In what ways were the trading cities and inland networks of East Africa linked to trade in the Indian Ocean?

 In what ways were the trading cities and inland networks of East Africa linked to trade in the Indian Ocean?  How does this help us to understand how the Indian Ocean trade network was important to global history in a manner similar to trade in the Atlantic Ocean?  How was the Hindu kingdom of Vijayanagara ruled and how was it dependent upon trade?  In your essay you will wish to discuss the use of dhows, the value of gold dust and ivory in the East African trade, the ways in which Hindu rulers were seen as divine kings, the use of religious tolerance in Vijayanagara, and the importance of rice in the trade networks of the Indian Ocean.