The 1848 Cholera Epidemic That Reshaped Zanzibar

In 1848, cholera swept through the Indian Ocean world, and Zanzibar was devastated. The epidemic killed thousands in Stone Town alone, including the wife and children of Sultan Said bin Sultan. Lucas and Luna explore how the outbreak disrupted the clove economy, accelerated shifts in the slave trade, and forced the Busaidi dynasty to confront public health crises. They discuss the role of Indian merchants like Jairam Sewji in relief efforts, the temporary halt in dhow traffic, and how the epidemic exposed the fragility of Zanzibar's plantation system. Drawing on records from British consuls and Omani court chronicles, they reveal a little-known chapter in the island's history. The episode also touches on how the cholera outbreak contributed to the later decline of Omani authority and the rising influence of European powers. #CholeraEpidemic1848 #Zanzibar #SaidBinSultan #IndianOceanHistory #BusaidiDynasty #StoneTown #PublicHealthHistory #SlaveTrade #CloveEconomy #JairamSewji #OmaniEmpire #DhowTrade #HistoricalEpidemics #19thCentury #EastAfricanHistory #SwahiliCoast #History #FexingoHistory #IndianOcean #SpiceIslands Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo