation of worries and sadness is the attraction, here, and that if your copy can tap into that, you'll get your reader to convert. Your #content should alleviate worries and sadness. That's how  to get readers to convert.How To Create A Positive Mood In Your Writing When you visit a store and approach a salesclerk for help as you make your buying decision, does their attitude have an effect on you? For me, if they are negative, down, grumpy- I'm less likely to complete the current sale or, even if I do, I probably won't come back. When you create content with a conversion (i.e. sale) in mind, your content is the salesclerk. How do you make sure your salesclerk is happy? 1. Highlight the desirable behavior. Blogger Bushra Azhar wrote, on the Copyhackers blog, that highlighting desirable behavior leads to positive action. She found that, particularly in the use of social proof in your copy, that framing that proof in a negative way inspired the wrong reaction. A study done by two National Parks found that copy that highlighted the negative caused the very behavior they had hoped to stop. Azhar went on to discover other similar examples, pointing out that careless negative copy could even cause the bystander effect in your reader, that curious situation where we don't help victims if others are around us. Too much negative copy can also make people feel that the situation is hopeless. Write copy that states the behavior you want. "Please click the blue button" is, however uninspired, better copy than "9 out of 10 people won't click the blue button." When your readers see that, they probably think "heck, if 90 percent of people won't click, I'm not going to. All of those people can't be wrong." And that's social proof, swinging around and biting you in the behind. This is a tricky to do, if you are trying to create exclusivity. But create your exclusivity in a way that doesn't get social proof going against you. "9 out of 10 people miss out on this opportunity. But you don't have to." 2. Tell readers what can be, not what should be. You've experienced it. When you read a blog post full of "don'ts" and "shoulds", you likely feel, after a while, that there's no point bothering. Language that suggests, even if unintentionally, that we are hopeless does not make a reader super giddy to latch onto your product. The "shoulds", especially, are wearing after a while. Think about the internal conversations you have in your head. "I shouldn't have eaten that." "I should pay that bill." "I should exercise more." "I should be a harder worker." It goes on and on and after a while, you feel mostly like a failure and quite anxious that you're never going to catch up and do all the things you should do. You most certainly don't need a blog post filled with a pile of "shoulds" to add to the load. Yet, your copy is doing that, isn't it? It's telling readers what they should do. Again, this is all about the language you use. How can you tell someone what they should do without reminding them of the "shoulds" already running through their head? Find another word. It's that easy. If you write a sentence with the word "should" in it, find another way to write it. Find another word. Use the implied "you." Cut the word "should" out totally by relying on the implied you. Look at #3 below. Instead of "you should tap into consumer confidence", I simply wrote "tap into consumer confidence." Such a subtle thing, but it helps. Balance what is and what should be. I hate to write a post that is all about what the reader should do. I try to find a mix, whether that means starting with some research and proof to prime the pump, or an introduction of another nature. Can you provide the reader with the confidence that they have what it takes to balance out that they are missing something? You should. (heh.) 3. Tap into that consumer confidence. If confidence inspires a nation to buy, personal confidence can prompt your reader to do the same. Are you creating confident readers? Here's a quick checklist to see if you are: Copy full of caveats. Is your copy full of caveats, those words and phrases that let you back out of a stance if you lose face? Do you find yourself using "I think" or "Maybe" or "Possibly" or "I believe" or any other word that allows you to say something bold while also leaving weak wiggle room? Have you ever used the defense, when called on something you said, that "I just said it's what I believe, not that it's always true"? Because that isn't copy that inspires confidence. After prolonged exposure to these filler words, the reader sees you as almost apologetic about your ideas. Write in confidence, and remember to cut out these words when editing. Skip the preface and state your idea boldly. You walk your talk. You may be writing lots of helpful content on how to be a better this and an awesome that, but do you live those words yourself? A reader might not know if you don't, but it does show in both your blog copy as well as in the ensuing comments section. There's nothing worse than reading a great post about how to organize your life and then asking the author if it has worked, only to hear "I don't actually know...I don't use this method." Find testimonials and experts. While  testimonials aren't  appropriate for all copy, you should use them  to show that what you are talking about is true. Or, find research or experts that can support your findings so that the reader feels confidence not only from the outside expert, but from a wee bit of social proof ("it's not just the author that says this- others do, too!"). Just as a newspaper reporter must find people to quote to show that the report is not fabricated, you should do the same in your copy. Show with video. I'm a sucker for infomercials, because when they show how the amazing product works right there on the screen, I'm completely convinced. Depending upon what you're writing about, use video and photographs to show that yes, this is really the truth. Confident readers are trusting readers, and trusting readers convert. Confident readers are trusting readers, and trusting readers convert. #contentmarketing4. Write with high energy. High energy (without slipping into freakish psycho making people back away slowly) makes the sale. The lack of high energy kills great copy. What do you think is the biggest killer of copy energy?  My vote goes for passive voice. Sometimes, passive voice happens. It is acceptable when the person/thing acted on needs attention, or when the actor does not. Or, maybe you know the action and need to convey it in your copy, but don't know who did it. You can't find the facts. And so, you resort to "the bottle was filled" because you don't want to say "Jane filled the bottle" if you don't know if she did or not. Passive voice exists for a reason. But continuous use of passive voice leads to a kind of dry and almost academic copy. That is not high energy. Consider the following paragraph, and how it makes you feel when you read it. The solution is made clear. These tips are given to you by me. The copy should be carefully considered by you. This post is hopefully enjoyed by our readers. No action. No energy. The solution is clear. I gave you these tips. You should consider this copy carefully. Our readers enjoy this post. Much better. How else do you write with high energy? Use action words instead of adjectives. Inject cacophony into your copy. Vary sentence and paragraph length. Read your post out loud before publishing to see how it sounds and feels, if it seems to slow in parts or if it moves along at a crisp, clear pace. Those slow parts will need editing. How Will You Write Content That Converts? People spend money when they need a distraction or a pick-me-up. They also spend money when they are confident that they have it to spend and that they won't find themselves in trouble for doing it. Let your copy inspire confidence and hope so that your readers are inspired to buy no matter what range their mood is in.

Sultans of the Swahili Culture

Sultans of the Swahili Culture The Kilwa Chronicle is the name of a collected genealogy of the sultans who ruled the Swahili culture from Kilwa. Two texts, one in Arabic and one in Portuguese, were written in the early 1500s, and together they provide a glimpse into the history of the Swahili coast, with particular emphasis on that of Kilwa Kisiwani and its sultans of the Shirazi dynasty. Archaeological excavations at Kilwa and elsewhere have led to a reappraisal of these documents, and it is clear that, as is typical with historical records, the texts are not to be completely trusted as both versions were written or edited with political intent. Regardless of what we today consider the reliability of the documents, they were used as manifestos, created from oral traditions by rulers who followed the Shirazi dynasty to legitimize their authority. Scholars have come to recognize the chronicles semi-mythical aspect, and the Bantu roots of the Swahili language and culture have become less clouded by the Persian mythologies. Kitab al-Sulwa The Arabic version of the Kilwa chronicle  called Kitab al-Sulwa, is a manuscript currently housed in the British Museum. According to Saad (1979), it was compiled by an unknown author about 1520. According to its introduction, the Kitab consists of a rough draft of seven chapters of a proposed ten chapter book. Notations in the margins of the manuscript indicate that its author was still conducting research. Some of the omissions refer to a controversial mid-14th-century document which may have been censored prior to reaching its unknown author. The original manuscript ends abruptly in the middle of the seventh chapter, with the notation here ends what I found. The Portuguese Account The Portuguese document was also prepared by an unknown author, and the text was supplemented by the Portuguese historian Joao de Barros [1496-1570] in 1550. According to Saad (1979), the Portuguese account was likely collected and provided to the Portuguese government during their occupation of Kilwa between 1505 and 1512. Compared to the Arabic version, the genealogy in the Portuguese account purposefully obscures the royal ancestry of Ibrahim bin Sulaiman, a political opponent of the Portuguese-backed sultan at the time. The ploy failed, and the Portuguese were forced to leave Kilwa in 1512. Saad believed that the genealogy at the heart of both manuscripts might have been begun as early as the first rulers of the Mahdali dynasty, circa 1300. Inside the Chronicle The traditional legend for the rise of the Swahili culture comes from the Kilwa Chronicle, which states that the Kilwa state rose as a result of an influx of Persian sultans who entered Kilwa in the 10th century. Chittick (1968) revised the entry date to about 200 years later, and most scholars today are of the opinion that immigration from Persia is overstated. The Chronicle (as described in Elkiss) includes an origins legend that describes emigration of the sultans of Shiraz into the Swahili coast and their founding of Kilwa. The Arabic version of the chronicle describes the first sultan of Kilwa, Ali ibn Hasan, as a Shiraz prince who with his six sons left Persia for east Africa because he had dreamed that his country was about to fall. Ali decided to establish his new state on the island of Kilwa Kisiwani  and purchased the island from the African king who lived there. The chronicles say Ali fortified Kilwa and increased the flow of trade to the island, expanding Kilwa by capturing the adjacent island of Mafia. The sultan was advised by councils of princes, elders, and members of the ruling house, likely controlling the religious and military offices of the state. Shirazi Successors Alis descendants had varied success, say the chronicles: some were deposed, one beheaded, and one thrown down a well. The sultans discovered the gold trade from Sofala by accident (a lost fisherman ran across a merchant ship bearing gold, and related the story when he returned home). Kilwa combined force and diplomacy to take over the port at Sofala and began charging exorbitant​ custom duties on all comers. From those profits, Kilwa began constructing its stone architecture. By now, in the 12th century (according to the chronicles), Kilwas political structure included the sultan and the royal family, an emir (military leader), a wazir (prime minister), a muhtasib (police chief), and a kadhi (chief justice); minor functionaries included resident governors, tax collectors, and official auditors. Sultans of Kilwa The following is a list of Shiraz dynasty sultans, according to the Arabic version of the Kilwa Chronicle as published in Chittick (1965). al-Hasan bin Ali, 1st Sultan of Shiraz (before 957)Ali bin Bashat (996-999)Daud bin Ali (999-1003)Khalid bin Bakr (1003-1005)al-Hasan bin Sulaiman bin Ali (1005-1017)Muhammad bin al-Husain al-Mandhir (1017-1029)al-Hasan bin Sulaiman bin Ali (1029-1042)al bin Daud (1042-1100)al bin Daud (1100-1106)al-Hasan bin Daud bin Ali (1106-1129)al-Hasan bin Talut (1277-1294)Daud bin Sulaiman (1308-1310)al-Hasan bin Sulaiman al-Matun bin al-Hasan bin Talut (1310-1333)Daud bin Sulaiman (1333-1356)al-Husain bin Sulaiman (1356-1362)Talut bin al-Husain (1362-1364)al-Husain bin Sulaiman (1412-1421)Sulaiman bin Muhammad al-Malik al-Adil (1421-1442) Chittick (1965) was of the opinion that the dates in the Kilwa chronicle were too early, and the. Shirazi dynasty began no earlier than the late 12th century. A hoard of coins found at Mtambwe. Mkuu have provided support for the start of the Shirazi dynasty as the 11th century. Other Evidence The Periplus of the Erythrean Sea (Periplus Maris Erythrae) 40 AD, a travel guide written by an unnamed Greek sailor, mentioned visiting the eastern coast of Africa. The Islamic biographer and geographer Yaqut al-Hamawi [1179-1229], wrote about Mogadishu in the 13th century, describing it as a frontier between Barbar and Zanj, visited Zanzibar and Pemba islands. The Moroccan scholar Ibn Battuta visited in 1331, and, 20 years later wrote a memoir including this visit. He describes Mogadishu, Kilwa, and Mombasa. Sources Chittick HN. 1965. The Shirazi Colonization of East Africa. Journal of African History 6(3):275-294. Chittick HN. 1968. Ibn Battuta and east Africa. Journal de la Socià ©tà © des Africanistes 38:239-241. Elkiss TH. 1973. Kilwa Kisiwani: The Rise of an East African City-State. African Studies Review 16(1):119-130. Saad E. 1979. Kilwa Dynastic Historiography: A Critical Study. History in Africa 6:177-207. Wynne-Jones S. 2007. Creating urban communities at Kilwa Kisiwani, Tanzania, AD 800-1300. Antiquity 81:368-380.