List of Sultans of Zanzibar

Last updated • 7 min readFrom Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia
Sultan of Zanzibar
Flag of the Sultanate of Zanzibar (1963).svg
Sultanate Flag
Majid Bin Saiid2.jpg
Majid Bin Said, first Sultan
Details
First monarch Majid bin Said
Last monarch Jamshid bin Abdullah
Formation1856
Abolition1964
Residence Sultan's Palace, Zanzibar
AppointerHereditary
Pretender(s) Jamshid bin Abdullah

The Sultans of Zanzibar (Arabic : سلاطين زنجبار‎) were the rulers of the Sultanate of Zanzibar, which was created on 19 October 1856 after the death of Said bin 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 Said Dynasty of Oman. [1]

Contents

In 1698, Zanzibar became part of the overseas holdings of Oman, falling under the control of the Sultan of Oman. In 1832, [2] or 1840 [3] (the date varies among sources), Said bin 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. [4] Zanzibar's commerce fell increasingly into the hands of traders from the Indian subcontinent, whom Said encouraged to settle on the island. After his death in 1856, two of his sons, Majid bin Said and Thuwaini bin Said, struggled over the succession, so Zanzibar and Oman were divided into two separate principalities; Thuwaini became the Sultan of Oman while Majid became the first Sultan of Zanzibar. [5] During his 14-year reign as Sultan, Majid consolidated his power around the East African slave trade. His successor, Barghash bin Said, helped abolish the slave trade in Zanzibar and largely developed the country's infrastructure. [6] The third Sultan, Khalifa bin Said, also furthered the country's progress toward abolishing slavery. [7]

Until 1886, the Sultan of Zanzibar controlled a substantial portion of the east African coast, known as Zanj, and trading routes extending further into 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 bin Said's reign, Zanzibar became a British protectorate. [8] In August 1896, Britain and Zanzibar fought a 38-minute war, the shortest in recorded history, after Khalid bin Barghash had taken power after Hamid bin Thuwaini's death. The British had wanted Hamoud bin Mohammed to become Sultan, believing that he would be much easier to work with. The British gave Khalid an hour to vacate the Sultan's 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 installed as Sultan. [9]

In December 1963, Zanzibar was granted independence by the United Kingdom and became a constitutional monarchy under the Sultan. [10] Sultan Jamshid bin Abdullah was overthrown a month later during the Zanzibar Revolution. [11] Jamshid fled into exile, and the Sultanate was replaced by the People's 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. [3]

Sultans of Zanzibar

No.SultanFull namePortraitBegan ruleEnded ruleNotes
1 Majid bin Said [A] Sayyid Majid bin Said Al-Busaid Majid Bin Saiid2.jpg 19 October 1856 [12] 7 October 1870Bargash bin Said attempted to usurp the throne from his brother in 1859, but failed. He was exiled to Bombay for two years. [13]
2 Barghash bin Said Sayyid Sir Barghash bin Said Al-Busaid Barghash bin Said of Zanzibar.jpg 7 October 187026 March 1888Responsible for developing much of the infrastructure in Zanzibar (especially Stone Town), like piped water, telegraph cables, buildings, roads, etc. Helped abolish the slave trade in Zanzibar by signing an agreement with Britain in 1870, prohibiting slave trade in the sultanate, and closing the slave market in Mkunazini. [6]
3 Khalifa bin Said Sayyid Sir Khalifa I bin Said Al-Busaid Seyid Chalifa ben Said.jpg 26 March 188813 February 1890Supported abolitionism, like his predecessor. [7]
4 Ali bin Said Sayyid Sir Ali bin Said Al-Busaid Ali bin said.jpg 13 February 18905 March 1893The British and German Empires signed the Heligoland-Zanzibar Treaty in July 1890. This treaty turned Zanzibar into a British protectorate. [B]
5 Hamid bin Thuwayni Sayyid Sir Hamad bin Thuwaini Al-Busaid Hamad bin Thwiny.jpg 5 March 1893 [14] 25 August 1896
6 Khalid bin Barghash Sayyid Khalid bin Barghash Al-Busaid Kalid bin Barghash.jpg 25 August 189627 August 1896 [C] Was a belligerent in the Anglo-Zanzibar War, the shortest war in recorded history.
7 Hamoud bin Mohammed Sayyid Sir Hamoud bin Mohammed Al-Said Hamoud bin mhamed.jpg 27 August 1896 [15] 18 July 1902Issued the final decree abolishing slavery from Zanzibar on 6 April 1897. [15] For this, he was knighted by Queen Victoria.
8 Ali bin Hamud Sayyid Ali bin Hamud Al-Busaid Zanz-Ali II.jpg 20 July 1902 [16] 9 December 1911 [D] The British First Minister, Mr A. Rogers, served as regent until Ali reached the age of 21 on 7 June 1905. [17]
9 Khalifa bin Harub Sayyid Sir Khalifa II bin Harub Al-Said Khalifa bin Hareb.jpg 9 December 19119 October 1960Brother-in-law of Ali bin Hamud. Oversaw the construction of harbor in Stone Town and tar roads in Pemba. [6] [18]
10 Abdullah bin Khalifa Sayyid Sir Abdullah bin Khalifa Al-Said9 October 19601 July 1963 [E]
11 Jamshid bin Abdullah Sayyid Sir Jamshid bin Abdullah Al Said Jamshid ben Abdallah.jpg 1 July 196312 January 1964 [F] On 10 December 1963, Zanzibar received its independence from the United Kingdom as a constitutional monarchy under Jamshid. [10]

Pretenders since 1964

No.SultanFull namePortraitBegan ruleEnded ruleNotes
11 Jamshid bin Abdullah Sayyid Sir Jamshid bin Abdullah Al Said12 January 1964Present.

Family tree

[19]

See also

Footnotes

Related Research Articles

History of Oman aspect of history

Oman is the site of pre-historic human habitation, stretching back over 100,000 years. The region was impacted by powerful invaders, including other Arab tribes, Portugal and Britain. Oman once possessed the island of Zanzibar, on the east coast of Africa as a colony.

Zanzibar Semi-autonomous part of Tanzania

Zanzibar is a semi-autonomous region of Tanzania. It is composed of the Zanzibar Archipelago in the Indian Ocean, 25–50 kilometres (16–31 mi) off the coast of the mainland, and consists of many small islands and two large ones: Unguja and Pemba Island. The capital is Zanzibar City, located on the island of Unguja. Its historic centre is Stone Town, which is a World Heritage Site.

Banaadir Region in Somalia

Benaadir is an administrative region (gobol) in southeastern Somalia. It covers the same area as the city of Mogadishu, Somalia's capital. Although by far the smallest administrative region in Somalia, it has the largest population, estimated at 1,650,227 in 2014.

Hamoud bin Mohammed of Zanzibar Omani sultan of Zanzibar

Sayyid Hamoud bin Mohammed Al-Said, GCSI, was the British-controlled Omani sultan of the protectorate of Zanzibar, who outlawed slavery on the island.

Barghash bin Said of Zanzibar

SayyidBarghash bin Said Al-Busaid, GCMG, GCTE, He was an Omani Sultan and the son of Said bin Sultan, was the second Sultan of Zanzibar. Barghash ruled Zanzibar from October 7, 1870, to March 26, 1888.

Ali bin Said of Zanzibar Fourth Sultan of Zanzibar 1890-1893

Sayyid Ali bin Said Al-Busaid, GCSI, was the fourth Sultan of Zanzibar. He ruled Zanzibar from February 13, 1890, to March 5, 1893, and was succeeded by his nephew, Hamad bin Thuwaini Al-Busaid.

Majid bin Said of Zanzibar Sultan of Zanzibar

Sayyid Majid bin Said Al-Busaidi was the first Sultan of Zanzibar. He ruled Zanzibar from October 19, 1856 to October 7, 1870.

Hamad bin Thuwaini of Zanzibar Sultan of Zanzibar

Sayyid Hamad bin Thuwaini Al-Busaid, GCSI, was the fifth Sultan of Zanzibar. He ruled Zanzibar from March 5, 1893 to August 25, 1896.

Khalid bin Barghash of Zanzibar Sultan of Zanzibar

Sayyid Khalid bin Barghash Al-Busaid was the sixth Sultan of Zanzibar and the eldest son of the second Sultan of Zanzibar, Sayyid Barghash bin Said Al-Busaid. Khalid briefly ruled Zanzibar, seizing power after the sudden death of his cousin Sayyid Hamad bin Thuwaini of Zanzibar who many suspect was poisoned by Khalid. Britain refused to recognize his claim to the throne, citing a treaty from 1866 which stated that a new Sultan could only accede to the throne with British permission, resulting in the Anglo-Zanzibar War in which Khalid's palace and harem were shelled by British vessels for 38 minutes, killing 500 defenders, before a surrender was received. Khalid fled his palace through a back door to take refuge in the German consulate from which he was smuggled to German East Africa where he received political asylum. He was captured by British forces at Dar es Salaam in 1916 and was exiled to the Seychelles and Saint Helena before being allowed to return to East Africa where he perished in Mombasa in 1927.

Anglo-Zanzibar War Military conflict in 1896, lasting 38 to 45 minutes

The Anglo-Zanzibar War was a military conflict fought between the United Kingdom and the Zanzibar Sultanate on 27 August 1896. The conflict lasted between 38 and 45 minutes, marking it as the shortest recorded war in history. The immediate cause of the war was the death of the pro-British Sultan Hamad bin Thuwaini on 25 August 1896 and the subsequent succession of Sultan Khalid bin Barghash. The British authorities preferred Hamud bin Muhammed, who was more favourable to British interests, as sultan. In accordance with a treaty signed in 1886, a condition for accession to the sultanate was that the candidate obtain the permission of the British consul, and Khalid had not fulfilled this requirement. The British considered this a casus belli and sent an ultimatum to Khalid demanding that he order his forces to stand down and leave the palace. In response, Khalid called up his palace guard and barricaded himself inside the palace.

