What were the causes of the abushiri rebellion?

The abushiri uprising was the earliest resistance against the German rule in Tanganyika and took place on Tanganyika coast between 1888-1890

It was basically a revolt of the coastal slave traders and hence sometimes called the coast rebellion or Arab revolt.it also included some Africans and Swahili

Though called abushiri named after an Arab sugar planter abushiri bin salim ,the rebellions were not led by abushiri .he only led in the northern coastal areas and around pangani

The second one was in the southern parts of dares salaam ,kilwa and Lindi led by bwana heri and the third one inuzigua led by matoro

The uprising was intended to keep the coast independent the coastal people didn't want to be subjects to the domination of the Germans

The coastal areas and the Swahili were protecting their economic power.the German abolished slave trade and the GEACO compete for ivory with them

The Germans had also taken over the collecting of mainland imports duties the coastal people could not sit back when their economic strength was eroded

The coastal people were also protesting the loss of their property the GEACO had started confiscating them

The GEACO that was curving out colonies for German had issued economic restrictions on ownership of land and property. This was not to go unchallenged

The GEACO did not respect the.cultures and traditions of the coastal people for example they didn't respect the Muslim prayers and fasting

They also drunk and slept with peoples wives and also sacrilegiously entered mosques with their dogs which annoyed the Muslims

The coastal people were also angered by the German attempts to alienate their land for example they came up with a new land regulation in 1888 that required people to have proof of land ownership short of which they would lose the land

The local rulers were being humiliated and harassed by the Germans who public flogged them embarrassing them before their subjects

The Germans demanded heavy taxes on the traders and local people like hut and poll tax

They also dismissed the akidas and the jumbes who were serving in their administration yet these were related to the coastal Arabs

Forced cash crops growing under severe conditions also angered the coastal people

The Germans also applied forced labour to the Africans who worked on their farms and public projects like roads and railway lines

The coastal people were also irritated by the harsh methods of administration used by the Germans. The local people therefore hated German cruelty and oppressive rule

The rise of nationalistic feelings as evidenced in the emergency of charismatic leaders like abushiri ibin salim and bwana her must have also contributed to the outbreak of this revolt.