The History of Zanzibar: Spice, Slavery, and Indian Ocean Power — Fexingo History
FexingoZanzibar, a small archipelago off East Africa, punches far above its weight in world history. This podcast, hosted by Lucas and Luna, traces Zanzibar's transformation from a fishing outpost to the epicenter of the Indian Ocean spice and slave trades. We explore the rise of Omani rule in the 17th century, when sultans like Said bin Sultan made Zanzibar the capital of a maritime empire stretching fr... more
| Publishes | Daily | Episodes | 75 | Founded | a month ago |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Listeners | Categories | HistorySociety & Culture | |||
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Latest Episodes
Long before Stone Town's coral walls rose, Zanzibar's sultans built a palace in Bombay. This episode traces the story of the Busaidi dynasty's Indian outpost—a mansion on the Malabar Hill that served as a diplomatic hub, a refuge for exiled princes, ... more
Step into the briefest recorded conflict in history: the Anglo-Zanzibar War of 1896. Just 38 minutes of cannon fire from British warships reduced the rebel Sultan Khalid bin Barghash's palace and fort to rubble. Lucas and Luna explore the succession ... more
In this episode of The History of Zanzibar, Lucas and Luna explore the forgotten story of the watoro—enslaved Africans who escaped from Zanzibar's clove plantations to form independent communities in the island's rugged interior. Drawing on the accou... more
Before cloves dominated Zanzibar's economy, there was rubber. In the late 19th century, as global demand for vulcanized rubber exploded, Sultan Barghash bin Said gambled on establishing rubber plantations on Unguja and Pemba. This episode traces the ... more
In 1890, Zanzibar's sultan signed away his island's independence without a shot being fired. This episode traces the diplomacy, the players, and the aftermath of the Heligoland-Zanzibar Treaty — the deal that traded Zanzibar for a North Sea island, e... more
In April 1872, a devastating cyclone struck Zanzibar, killing thousands and destroying the clove plantations that underpinned the island's economy. Lucas and Luna explore how Sultan Barghash bin Said, already grappling with the end of the slave trade... more
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore Zanzibar's little-known but crucial link to the Dhofar region of Oman. In the late 19th century, Sultan Barghash bin Said sought to revive the ancient frankincense trade from Dhofar, using Zanzibari capital and... more
In April 1847, a catastrophic hurricane struck the clove plantations of Pemba and Unguja, leveling shamba trees and drowning the Indian Ocean in debris. With the Omani Sultanate reeling and Indian financiers like Jairam Sewji and Tharia Topan facing ... more
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Apple Podcasts | #60 |  Italy/History |
Apple Podcasts | #183 |  Netherlands/History |
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| Listeners per Episode | Gender Skew | Location | |||
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Frequently Asked Questions About This Podcast
What is This Podcast about and what kind of topics does it cover?
This series presents a wide-ranging look at Swahili Coast history, weaving together trade, empire, slavery, and cultural exchange across the Indian Ocean. Across episodes, the focus tends to land on how Zanzibar became a pivotal hub—through the spice economy, plantation slavery, and imperial intervention—while also tracing deeper currents in architecture, language, and identity that persist today. Notable throughlines include the Omanis' maritime dominance, the global reach of clove cultivation, abolitionist pressures, and the enduring impact of merchandise, money, and mobility on local society. The show often combines ambitious historical storytelling with vivid anecdotes and archival detail, making complex periods accessible for listeners... more
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this podcast launched a month ago and published 75 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.
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