Sayyid Barghash's 1887 Steam Yacht: Zanzibar's Bid for Modernity

In 1887, Zanzibar's Sultan Barghash bin Said commissioned a state-of-the-art steam yacht, the 'Sultan of Zanzibar', from a British shipyard. This episode explores how Barghash used the yacht not just for travel but as a floating symbol of sovereignty, a site for diplomatic receptions, and a tool to navigate the tightening grip of European colonialism. We examine the yacht's construction, its crew of Khoja and Swahili sailors, the lavish interior that blended Omani and Indian aesthetics, and its final fate after Barghash's death. Along the way, we touch on Barghash's broader modernisation efforts—electric lighting at Mtoni Palace, a piped water system, and his fraught relationship with the British consul Sir John Kirk. The episode reveals the yacht as a microcosm of Zanzibar's last decade of significant independence before the Heligoland-Zanzibar Treaty of 1890 reshaped the Indian Ocean. #Zanzibar #SayyidBarghash #SteamYacht #IndianOcean #Colonialism #Modernization #Sultanate #Busaidi #MtoniPalace #SirJohnKirk #Khoja #Swahili #HeligolandZanzibar #1880s #MaritimeHistory #FexingoHistory #History #Africa Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo