List of Sultans of Zanzibar

The post of Sultan of Zanzibar was created on 19 October 1856, after the death of Sa'id ibn Sultan, who had ruled Oman and Zanzibar as the Sultan of Oman since 1804. The Sultans of Zanzibar were of a cadet branch of the Al Bu Sa'id Dynasty of Oman.

In 1698, Zanzibar became part of the overseas holdings of Oman, falling under the control of the Sultan of Oman. The Arabs established garrisons at Zanzibar, Pemba, and Kilwa. In 1832 [Harvnb|Ingrams|1967|p=162] or 1840,Harvnb|Appiah|Gates|1999|p=2045] the date varies among sources, Sa'id ibn Sultan moved his capital from Muscat in Oman to Stone Town. He established a ruling Arab elite and encouraged the development of clove plantations, using the island's slave labour. [Harvnb|Ingrams|1967|p=163] Zanzibar's commerce fell increasingly into the hands of traders from the Indian subcontinent, whom Sa'id encouraged to settle on the island. After his death in 1856, two of his sons—Majid ibn Sa'id and Thuwaini ibn Sa'id—struggled over the succession. Zanzibar and Oman were divided into two separate principalities. Majid became the Sultan of Zanzibar, while Thuwaini became the Sultan of Oman. [Harvnb|Ingrams|1967|pp=163–164] During his 14-year reign as sultan, Majid consolidated his power around the East African slave trade. His successor, Bargash ibn Sa'id, helped abolish the slave trade in Zanzibar and largely developed the country's infrastructure.Harvnb|Michler|2007|p=37] The third sultan, Khalifa ibn Sa'id, also furthered the country's progress toward abolishing slavery.Harvnb|Ingrams|1967|p=172]

Until 1886, the Sultan of Zanzibar controlled a substantial portion of the east African coast, known as Zanj, and trading routes extending much further across the continent, as far as Kindu on the Congo River. That year, the British and Germans secretly met and re-established the area under the sultan's rule. Over the next few years, most of the mainland possessions of the sultanate were taken by European imperial powers. With the signing of the Heligoland-Zanzibar Treaty in 1890 during Ali ibn Sa'id's reign, Zanzibar became a British protectorate. [Harvnb|Ingrams|1967|pp=172–173] In August 1896, Britain and Zanzibar fought a 38-minute war, the shortest in recorded history, after Khalid ibn Barghash had taken power after Hamid ibn Thuwaini's death. The British had wanted Hamoud bin Mohammed to become the sultan, believing that he would be much easier to work with. The British gave Khalid an hour to vacate the sultan palace in Stone Town. Khalid failed to do so, and instead assembled an army of 2,800 men to fight the British. The British launched an attack on the palace and other locations around the city. Khalid retreated and later went into exile. Hamoud was then peacefully installed as the sultan. [Harvnb|Michler|2007|p=31]

In December 1963, Zanzibar was granted independence by the United Kingdom and became a constitutional monarchy under the sultan.Harvnb|United States Department of State|1975|p=986] The sultan, Jamshid ibn Abdullah, was overthrown a month later during the Zanzibar Revolution. [Harvnb|Ayany|1970|p=122] Jamshid fled into exile, and the sultanate was replaced by the Republic of Zanzibar and Pemba. In April 1964, the republic was united with Tanganyika to form the United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar, which became known as Tanzania six months later.

ultans of Zanzibar

ee also

* Lists of incumbents
* List of Presidents of Tanzania
* List of Presidents of Zanzibar
* Heads of Government of Zanzibar
* Sultan of Oman

Footnotes

*note label|Note1|A|A Majid ibn Sa'id, the youngest son of Sa'id bin Sultan, became the Sultan of Oman after his father's death on 19 October 1856. However, Majid's elder brother, Thuwaini bin Sa'id, contested the accession to power. Following a struggle over the position, it was decided that Zanzibar and Oman would be divided into two separate principalities. Majid would rule as the Sultan of Zanzibar while Thuwaini would rule as the Sultan of Oman. [Harvnb|Keane|1907|p=483]
*note label|Note1|B|B From 1886, the United Kingdom and Germany had plotted to obtain parts of the Zanzibar sultanate for their own empires. In October 1886, a German-British border commission established the Zanj as a 10 nautical mile (19 km) wide strip along most of the coast of East Africa, stretching from Cape Delgado (now in Mozambique) to Kipini (now in Kenya), including Mombasa and Dar es Salaam, all offshore islands, and several towns in what is now Somalia. Over the next few years, almost all of these mainland possessions were lost to European imperial powers.
*note label|Note1|C|C Hamoud bin Mohammed, the son-in-law of Majid bin Sa'id, was supposed to become the Sultan of Zanzibar after Hamid ibn Thuwayni's death. However, Khalid ibn Bhargash, son of Bargash ibn Sa'id, seized the sultan's palace and declared himself the ruler of Zanzibar. The British, who had supported Hamoud, responded on 26 August by issuing an ultimatum to Khalid and his men to leave the palace within one hour. After he refused, the Royal Navy began firing at the palace and other locations in Stone Town. Khalid assembled an army of 2,800 and stationed them all around the town. Thirty-eight minutes later, Khalid retreated to the German consulate, where he was granted asylum. This conflict, known as the Anglo-Zanzibar War, was the shortest war in recorded history. Khalid later went into exile in Dar es Salaam until being captured by the British in 1916. [Harvnb|Ingrams|1967|pp=174–175] [Harvnb|Owens|2007|pp=1–5]
*note label|Note1|D|DAfter attending the coronation of King George V, Ali decided to abdicate from the throne to live in Europe.
*note label|Note1|E|E Abdullah ibn Khalifah died from complications of diabetes.
*note label|Note1|F|F Jamshid ibn Abdullah overthrown on 12 January 1964 during the Zanzibar Revolution. [citation|last=Conley|first=Robert|title=African Revolt Overturns Arab Regime in Zanzibar|date=13 January 1964|newspaper=The New York Times|pages=pp. 1, 8|accessdate = 2008-06-16] Jamshid managed to flee to Great Britain with his family and ministers where he travelled around England from hotel to hotel. [citation|title=London Cuts Support For Rent-Poor Sultan|date=26 January 1964|newspaper=The New York Times|page=p. 2|accessdate = 2008-06-16]

References

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*citation|last=Ayany|first=Samuel G.|title=A History of Zanzibar: A Study in Constitutional Development, 1934-1964|publisher=East African Literature Bureau|location=Nairobi|year=1970|isbn=|oclc=201465.
*citation|last=Ingrams|first=William H.|title=Zanzibar: Its History and Its People|publisher=Routledge|location=Abingdon|year=1967|isbn=0-7146-1102-6|oclc=186237036.
*citation|last=Keane|first=Augustus H.|title=Africa|publisher=Edward Stanford|location=London|year=1907|edition=2nd|volume=1
url=http://books.google.com/books?id=NrgBAAAAYAAJ&printsec=titlepage&source=gbs_summary_r&cad=0|oclc=6646364.
*citation|last=Michler|first=Ian|title=Zanzibar: The Insider's Guide|publisher=Struik Publishers|location=Cape Town|year=2007|edition=2nd|isbn=1-77007-014-1|oclc=165410708.
*citation|last=Owens|first=Geoffrey R.|title=Exploring the Articulation of Governmentality and Sovereignty: The Chwaka Road and the Bombardment of Zanzibar, 1895-1896 |publisher=Johns Hopkins University Press|journal=Journal of Colonialism and Colonial History|year=2007|volume=7|issue=2|pages=1–55|url=http://muse.jhu.edu/login?uri=/journals/journal_of_colonialism_and_colonial_history/v008/8.2owens.html|issn=1532-5768|oclc=45037899|doi=10.1353/cch.2007.0036.
*citation|last=United States Department of State|first=|author-link=United States Department of State|title=Countries of the World and Their Leaders |publisher=Gale Research Company|location=Detroit|year=1975|edition=2nd|isbn=|oclc=1492755.

;Specific

External links

* [http://www.zanzibar-web.com/sultans.html Omani Arab Rule In Zanzibar]