The Sultanate of Zanzibar, the Beginning of Portuguese Control, and the Role of Arabs in their Expulsion

The name Zanzibar refers to a group of islands located near Oman or Tanzania in East Africa. The ancient Greeks and Romans called it "Máthos" as they had commercial connections with the region. Zanzibar enjoyed autonomous authority over the Indian Ocean. During the Age of Exploration, the Portuguese Empire became the first European power to take control of Zanzibar, ruling for 200 years. Under their rule, trade, economy, and agriculture developed, particularly the cultivation of spices, cloves, and garlic. This earned Zanzibar the metaphorical title of the "Spice Islands," competing with the Dutch-colonized Maluku Islands in Indonesia. Additionally, Zanzibar was a major hub for the ivory trade, with elephant tusks sourced from mainland Africa. The third key trade sector was the slave trade, as thousands of individuals from neighboring regions were captured and sold into slavery on the island. Zanzibar, like other African ports, became a primary destination for slave traders from Europe and America, further enhancing its role in the Arab-dominated slave trade. The Indian Ocean was comparable in significance to the transatlantic triangular trade between Europe, America, and Africa. Furthermore, the Sultan of Zanzibar controlled a large portion of East Africa’s coastline, known as the Swahili Coast, along with extensive inland trade routes.