Zanzibar's 1856 Succession Crisis That Split the Busaidi Empire

When Sultan Said bin Sultan died at sea in 1856, his vast Busaidi domain — stretching from Muscat to Zanzibar — had no clear heir. This episode follows the bitter succession struggle between his sons Thuwaini and Majid, the quiet diplomacy of the Khoja merchant Jairam Sewji, the arbitration by the British Raj, and the final 1861 Canning Award that split the empire into two sultanates: Oman and Zanzibar. We explore how this crisis reshaped Indian Ocean trade, shifted the clove economy, and set the stage for European colonialism. Along the way we meet the wazir of Zanzibar, the Indian bankers who financed both sides, and the Royal Navy squadron that enforced the peace. A pivotal moment in Indian Ocean history, told through the people who lived it. #BusaidiDynasty #SaidBinSultan #ThuwainiBinSaid #MajidBinSaid #Zanzibar #Oman #CanningAward #JairamSewji #Khoja #Bhatia #IndianOceanHistory #SuccessionCrisis #CloveEconomy #BritishRaj #RoyalNavy #19thCentury #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo