Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Zanzibar History
Zanzibar History
w. H. INGRAMS
TO
HIS HIGHNESS SEVVID SIR KHALIFA BIN HARUB.
K.C.M.G., K.B.E.,
SULTAN OF ZANZIBAR
AND TO
HIS SUBJECTS,
PREFACE 5
INTRODUCTORY
CHAPTER I
ZANZIBAR
Introduction-Geographical delimitations-Geological history
-Fauna and flora-Derivation of the name . . 19
CHAPTER II
THE PEOPLE
Population-Inhabitants-Connection of the Indians with the
coast from the earliest times to the present day-Political
and economic condition of the natives 27
PART I-HISTORICAL
A. EARLY HISTORY AND EXTERNAL
INFLUENCES
CHAPTER III
Introduction-Stone Age-The first inhabitants of Zanzibar-
The heliolithic culture-The Sumerians-The Assyrians
-The Chaldeans, Medes and Persians 41
CHAPTER IV
The ancient Egyptians-The Phrenicians-The Jews-The
Greeks-The Sabreans and Himyarites . 47
CHAPTER V
The Beginning of the Christian era-Resume of the early
trade on the Zanzibar ('oast. .. 59
CHAPTER VI
Rea.c;ons for paucity of information on East Africa from the
second to seventh centuries-The Bantu invasion-The
coast from the second to seventh centuries 6g
CHAPTER VII
IlARJ.Y MOD]!RN VISITORS FROM THE NEAR !lAST
The first emigration from Oman to Zanzibar-Other early
emigrations from Asia-The conversion of the coast to
Is1a.in-Records of the Arabian geographers 73
II
12 CONTENTS
CHAPTER VIII
VISITORS 'ROM THE FAR EAST rAG.
CHAPTER XI
Period of the Zinj Empire-History of Zanzibar-History of
Pemba-History of Tumbatu . . . . 131
CHAPTER XII
NATIVE DYNASTIES 0' ZANZIBAR
Th~ Mwenyi Mkuu of Zanzibar Island-The Diwanis of
Pemba-The Sheha of Tumbatu 147
CHAPTER XIV
THI REIGN or SIYYID KRALI'A BIN SAID TO THE PRESENT DAY
Seyyid Khalifa bin Said-Seyyid Ali bin Said-Seyyid
Hamed bin Thwain-Seyyid Khaled bin Barghash-
Seyyid Hamoud bin Mohammed-Seyyid Ali bin Hamoud
-Seyyid Khalifa bin Harub . . . . . 17::1
PART II-ETHNOLOGICAL
A. FOREIGN INFLUENCES
CHAPTER XV
Introduction .
CHAPTER XVI
The Khawarij-The Ibathis and their Imamate
CONTENT$ 13
CHAPTER XVII
The Arabs of Zanzibar-Birth and infancy-Courtship and
marriage-Death and burial . 194
CHAPTER XVIII
Social Organization-Occupation and relaxation-Politeness
and hospitality-Religious duties in everyday life-
Superstitions-Arab architecture and Zanzibar doors . 204
CHAPTER XIX
Some notes on the life of Swahilis and freed slaves
MAPS
MAP OF ZANZIBAR AND PI!MBA SHOWING DISTRIBUTION OF
POPULATION 31
MAP OF THJl AZANIAN OCEAN • 6:
IS
INTRODUCTORY
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
GEOGRAPHICAL DELIMITATIONS
The Zanzibar Protectorate, as defined by the
Zanzibar Order-in-Council 1924, comprises the
Islands of Zanzibar and 'Pemba and islands within
the territorial waters thereof. This definition is some-
what smaller than that in the proces-verbal of the
9th of June, 1886, defining the territories of the
Sultan of Zanzibar, which includes all islets within
a 12-miles radius of Zanzibar and Pemba. The
19
20 ZANZIBAR
Zanzibar Sultanate includes not only Zanzibar and
Pemba and islands geographically dependent on
them and Latham Island, but also the lo-mile wide
coast strip of Kenya Protectorate.
The lsland of Zanzibar is situated in 6° S.
latitude, and is separated from the mainland by a
channel 221 miles across at its narrowest part. It is
the largest coralline island on the African coast,
being 54 miles long by 24 broad (maximum measure-
ment), and having an area of 640 square miles. To
the north-west of Zanzibar, separated by a channel
about a mile wide, is the Island of Tumbatu, which is
of ethnological importance, as it is the headquarters
of one of the three tribes of the protectorate. It is
administratively included with Zanzibar Island. It is
6 miles long and one wide, and is 3,619 acres in
extent.
Some 25 miles to the north-east of Zanzibar,
athwart the 5th degree of South Latitude, lies the
Island of Pemba. It is smaller than Zanzibar, being
42 miles long by 14 broad (maximum measurement),
and having an area of 380 square miles.
The annual rain-fall amounts approximately in
Zanzibar to 56 inches, and in Pemba to 75 inches.
The rainy seasons are well defined; the heavy rains
occur in April and May, previous to the setting in of
the south-west monsoon, the light rains in November
and December, before the recurrence of the north-east
monsoon. The mean maximum temperature in
Zanzibar is 84'9, and the mean minimum 76'6, The
corresponding figures for Pemba are 83'6 and 73'2·
respectively.
Thirty-five miles to the south of Zanzibar lies
Latham Island. It is a small island inhabited only
by vast numbers of sea-birds utterly fearless of man.
Known to the natives as Shan Jove or Fungu
Kizimkazi, it was probably originally discovered by
the Portuguese, but named after the East Indiaman
Latham, which rediscovered it in 1758. It was
annexed to Zanzibar in the nineties,
GEOLOGICAL HISTORY 21
GEOLOGICAL HISTORY
VEGETATION
CONTENTS
AN MPJlMBA GIRL
A PJlMBA BULL-FIGHT •
DEMA FISHING-TRAPS •
A SEWN BOAT.
COOKING UTIlNSILS
BLACKSMITHS AT WORK