Zanzibar 1846: The Moresby Treaty and the Slave Trade's Secret Route

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the hidden consequences of the 1822 Moresby Treaty, which banned slave exports from Zanzibar to Christian countries but inadvertently created a clandestine smuggling network. They focus on the little-known role of the Bajuni people, who operated dhow routes from the Benadir coast to the Persian Gulf, circumventing British patrols. The conversation also covers the treaty's loopholes, the rise of the Indian merchant Jairam Sewji as a financier of the illicit trade, and the moral compromises of Sultan Said bin Busaid. Drawing on accounts from British consul Atkins Hamerton and slave narratives collected by the Royal Navy, they reveal how the treaty reshaped the Indian Ocean slave economy, pushing it underground while failing to slow the flow of captives. The episode ends by considering how this episode of half-measures foreshadowed later abolition efforts. #Zanzibar #MoresbyTreaty #SlaveTrade #IndianOcean #Bajuni #JairamSewji #SaidBinBusaid #AtkinsHamerton #RoyalNavy #Benadir #PersianGulf #Dhow #Abolition #SwahiliCoast #CloveEconomy #History #FexingoHistory #Slavery Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo