Historic And Cultural Facts About Zanzibar
While the rest of the world is still cast down in the Middle Age period, Zanzibar is already a point of interest among Oriental traders from
Persia, Arabia and China. It was revealed that the town has been inhabited since the Paleolithic era, which was confirmed by the traces of microlithic tools estimated to be around 20,000 years old that were seen in a cave in the area.
First inhabitants in Zanzibar were referred to as Swahilis. They thrive in the island through trading various items across the Indian Ocean like ivory, gold and cloth. The Swahilis also constructed stone houses and organized a well-developed government system. Traders who frequented the island came from as far as Russia and Japan.
The Portuguese were the first European settlers to discover the island of Zanzibar. They arrived in the late fifteenth century, and their only interest is to keep Zanzibar from the prying eyes of their enemies. The arrival of Portuguese has a significant influence to the culture of the Swahilis. They introduced bullfighting to Pemba Island and they were also responsible for enriching the Swalihi language with a few Portuguese words, such as Meza (table), Pese (money), Mvinyo (wine). Up to this day, these words are still being used in the Kishwahili language which goes to show how far-reaching the influence of the Portuguese settlers to the early inhabitants of the island.
The Omani Arabs, meanwhile, were considered as the chief among trade visitors in Zanzibar. The Arabs successfully developed what is hailed as the strongest navy in the Indian Ocean, which later became the hub of a thriving sea-trading empire. The Oman sultans have amassed their wealth through slave trading expeditions, where slaves from Africa were sold either as plantation labourers or household servants in the Persian Gulf. Zanzibar became the trading point of slaves from the African interior who were trapped in the island as they wait for ships which will transport them to the North.
By 1828, Oman’s most influential and power ruler, Sultan Seyyid Said, arrived at the island. The moment he set foot on Zanzibar he was instantly captivated and mesmerized by its beauty. Said decided to move his household to the island in 1840 and consequently declared Zanzibar as his empire. After the sultan moved to Zanzibar, his associates and relatives followed suit. They began building country manors, bath houses, and numerous Arab palaces in the area. However, the reign of Sultan Said did not last that long because the Brits put an end to this great empire in 1890. British settlers successfully annihilated the African slave trading. The British Empire paved the way not only to the abolishment of the slave market but also to the construction of an Anglican cathedral on the island. Their reign lasted until 1963, and by then control over Zanzibar Island was returned back to the Omani Sultanate. In 1964, the new sultan was ousted through a violent revolution.
After the sultan has been ousted, the new government of Zanzibar finally amalgamated with Tanganyika post independent government to form an independent state that is now called as Tanzania. Since then, Zanzibar took financial aids from countries like Bulgaria, China, and East Germany to sustain their economy. However, when the first presidential election was held in 1980 the economy of Zanzibar became sluggish and lost control. Thankfully, the first half of 1990 introduced the rise of a multi-party government system as well as the development of the tourism industry in Zanzibar. Today, Zanzibar is now fast becoming a popular tourist destination that is internationally recognized around the world.
