Africa

Zanzibar

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zanzibar

Portuguese colonization

Vasco da Gama’s visit in 1498 marked the beginning of European influence. In 1503 or 1504, Zanzibar became part of the Portuguese Empire when Captain Ruy Lourenço Ravasco Marques landed and demanded and received tribute from the sultan, in exchange for peace. Zanzibar remained a possession of Portugal for almost two centuries. It initially became part of the Portuguese province of Arabia and Ethiopia and was administered by a governor general. Around 1571, Zanzibar became part of the western division of the Portuguese empire and was administered from Mozambique. It appears, however, that the Portuguese did not closely administer Zanzibar. The first English ship to visit Unguja, the Edward Bonaventure in 1591, found that there was no Portuguese fort or garrison. The extent of their occupation was a trade depot where produce was purchased and collected for shipment to Mozambique. “In other respects, the affairs of the island were managed by the local ‘king’, the predecessor of the Mwinyi Mkuu of Dunga.” This hands-off approach ended when Portugal established a fort on Pemba Island around 1635 in response to the Sultan of Mombasa’s slaughter of Portuguese residents several years earlier. Portugal had long considered Pemba to be a troublesome launching point for rebellions in Mombasa against Portuguese rule.

Sultanate of Zanzibar

The Portuguese arrived in East Africa in 1498, where they found several independent towns on the coast, with Muslim Arabic-speaking elites. While the Portuguese travelers describe them as ‘black’ they made a clear distinction between the Muslim and non-Muslim populations. Their relations with these leaders were mostly hostile, but during the sixteenth century they firmly established their power, and ruled with the aid of tributary sultans. The Portuguese presence was relatively limited, leaving administration in the hands of preexisting local leaders and power structures. This system lasted until 1631, when the Sultan of Mombasa massacred the Portuguese inhabitants. For the remainder of their rule, the Portuguese appointed European governors. The strangling of trade and diminished local power led the Swahili elites in Mombasa and Zanzibar to invite Omani aristocrats to assist them in driving the Europeans out.

In 1698, Zanzibar came under the influence of the Sultanate of Oman.

British protectorate

Control of Zanzibar eventually came into the hands of the British Empire; part of the political impetus for this was the 19th century movement for the abolition of the slave trade. Zanzibar was the centre of the east African slave trade, and in 1822, the British consul in Muscat put pressure on Sultan Said to end the slave trade. The first of a series of anti-slavery treaties with Britain was signed by Said which prohibited slave transport south and east of the Moresby Line, from Cape Delgado in Africa to Diu Head on the coast of India. Said lost the revenue he would have received as duty on all slaves sold, so to make up for this shortfall he encouraged the development of the slave trade in Zanzibar itself. Said came under increasing pressure from the British to abolish slavery, and in 1842 the British government told the Zanzibari ruler it wished to abolish the slave trade to Arabia, Oman, Persia, and the Red Sea.

A street scene in Zanzibar during the early 20th century
Ships from the Royal Navy were employed to enforce the anti-slavery treaties by capturing any dhows carrying slaves, but with only four ships patrolling a huge area of sea, the British navy found it hard to enforce the treaties as ships from France, Spain, Portugal, and the United States continued to carry slaves. In 1856, Sultan Majid consolidated his power around the African Great Lakes slave trade, and in 1873 Sir John Kirk informed his successor, Sultan Barghash, that a total blockade of Zanzibar was imminent, and Barghash reluctantly signed the Anglo-Zanzibari treaty which abolished the slave trade in the sultan’s territories, closed all slave markets and protected liberated slaves.

The relationship between Britain and the German Empire, at that time the nearest relevant colonial power, was formalized by the 1890 Heligoland-Zanzibar Treaty, in which Germany agreed to “recognize the British protectorate over … the islands of Zanzibar and Pemba”.

In 1890 Zanzibar became a protectorate (not a colony) of Britain. This status meant it continued to be under the sovereignty of the Sultan of Zanzibar. British Prime Minister Salisbury explained his position:

The condition of a protected dependency is more acceptable to the half civilised races, and more suitable for them than direct dominion. It is cheaper, simpler, less wounding to their self-esteem, gives them more career as public officials, and spares of unnecessary contact with white men.

From 1890 to 1913, traditional viziers were in charge; they were supervised by advisors appointed by the Colonial Office. However, in 1913 a switch was made to a system of direct rule through residents (effectively governors) from 1913. The death of the pro-British Sultan Hamad bin Thuwaini on 25 August 1896 and the succession of Sultan Khalid bin Barghash, whom the British did not approve of, led to the Anglo-Zanzibar War. On the morning of 27 August 1896, ships of the Royal Navy destroyed the Beit al Hukum Palace. A cease fire was declared 38 minutes later, and to this day the bombardment stands as the shortest war in history.

Zanzibar revolution and merger with Tanganyika
President Abeid Karume

On 10 December 1963, the Protectorate that had existed over Zanzibar since 1890 was terminated by the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom did not grant Zanzibar independence, as such, because the UK had never had sovereignty over Zanzibar. Rather, by the Zanzibar Act 1963 of the United Kingdom, the UK ended the Protectorate and made provision for full self-government in Zanzibar as an independent country within the Commonwealth. Upon the Protectorate being abolished, Zanzibar became a constitutional monarchy within the Commonwealth under the Sultan.

However, just a month later, on 12 January 1964 Sultan Jamshid bin Abdullah was deposed during the Zanzibar Revolution. The Sultan fled into exile, and the Sultanate was replaced by the People’s Republic of Zanzibar and Pemba, a socialist government led by the Afro-Shirazi Party (ASP). Over 20,000 people were killed and refugees, especially Arabs and Indians, escaped the island as a consequence of the revolution.

In April 1964, the republic merged with mainland Tanganyika. This United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar was soon renamed, blending the two names, as the United Republic of Tanzania, within which Zanzibar remains an autonomous region.1

Zanzibar (part of Tanzania) People Groups from The Joshua Project

Tanzania. Data from The Joshua Project (https://www.joshuaproject.net)

People Reached Language Population Bible Religion Adherents Evangelical
Alagwa Unreached Alagwa

58,000

Portions Completed Islam

0.0

0.0

Arab Unreached Swahili

270,000

Complete Bible Islam

5.0

0.6

Assa Unreached Maasai

700

Complete Bible Ethnic Religions

5.0

0.3

Bajuni Unreached Swahili

24,000

Complete Bible Islam

0.0

0.0

Dhaiso Unreached Dhaiso

10,000

Unspecified Islam

1.0

0.5

Gujarati Unreached Gujarati

512,000

Complete Bible Hinduism

0.5

0.1

Gujarati Creole Unreached Cutchi-Swahili

87,000

Translation Started Islam

3.0

0.1

Hadzabi Unreached Hadza

1,300

Translation Started Ethnic Religions

5.0

1.9

Hindi Unreached Hindi

70,000

Complete Bible Hinduism

0.4

0.1

Jew Swahili-speaking Unreached Swahili

500

Complete Bible Ethnic Religions

0.0

0.0

Kachchi Unreached Kacchi

70,000

New Testament Hinduism

1.0

0.1

Kami Unreached Kami

33,000

Translation Started Islam

2.0

0.2

Kisankasa Unreached Kisankasa

13,000

Unspecified Ethnic Religions

3.0

1.0

Kutu Unreached Kutu

129,000

New Testament Islam

3.0

2.0

Makwe Unreached Makwe

18,000

Translation Needed Islam

2.0

0.5

Matumbi Unreached Matumbi

277,000

Portions Completed Islam

1.0

0.5

Mijikenda Digo Unreached Chidigo

252,000

Complete Bible Islam

0.5

0.4

Ndengereko Unreached Ndengereko

87,000

Unspecified Islam

2.0

0.7

Punjabi Unreached Punjabi-Eastern

70,000

Complete Bible Other / Small

1.0

0.2

Safwa Unreached Safwa

452,000

Portions Completed Ethnic Religions

5.0

2.0

Segeju Unreached Segeju

20,000

Unspecified Islam

0.0

0.0

Shirazi Unreached Swahili

662,000

Complete Bible Islam

0.0

0.0

Somali Unreached Somali

70,000

Complete Bible Islam

0.0

0.0

Swahili Unreached Swahili

781,000

Complete Bible Islam

1.0

0.8

Swahili Pemba Unreached Swahili

53,000

Complete Bible Islam

0.3

0.2

Swahili Tumbatu Unreached Swahili

87,000

Complete Bible Islam

0.0

0.0

Swahili Zanzibari Unreached Swahili

14,000

Complete Bible Islam

0.0

0.0

Yao Muslim Unreached Yao

632,000

Complete Bible Islam

2.0

1.2

Zaramo Unreached Zaramo

1,286,000

New Testament Islam

3.0

2.0

Bende Minimally Reached Bende

55,000

Portions Completed Islam

45.0

1.4

Kabwa Minimally Reached Kabwa

21,000

Portions Completed Ethnic Religions

10.0

1.0

Machinga Minimally Reached Machinga

103,000

Unspecified Islam

13.0

2.0

Ndonde Hamba Minimally Reached Ndonde Hamba

26,000

Translation Started Islam

10.0

1.0

Ndwewe Minimally Reached Ndwewe

30,000

Unspecified Christianity

48.0

Nyika Tanzania Minimally Reached Nyika-Tanzania

39,000

Translation Started Islam

10.0

0.2

Rufiji Minimally Reached Rufiji

573,000

Translation Needed Islam

9.0

1.5

Temi Minimally Reached Temi

56,000

Portions Completed Ethnic Religions

10.0

1.5

Tongwe Minimally Reached Tongwe

62,000

Translation Started Islam

20.0

1.1

Vinza Minimally Reached Vinza

29,000

Translation Started Islam

40.0

0.1

Bungu Superficially Reached Bungu

103,000

Portions Completed Christianity

80.0

0.0

Deaf Superficially Reached Tanzanian Sign Language

613,000

Portions Completed Christianity

54.1

French Superficially Reached French

2,800

Complete Bible Christianity

61.0

1.0

Greek Superficially Reached Greek

35,000

Complete Bible Christianity

91.0

0.4

Pimbwe Superficially Reached Pimbwe

83,000

Portions Completed Christianity

80.0

0.1

Rombo Superficially Reached Rombo

210,000

Translation Needed Christianity

60.0

2.0

Rungwa Superficially Reached Rungwa

51,000

Translation Started Christianity

74.0

0.1

Taveta Superficially Reached Taveta

7,000

New Testament Christianity

65.0

2.0

Benamanga Partially Reached Benamanga

60,000

Unspecified Christianity

50.0

3.0

Bondei Partially Reached Bondei

102,000

Portions Completed Islam

32.0

10.0

British Partially Reached English

9,600

Complete Bible Christianity

60.0

8.0

Burungi Partially Reached Burunge

39,000

New Testament Ethnic Religions

15.0

4.0

Datooga Partially Reached Datooga

14,000

Complete Bible Ethnic Religions

25.0

4.0

Datooga Barabaig Partially Reached Datooga

175,000

Complete Bible Ethnic Religions

6.0

4.0

Doe Partially Reached Doe

10,000

Translation Started Islam

20.0

4.0

German Partially Reached German-Standard

14,000

Complete Bible Christianity

64.0

2.1

Goroa Partially Reached Gorowa

102,000

Unspecified Christianity

65.0

10.0

Ha Partially Reached Ha

1,971,000

Portions Completed Christianity

60.0

8.0

Han Chinese Mandarin Partially Reached Chinese-Mandarin

106,000

Complete Bible Non-Religious

7.0

4.0

Ikizu Partially Reached Ikizu

98,000

Portions Completed Ethnic Religions

35.0

4.0

Isanzu Partially Reached Isanzu

93,000

Translation Started Ethnic Religions

45.0

10.0

Jita Partially Reached Jita

361,000

New Testament Ethnic Religions

45.0

8.0

Kara Regi Partially Reached Kara

246,000

Unspecified Ethnic Religions

25.0

6.0

Kisi Partially Reached Kisi

19,000

Portions Completed Ethnic Religions

45.0

10.0

Kwaya Partially Reached Kwaya

201,000

Portions Completed Ethnic Religions

45.0

9.0

Kwere Partially Reached Kwere

288,000

Complete Bible Islam

22.0

8.0

Maasai Partially Reached Maasai

404,000

Complete Bible Ethnic Religions

35.0

10.0

Maasai Arusha Partially Reached Maasai

294,000

Complete Bible Ethnic Religions

35.0

6.0

Maasai Baraguyu Partially Reached Maasai

741,000

Complete Bible Ethnic Religions

25.0

7.0

Magoma Partially Reached Magoma

17,000

Translation Started Christianity

60.0

4.0

Makonde Partially Reached Makonde

1,848,000

New Testament Islam

9.0

6.0

Makua Makhuwa-Meetto Partially Reached Makhuwa-Meetto

667,000

Complete Bible Islam

8.0

4.0

Malila Partially Reached Malila

120,000

New Testament Ethnic Religions

15.0

4.0

Mbugwe Partially Reached Mbugwe

48,000

Portions Completed Ethnic Religions

15.0

3.0

Mbunga Partially Reached Mbunga

83,000

Translation Started Ethnic Religions

20.0

5.0

Mwera Partially Reached Mwera

899,000

New Testament Islam

31.0

9.0

Mwera Nyasa Partially Reached Mwera

11,000

Translation Started Islam

25.0

6.0

Ndendeule Partially Reached Ndendeule

196,000

Portions Completed Ethnic Religions

20.0

8.0

Ngindo Partially Reached Ngindo

630,000

New Testament Islam

22.0

3.0

Nguu Partially Reached Ngulu

378,000

New Testament Islam

15.0

4.0

Nindi Partially Reached Nindi

200

Unspecified Ethnic Religions

30.0

3.0

Nyamwezi Partially Reached Nyamwezi

1,804,000

New Testament Islam

34.0

8.0

Portuguese Partially Reached Portuguese

1,300

Complete Bible Christianity

94.0

3.0

Rangi Partially Reached Langi

700,000

Portions Completed Islam

20.0

7.0

Ruwila Partially Reached Ruwila

5,800

Translation Started Christianity

55.0

4.0

Sandawe Partially Reached Sandawe

78,000

Portions Completed Ethnic Religions

15.0

5.0

Sangu Partially Reached Sangu

214,000

New Testament Ethnic Religions

25.0

5.0

Suba-Simbiti Partially Reached Suba-Simbiti

154,000

New Testament Christianity

70.0

9.0

Subi Partially Reached Subi

109,000

Translation Started Islam

10.0

5.0

Sumbwa Partially Reached Sumbwa

546,000

Translation Started Ethnic Religions

32.0

5.0

Va-Ma’a Partially Reached Mbugu

67,000

Unspecified Islam

10.0

3.5

Vidunda Partially Reached Vidunda

13,000

New Testament Christianity

90.0

8.0

Wanda Partially Reached Wanda

69,000

Translation Started Christianity

70.0

8.0

Yao Christian Partially Reached Yao

95,000

Complete Bible Christianity

94.0

4.0

Zigua Partially Reached Zigula

831,000

New Testament Islam

9.0

5.0

Zinza Partially Reached Zinza

395,000

Portions Completed Ethnic Religions

25.0

3.0

Baganda Significantly Reached Ganda

60,000

Complete Bible Christianity

80.0

13.0

Bemba Significantly Reached Bemba

5,500

Complete Bible Christianity

95.0

14.0

Bembe Significantly Reached Bembe

30,000

Complete Bible Christianity

85.0

17.0

Bena Significantly Reached Bena

1,285,000

New Testament Christianity

96.0

17.0

Chagga Significantly Reached Mochi

1,190,000

Complete Bible Christianity

93.0

15.0

Chingoni Significantly Reached Chingoni

266,000

New Testament Christianity

70.0

17.0

Dabida Taita Significantly Reached Dawida

28,000

Complete Bible Christianity

68.0

11.0

Fipa Significantly Reached Fipa

369,000

New Testament Christianity

95.0

15.0

Gogo Significantly Reached Gogo

2,622,000

Complete Bible Christianity

79.0

19.0

Gusii Significantly Reached Ekegusii

700

Complete Bible Christianity

75.0

40.0

Gweno Significantly Reached Gweno

3,900

Unspecified Christianity

95.0

13.0

Hangaza Significantly Reached Hangaza

429,000

Portions Completed Christianity

90.0

14.0

Haya Significantly Reached Haya

2,341,000

Complete Bible Christianity

81.0

21.0

Hehe Significantly Reached Hehe

1,467,000

New Testament Christianity

96.0

20.0

Hima Significantly Reached Nyankore

14,000

Complete Bible Christianity

94.0

12.0

Hutu Rundi Significantly Reached Rundi

665,000

Complete Bible Christianity

97.0

20.0

Hutu Rwandese Significantly Reached Kinyarwanda

53,000

Complete Bible Christianity

95.0

17.0

Ikoma Significantly Reached Ikoma-Nata-Isenye

63,000

Portions Completed Christianity

95.0

15.0

Iramba Significantly Reached Nilamba

833,000

New Testament Christianity

55.0

11.0

Iraqw Significantly Reached Iraqw

898,000

Complete Bible Ethnic Religions

41.0

12.0

Joba Significantly Reached Joba

6,800

Translation Started Christianity

90.0

14.0

Kagulu Significantly Reached Kagulu

408,000

New Testament Christianity

60.0

12.0

Kahe Significantly Reached Kahe

7,700

Translation Started Christianity

94.0

12.0

Kalanga Significantly Reached Kalanga

17,000

Complete Bible Christianity

95.0

14.0

Kamba Significantly Reached Kamba

13,000

Complete Bible Christianity

70.0

15.0

Kerewe Significantly Reached Kerewe

286,000

New Testament Christianity

95.0

14.0

Kikuyu Significantly Reached Gikuyu

27,000

Complete Bible Christianity

88.0

15.0

Kimbu Significantly Reached Kimbu

223,000

Translation Started Christianity

75.0

13.0

Kinga Significantly Reached Kinga

258,000

New Testament Christianity

85.0

14.0

Konongo Significantly Reached Konongo

146,000

Translation Started Christianity

71.0

13.0

Kuria Significantly Reached Kuria

749,000

Complete Bible Christianity

76.0

15.0

Lambya Significantly Reached Lambya

114,000

New Testament Christianity

97.0

13.0

Luguru Ruguru Significantly Reached Luguru

1,344,000

New Testament Christianity

61.0

14.0

Luo Significantly Reached Dholuo

239,000

Complete Bible Christianity

96.0

15.0

Machambe Significantly Reached Machame

726,000

Complete Bible Christianity

95.0

18.0

Mambwe-Lungu Significantly Reached Mambwe-Lungu

569,000

Complete Bible Ethnic Religions

43.0

14.0

Manda Significantly Reached Manda

41,000

New Testament Christianity

90.0

11.0

Matengo Significantly Reached Matengo

429,000

Portions Completed Christianity

80.0

14.0

Meru Rwo Significantly Reached Rwa

257,000

New Testament Christianity

94.0

18.0

Mpoto Significantly Reached Mpoto

91,000

Portions Completed Christianity

70.0

13.0

Ndali Significantly Reached Ndali

429,000

New Testament Christianity

55.0

14.0

Ndamba Significantly Reached Ndamba

157,000

New Testament Christianity

85.0

11.0

Nguruimi Significantly Reached Ngoreme

96,000

Portions Completed Christianity

85.0

15.0

Nyakyusa Significantly Reached Nyakyusa-Ngonde

1,478,000

Complete Bible Christianity

91.0

19.0

Nyambo Significantly Reached Nyambo

737,000

Translation Started Ethnic Religions

45.0

12.0

Nyamwanga Significantly Reached Nyamwanga

249,000

Complete Bible Christianity

85.0

12.0

Nyanja Significantly Reached Chichewa

48,000

Complete Bible Christianity

88.0

14.0

Nyankore Hororo Significantly Reached Nyankore

21,000

Complete Bible Christianity

87.0

14.0

Nyiha Tanzania Significantly Reached Nyiha-Tanzania

442,000

New Testament Ethnic Religions

40.0

17.0

Pangwa Significantly Reached Pangwa

179,000

Portions Completed Christianity

85.0

14.0

Pare Significantly Reached Asu

979,000

New Testament Islam

40.0

12.0

Pogoro Significantly Reached Pogolo

529,000

New Testament Christianity

83.0

13.0

Sagara Significantly Reached Sagala

226,000

Translation Started Ethnic Religions

15.0

11.0

Shambala Significantly Reached Shambala

1,273,000

New Testament Islam

45.0

14.0

Shubi Significantly Reached Shubi

102,000

Translation Started Christianity

92.0

18.0

Soga Basoga Significantly Reached Soga

5,600

Complete Bible Christianity

86.0

11.0

Sukuma Significantly Reached Sukuma

10,276,000

Complete Bible Christianity

50.0

12.0

Turu Significantly Reached Nyaturu

1,088,000

New Testament Christianity

82.0

16.0

Tutsi Significantly Reached Kinyarwanda

97,000

Complete Bible Christianity

95.0

18.0

Vunjo Significantly Reached Vunjo

700,000

Complete Bible Christianity

93.0

15.0

Wanji Significantly Reached Vwanji

52,000

New Testament Ethnic Religions

35.0

12.0

Zanaki Significantly Reached Zanaki

177,000

Portions Completed Christianity

80.0

19.0