Read the passage below carefully:
For centuries, the Swahili coast of East Africa served as a vibrant nexus of Indian Ocean commerce, reliant on the construction of sewn boats known as mtepe. Unlike European vessels fastened with iron nails, the mtepe was built entirely by stitching wooden planks together with coconut fibre ropes and securing them with wooden dowels. This unique construction method imparted exceptional flexibility to the hull, allowing the craft to absorb the heavy impact of coral reefs and shallow sandbars without shattering. While modern maritime historians often highlight the aesthetic craftsmanship of these dhows or focus on the specific botanical properties of the mangrove timber used in their frames, the fundamental innovation of the mtepe lay in its structural elasticity. This dynamic resilience allowed coastal merchant guilds to navigate treacherous littoral zones that proved hazardous to rigid foreign ships, thereby sustaining East Africa's autonomous maritime trade networks against external economic monopolization.
Statement: The central thesis of the passage is that the structural flexibility of the mtepe vessel was essential for sustaining autonomous East African maritime trade in dangerous coastal waters.
Is the statement above true or false based on the passage?
Cevap: Cevap