Zanzibar 1857: The Slave Market Closure That Redrew Indian Ocean Trade

In 1857, Sultan Majid bin Said bowed to British pressure and closed Zanzibar's main slave market. This episode traces the market's origins under the Busaid Sultanate, its central role in the clove economy, and the intricate negotiations between Majid, British Consul Atkins Hamerton, and the powerful Indian merchant Tharia Topan. We explore how the closure devastated local plantation owners, disrupted the network of nyampara slave traders and watoro runaways, and reshaped Stone Town's geography. The episode also examines the secret continuation of the slave trade via dhows to the Benadir coast and the Bajuni islands, the impact on the Mrima hinterland and Bagamoyo, and the long-term consequences for Unguja and Pemba. A turning point that redefined Zanzibar's place in the Indian Ocean world. #Zanzibar #MajidBinSaid #SlaveMarket #AtkinsHamerton #ThariaTopan #BusaidSultanate #StoneTown #CloveEconomy #IndianOcean #Benadir #Bajuni #Mrima #Bagamoyo #Nyampara #Watoro #DhowTrade #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo