Early History
until 1815 		1886-1918







The Emergence of the Sultanate of Zanzibar



In 1841, Sultan SAYYID SAID of Oman (1804-1856) moved his capital from Muscat to Zanzibar. In 1856, his Sultanate was partitioned, son MAJID inheriting the SULTANATE OF ZANZIBAR.
The Sultanate extended beyond the island of Zanzibar, including the islandof PEMBA further north. The Sultan's suzerainty was recognized along the coast of nearby East Africa, up north to the WITU REGION (modern Kenia).
Zanzibar was a trade center, slaves and ivory being the dominant commodities. The cultivation of CLOVES had been introduced in 1818, and it became the major plantation crop on the island. Cornevin describes mid 19th century Zanzibar as the world's largest market for cloves, ivory and slaves. Zanzibar became the prime outlet of a growing network of caravans which opened up Africa's interior. Imported wares, mainly rifles and ammunition, provided the owners of caravans with the means to establish and expand theur business and base of power.
In 1873 the British Navy compelled Sultan BARGASH to abolish slave trade).
The British have long played a role as advisers to the Sultan of Zanzibar. In 1877, Sultan Bargash, in communication with the Germans, refused a British protectorate; in 1880, Germany's chancellor Bismarck rejected a request by the Sultan of Zanzibar for a German protectorate. In 1886, Britain and Germany, both interested in the acquisition of colonies, agreed on partitioning the mainland territories of the Sultanate, ostensibly to suppress the slave trade the Sultan had nominally abolished and was unable to suppress, technically while respecting the Sultan's sovereignty. Britain would receive British East Africa (Kenya), while Germany would receive German East Africa (Tanzania).
Zanzibar, i.e. the islands of Zanzibar and Pemba, remained independent until 1890.







EXTERNAL
FILES 		History of Zanzibar, from Zanzibar.net
Articles from Infoplease : Zanzibar
Links to Zanzibar History, from Looksmart
Zanzibar History Page from Zanzinet, detailed subfiles
History of Tanzania, from geographia.com
Deutsch-Witu and Sansibar, from Deutsche Schutzgebiete, in German
Omani Arab Rule in Zanzibar
African History Timeline : 19th century Egypt and East Africa, by Jim Jones
Zanzibar's Commercial Empire, from East Africa, the Western Indian Ocean Basin, and the World Economy, 1760 to 1880 from College Board AP World History
The Partition of Africa 1884-1902 and the "Lunatic Express", from Kenya Online - Hakuna Matata, mentions request for protectorate 1880
DOCUMENTS Illustration of Sultan Said Barghash, from Allah - Divine or Demonic by Stephen van Nattan
Map of 1821 by William C. Woodbridge, from Yale Univ. Library, has COAST OF ZANGUEBAR extend from Zambezi estuary to Juba River
Article Zanzibar, Tanzania, from almanach.be, scroll down for early rulers
List of Sultans of Zanzibar, from Regnal Chronologies, scroll down for Zanzibar
REFERENCE Les debuts de l'esclavagisme arabe de Zanzibar (1810-1850), from Robert Cornevin, Histoire du Congo, Paris 1970 pp.53-54; La Grande Offensive des Negriers de Zanzibar et de Khartoum (apres 1860); from ditto pp.73-77



This page is part of World History at KMLA
First posted in 2001, last revised on November 7th 2004

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