| Battle of Shela | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
| Lamu | Mombasa and Pate. | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Zahidi Mngumi of Lamu | Sultan Ahmed of Pate | ||||||
  Location on the East African coast | |||||||
The Battle of Shela (or Kuduhu) occurred around 1812 on the sand dunes near the village of Shela on Lamu Island, in what is now Kenya, just south of the larger village of Lamu. The people of Lamu won against superior forces from Mombasa and Pate. The battle led to the domination of the coast by the rulers of Oman.
The Lamu Archipelago is a group of three islands off the coast of what is now Kenya. The largest and most fertile is Pate, the northernmost. Manda lies to the south of Pate, separated by a narrow channel from Lamu, the farthest south. Manda and Lamu are sandy and covered with dunes. Lamu supports mango and coconut trees. The islands provide the best anchorages on the coast north of Mombasa. [1]
The battle was one of several between the people of Lamu and Pate during the 18th and 19th centuries. [2] At the time of the war the population of Lamu was estimated at between 15,000 and 21,000, and the town was expanding its trade while Pate was in decline. The sultans of Pate had taken to living in Lamu. [3] Both the Nabahani of Pate and their allies the Mazrui of Mombasa were recent arrivals with Arab origins. [4] The conflict arose from resentment over domination by Pate by the Suudi elders of Lamu. [5] When the Sultan of Pate, Fumo Madi, died, a contest for the succession began between his son Fumo Luti Kipunga and Ahmad bin Shaykh, a cousin. The Mazrui of Mombasa sided with Ahmad and sent troops to support his claim. [6]
The date of the battle is uncertain, but it was some time between 1807 and 1813. [7] Most of the fighting occurred at Hidabu Hill. [2] Lamu gained an unexpected victory over the forces of Pate and Mombasa. The story is that the tide unexpectedly retreated and stranded the invaders' boats, and while they tried to float them they were massacred. [8] According to the Pate Chronicle, 81 "important" people died, as well as numerous slaves and "unimportant" people. The sands of the battle site held the skulls and bones of the dead for many years. [7]
The continued threat from their neighbors prompted the people of Lamu to call for help from Oman. [8] Said bin Sultan, Sultan of Muscat and Oman (r. 1804-1856) sent a governor to Lamu around 1814. [9] Sultan Sayyid Said bin Sultan assisted in construction of Lamu Fort, which began in 1813 and was completed around 1821. [10] The Sultan used Fort Lamu as a base for defeating the Mazrui rebels in Mombasa, and for establishing control over the East African coast. He moved the capital of his sultanate to Zanzibar. With its strategic importance lost, Lamu soon declined in economic importance compared to Mombasa and Zanzibar. [8] As a result, Pouwels argues that the Battle of Shela formed a decision point in the history of the coast of Kenya. [11]
Lamu or Lamu Town is a small town on Lamu Island, which in turn is a part of the Lamu Archipelago in Kenya. Situated 341 kilometres (212 mi) by road northeast of Mombasa that ends at Mokowe Jetty, from where the sea channel has to be crossed to reach Lamu Island. It is the headquarter of Lamu County and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Wituland was a territory of approximately 3,000 square kilometres (1,200 sq mi) in East Africa centered on the town of Witu just inland from Indian Ocean port of Lamu north of the mouth of the Tana River in what is now Kenya.
Pate (Paté) Island is located in the Indian Ocean close to the northern coast of Kenya, to which it belongs. It is the largest island in the Lamu Archipelago, which lie between the towns of Lamu and Kiunga in the former Coast Province. The island is almost completely surrounded by mangroves.
Takaungu is a historic Swahili town located on the Kenyan Coast between Mombasa and Malindi, in Kilifi County.
Lamu Island is a port, city, and island just off the shore of Kenya in the Indian Ocean approximately 150 miles from Mombasa. It is a part of the East African country of Kenya. Lamu was founded in the 12th century. Lamu is one of the longest-established and best-preserved remaining settlements of the Swahili tradition in east Africa that remains today. The island has continually been inhabited for over seven hundred years, and continues to be an important center in eastern Africa.
Fumo Madi ibn Abi Bakr was Sultan of Pate, Kenya . Around 1800 the Pate Sultan took over Lamu, however, they were deeply resented by the people of Lamu. Fumomadi was persuaded to build a fort on the seafront in Lamu Town, to protect members of his government. He died before the first storey of the fort was completed.
Saif bin Sultan was the fourth of the Yaruba dynasty Imams of Oman, a member of the Ibadi sect. He ruled from 1692 to 1711, during which Omani presence became firmly established on the coast of East Africa.
The Segeju are a Bantu ethnolinguistic group mostly based in Tanzania's Tanga Region and Kenya's Kwale County. Most Segeju reside in the small coastal strip between the Tanzanian city of Tanga and the Kenyan-Tanzanian border. However, some Segeju have migrated to urban areas in other parts of Tanzania or Kenya, in hopes of better employment opportunities and quality of life. Segeju migration to urban areas often results in severance of community ties, leading to a lack of transmission of important cultural traditions and language.
Swahili architecture is a term used to designate a whole range of diverse building traditions practiced or once practiced along the eastern and southeastern coasts of Africa. Rather than simple derivatives of Islamic architecture from the Arabic world, Swahili stone architecture is a distinct local product as a result of evolving social and religious traditions, environmental changes, and urban development.
The Sultanate of Zanzibar, also known as the Zanzibar Sultanate, was an East African Muslim state controlled by the Sultan of Zanzibar, in place between 1856 and 1964. The Sultanate's territories varied over time, and after a period of decline, the state had sovereignty over only the Zanzibar Archipelago and a 16-kilometre-wide (10 mi) strip along the Kenyan coast, with the interior of Kenya constituting the British Kenya Colony and the coastal strip administered as a de facto part of that colony.
Swahili literature is literature written in the Swahili language, particularly by Swahili people of the East African coast and the neighboring islands. It may also refer to literature written by people who write in the Swahili language. It is an offshoot of the Bantu culture.
The Swahili coast is a coastal area of East Africa, bordered by the Indian Ocean and inhabited by the Swahili people. It includes Sofala ; Mombasa, Gede, Pate Island, Lamu, and Malindi ; and Dar es Salaam and Kilwa. In addition, several coastal islands are included in the Swahili coast, such as Zanzibar and Comoros.
Omanis are the nationals of Sultanate of Oman, located in the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula. Omanis have inhabited the territory that is now Oman. In the eighteenth century, an alliance of traders and rulers transformed Muscat into the leading port of the Persian Gulf. Omani people are ethnically diverse; the Omani citizen population consists of many different ethnic groups. The majority of the population consists of Arabs, with many of these Arabs being Swahili language speakers and returnees from the Swahili Coast, particularly Zanzibar.
The House of Busaid, also known as Al Said dynasty, is the current ruling royal house of the Oman, and former ruling royal house of the Omani Empire (1744–1856), Sultanate of Muscat and Oman (1856–1970) and the Sultanate of Zanzibar (1856–1964). It was founded by Ahmad bin Said al-Busaidi, ruler of Oman and its east African territories at the time.
Siyu is a settlement on the north coast of Pate Island, within the Lamu Archipelago in Kenya's Coast Province.
The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Mombasa, Coast Province, Kenya.
The Omani Empire was a maritime empire, vying with Portugal and Britain for trade and influence in the Persian Gulf and Indian Ocean. After rising as a regional player in the 18th century, the empire at its peak in the 19th century saw its influence or control extend across the Strait of Hormuz to modern-day Iran and Pakistan, and as far south as Cape Delgado. After the death of Said bin Sultan in 1856 the empire was divided between his sons into two sultanates, an African section ruled by Majid bin Said and an Asian section ruled by Thuwaini bin Said.
The siege of Mombasa was an attack on the Portuguese city of Mombasa and Fort Jesus by the army of the Ya'rubid ruler of Oman, Saif I bin Sultan, from 13 March 1696 to 13 December 1698.
The Yarubid dynasty were rulers of Oman between 1624 and 1742, holding the title of Imam. They expelled the Portuguese from coastal strongholds in Muscat and united the country. They improved agriculture, expanded trade and built up Oman into a major maritime power. Their forces expelled the Portuguese from East Africa and established long-lasting settlements on Zanzibar, Mombasa and other parts of the coast. The dynasty lost power during a succession struggle that started in 1712 and fell after a prolonged period of civil war.
Lamu Fort is a fortress in the town of Lamu in northeastern Kenya. Originally situated on the waterfront, the fort today is located in a central position in the town, about 70 metres (230 ft) from the main jetty on the shore.
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