Zanzibar's Indian Ocean Dhows: The Ships That Built an Empire

This episode of The History of Zanzibar turns from the island's spice plantations and palace politics to the wooden vessels that connected it all: the dhows. Lucas and Luna trace the design and evolution of these lateen-rigged ships—from the small mashua used for coastal fishing to the massive ghanjah and sambuk that carried cloves, ivory, and slaves across the monsoon winds. They explore how Gujarati merchants like Tharia Topan and Jairam Sewji owned fleets of dhows, how the Omani sultans built their navy around them, and how the British Raj tried—and largely failed—to regulate the dhow trade. The episode also covers the tragic 1856 sinking of a dhow carrying enslaved people off Pemba, the role of the watoro crewmen, and how dhows were built in Lamu and Sur without a single nail. A final reflection on the endurance of the dhow design, still sailing the Indian Ocean today, ties the conversation together. #Zanzibar #Dhow #IndianOceanTrade #OmaniEmpire #ThariaTopan #JairamSewji #Sambuk #Mashua #Ghanjah #MonsoonWinds #CloveTrade #IvoryTrade #SlaveTrade #Lamu #Sur #MaritimeHistory #FexingoHistory #History Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo