Between Print and Public in Indian Ocean Africa: The Diasporic Publics of the Zanzibar Protectorate

Abstract This article discerns commonalities and distinctions between Zanzibar’s printed publics and other publics that emerged around the Indian Ocean between the 1860s and 1930s. Problematizing the concept of public, it traces the development of discrete publics in Arabic, Indian languages, and to a lesser degree Swahili as the diasporic triumphed over the local. Comparative analysis suggests Zanzibar’s status – as an independent sultanate that in 1890 became a duopolistic protectorate but never a full colony – shaped what was put into print. The article finally suggests how the legal foundations of these publics, and their social consequences, might be further investigated.