The Development of Zanzibar during Sayyid Said's reign

After transferring his capital from Muscat to Zanzibar in 1840, Sayyid Said embarked on developing Zanzibar economically, politically and socially.

Economically, he introduced the growing of cloves in Zanzibar and Pemba. He had realized the high demand for cloves in European and Asian countries and encouraged his subjects to grow them.

As a result Zanzibar and Pemba became the world's highest producer of cloves, exporting 4/5 of total world production.

Due to the establishment of clove farms, many Africans in Zanzibar lost their fertile lands to the Arabs.

He encouraged trade with other parts of the world and this transformed Zanzibar into an international and strategic market with traders coming from Britain, Germany and America.

He also signed commercial treaties with foreign countries like Britain, France, Hungary, Germany and United States. This increased the volume of trade at the coast.

He equally signed trade treaties with the interior chiefs, for example with Chief Fundikira of the Nyarnwezi allowing coastal traders free passage. He also created several markets among African chiefdoms.

He similarly encouraged trade with the tribes of the interior of East Africa like the Yao, Sukurna, Nyarnwezi and many others who mainly supplied slaves to him.

He fought the Sea pirates with the help of his new - found friends - the British. This ushered in a period of peace that increased the number of traders pouring into Zanzibar.

He organized personal trade caravans into the interior, instead of relying on the interior tribes for the supply of goods.

He encouraged the Banyans from India to settle on the coast. These were wealthy people who advanced loans to the Zanzibaris to go into the interior and buy goods.

He equally used these Indian Banyans as his advisers on commercial affairs and tax collectors.

He encouraged the use of the Indian currency (rupees) instead of barter trading. Later on, a more serious monetary system (copper currency) was introduced.

He also encouraged Europeans to open up trading posts in Zanzibar. The Germans opened up one in 1844.

He introduced a system of taxing all imports and exports as a means of raising revenue. The Indian Banyans who were skilled traders collected these taxes. This enriched Zanzibar's treasury.

His settlement at the coast also encouraged Slave trade. This depopulated the interior as many people were taken to work on his clove plantations and others exported to Arab countries.

His slave trade activities also turned Zanzibar into a principal slave market. At the peak of this slave trade, the Zanzibar and Kilwa were exporting between 80,000 and 100,000 slaves annually.

Later, he participated in the signing of treaties aimed at ending the very (slave) trade. For example, he signed the Hamerton treaty in 1845. This forbade slave trade outside his territory.

His economic activities also led to increased trade on the coast. Goods like clothes, guns, glassware etc. were brought to the coast and exchanged for slaves, gold and ivory.

This in turn opened up the coast for international trade with many traders coming in from India, the far East, America and Europe. Through this Zanzibar became an international port.

His activities in Zanzibar also encouraged Arab and Swahili penetration of the interior.

This led to the development of caravan routes in the interior and subsequently led to the growth of towns like Ujiji, Tabora and Bagamoyo along these routes.

Socially, he encouraged Islam at the coast and the interior, through building mosques.

He similarly encouraged the spread of the Arab and Swahili cultures and languages.

He also opened up Koranic schools which reduced on the level of illiteracy among the coastal people.

He equally encouraged the use of the Sharia Law. ..

He also encouraged Arabic architecture.

The introduction of the gun led to increased slave raids and tribal wars in the interior which caused a lot of misery and suffering.

He attracted foreigners to Zanzibar, for example, Europeans, Indians and Arabs. This created a population of mixed culture.

His activities also led to moral degeneration among the coastal people because most of his people (agents) were corrupt and crafty.

Politically, he managed to end the Busaidi - Mazrui quarrels and conflicts that had become the order of the day at the coast, hence attracting more traders.

He similarly united the coastal towns and brought them under one ruler.

He also gave peace and security to the coastal people through the creation of a strong army, which increased the volume of trade.

The transfer of his capital from Muscat to Zanzibar in 1840 was also of great political significance. Unfortunately, he died in 1856 under mysterious circumstances on his first journey back to Oman since 1840.