The 1822 Rope Treaty: Zanzibar's First Slave Trade Restriction

Long before the Moresby Treaty of 1845, a lesser-known agreement in 1822 attempted to curb Zanzibar's slave trade. Captain Fairfax Moresby of the Royal Navy negotiated the 'Rope Treaty' with Sultan Said bin Sultan, banning slave exports to Christian countries but leaving the Indian Ocean routes intact. This episode explores the treaty's origins, the role of the British anti-slavery squadron, the loopholes that kept slave dhows sailing, and the legacy of a policy that aimed to suppress the trade without destroying the Omani economy. We discuss Moresby's career, the impact on Stone Town's merchants—including Jairam Sewji and the Khoja community—and how the treaty foreshadowed later British interventions. A story of compromise, enforcement gaps, and the long road to abolition. #Zanzibar #SlaveTrade #MoresbyTreaty #BritishEmpire #RoyalNavy #SaidBinSultan #IndianOcean #StoneTown #JairamSewji #Khoja #AntiSlaverySquadron #1822RopeTreaty #OmaniEmpire #SwahiliCoast #Dhows #Abolition #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo