EPISODE · Jul 19, 2026 · 8 MIN
Zanzibar's 1840 Omani Garrison Revolt: The Army That Defied the Sultan
from The History of Zanzibar: Spice, Slavery, and Indian Ocean Power — Fexingo History · host Fexingo
In 1840, Sultan Said bin Busaid's elite Baluchi garrison in Stone Town mutinied over unpaid wages, demanding payment in Maria Theresa thalers. The revolt, led by a Baluchi commander named Mirza, paralyzed the capital for three days. Indian merchant Jairam Sewji brokered a truce by advancing funds from his own treasury. This episode explores the fragile military-political economy of the Busaid Sultanate, the role of Baluchi mercenaries from Makran, and how the revolt exposed the sultan's dependence on Indian capital and African slave-soldiers. It's a microcosm of Zanzibar's tangled power structure just before the clove boom. #Zanzibar #OmaniSultanate #BaluchiGarrison #Mirza #JairamSewji #SaidBinBusaid #StoneTown #MariaTheresaThaler #MilitaryRevolt #IndianOceanHistory #Mercenaries #Makran #Watoro #Nyampara #SlaveSoldiers #1840 #FexingoHistory #History Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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Zanzibar's 1840 Omani Garrison Revolt: The Army That Defied the Sultan
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