Emily Ruete German writer, emigrated princess of Zanzibar

Emily Ruete was born in Zanzibar as Salama bint Said, also called Sayyida Salme, a Princess of Zanzibar and Oman. She was the youngest of the 36 children of Sayyid Said bin Sultan Al-Busaid, Sultan of Zanzibar and Oman. She is the author of Memoirs of an Arabian Princess from Zanzibar.

Sultan Thuwaini bin Said al-Said (1821–1866) also called Tueni, Sultan of Muscat and Oman, was the third son of Said bin Sultan, Sultan of Muscat and Oman. Thuwaini was born in Oman, and never visited Zanzibar. When his father was away in Zanzibar, Thuwaini was his representative in Oman.

People have lived in Zanzibar for 20,000 years. History properly starts when the islands became a base for traders voyaging between the African Great Lakes, the Arabian peninsula, and the Indian subcontinent. Unguja offered a protected and defensible harbor, so although the archipelago had few products of value, Omanis and Yemenis settled in what became Zanzibar City as a convenient point from which to trade with towns on the Swahili Coast. They established garrisons on the islands and built the first mosques in the African Great Lakes.

The Order of the Brilliant Star of Zanzibar is a decoration awarded by the Sultan of Zanzibar for meritorious services and since The Order of Independence was created in 1963 it is reserved for the persons rendering extraordinary service to the Sultan, his heirs and successors and other members of the Royal family. It was state order from its inception in 1865 to the overthrow of the Sultanate on 12 January 1964 and currently is House Order of the Zanzibar Royal Family. Current Grand Master is His Majesty Sayyid Jamshid bin Abdullah Al Said, Titular Sultan of Zanzibar. Initially the decoration had two grades, the first of which was usually awarded to foreign heads of state and the second which was further subdivided into five hierarchical classes. Currently the second grade only is being awarded.

House of Al Said ruling dynasty of the Sultanate of Oman and Zanzibar

The House of Al Said is the ruling royal house of the Sultanate of Oman, and former ruling royal house of the Sultanate of Muscat and Zanzibar and the Sultanate of Zanzibar.

Basil Cave British diplomat and cricketer

Sir Basil Shillito Cave (1865–1931) was a British consul. He was the son of Thomas Cave, a Liberal Member of Parliament, and one of his brothers was George Cave who would become a Conservative Home Secretary and a Viscount. Basil Cave worked for the Foreign Office as a civil servant and was appointed Vice-Consul of British East Africa in 1891. In 1893 he was placed in command of a number of soldiers during civil disorder on Zanzibar and in 1895 was appointed Consul to the country. The Consul-General, AH Hardinge being away, Cave was responsible for starting the Anglo-Zanzibar War in 1896. He issued an ultimatum to Khalid bin Barghash who had seized the throne on the death of Sultan Hamad. The resulting 38-minute war, the shortest in history, ended with victory for Britain and the installation of their chosen Sultan, Hamoud bin Mohammed.

Omani Empire

The Omani Empire was a powerful maritime empire, vying with Portugal and Britain for influence in the Persian Gulf and Indian Ocean. At its peak in the 19th century, Omani influence or control extended 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 into two sultanates, an African section ruled by Majid bin Said and an Asian section ruled by Thuwaini bin Said.

References

  1. ↑ "Zanzibar (Sultinate)". Henry Soszynski. 5 March 2012. Retrieved 30 September 2012.
  2. ↑ Ingrams 1967 , p. 162
  3. 1 2 Appiah & Gates 1999 , p. 2045
  4. ↑ Ingrams 1967 , p. 163
  5. ↑ Ingrams 1967 , pp. 163–164
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 Michler 2007 , p. 37
  7. 1 2 Ingrams 1967 , p. 172
  8. ↑ Ingrams 1967 , pp. 172–173
  9. ↑ Michler 2007 , p. 31
  10. 1 2 United States Department of State 1975 , p. 986
  11. ↑ Ayany 1970 , p. 122
  12. ↑ Ingrams 1967 , pp. 162–163
  13. 1 2 Appiah & Gates 1999 , p. 188
  14. ↑ Ingrams 1967 , p. 173
  15. 1 2 Ingrams 1967 , p. 175
  16. 1 2 Ingrams 1967 , p. 176
  17. ↑ Turki 1997 , p. 20.
  18. ↑ Ingrams 1967 , p. 178
  19. ↑ Zanzibar - Royal Ark
  20. ↑ Keane 1907 , p. 483
  21. ↑ Ingrams 1967 , pp. 174–175
  22. ↑ Owens 2007 , pp. 1–5
  23. ↑ Conley, Robert (13 January 1964), "African Revolt Overturns Arab Regime in Zanzibar", The New York Times , pp. 1, 8
  24. ↑ "London Cuts Support For Rent-Poor Sultan", The New York Times , p. 2, 26 January 1964

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.