The Omani Slave Trade: A Legacy of Silence

In this episode, Lucas and Luna tackle one of the most complex and painful chapters in Oman's history: its central role in the Indian Ocean slave trade. They explore how the Omani empire, under the Ya'aruba and later the Al Bu Said dynasties, became a dominant force in the trafficking of enslaved East Africans, primarily from the Swahili Coast. The conversation highlights the economic engines of the trade—clove plantations in Zanzibar, date plantations in Oman, and pearl diving in the Gulf—and the devastating human cost. Lucas details the shifting legal landscape, from the Moresby Treaty of 1822 to the Hamerton Treaty of 1845 and the eventual British blockade, and discusses the moral compromises made by Omani sultans like Said bin Sultan. The episode also confronts the silence around this history in modern Oman, touching on the legacy of African-descended communities like the Zinj and the Bahara. A nuanced, respectful examination of a dark maritime empire. #Oman #SlaveTrade #IndianOcean #Zanzibar #AlBuSaid #Yaaruba #MoresbyTreaty #HamertonTreaty #SaidBinSultan #SwahiliCoast #Dhow #ClovePlantations #EastAfrica #OmaniEmpire #Slavery #History #FexingoHistory #MaritimeHistory #OmanHistory #YarubaDynasty Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo