THE ABUSHIRI REVOLT 1889-90

The Abushiri rebellion traces its genesis at the coming of the German East African Company (GEACO) which had taken over the administration of Tanzania mainland in 1885. Its vital to note that the company lacked enough money for effective administration and so one of the ways the company used to enable it get enough money was to control the trade at the coastal areas hence the company removed the customs duty from the coastal traders and put it in the hands of the company, this withdrawal of trading right from the coastal traders greatly annoyed them who under the leadership of Salim Bin Abushiri and others decided to stage a revolt that came to be the Abushiri rebellion.

Closely related, the company decided as take part in the ivory trade which was a real threat to the coastal traders who knew they couldn’t effectively compete with the Germans which equally couldn’t be tolerated by the coastal traders who thought it worthwhile to resist against the administration.

In addition, the coastal traders were alarmed by the decision of GEACO to take over the control of Arab and Swahili business houses on the coast and turn them into German administrators residences which started in 1887 when Wissman Von Son the companies’ administrator issued a decree that all those who owned land and property had to register them within six months and the unregistered property would be declared public or government property. Since most owners of these houses didn’t have legal proof of ownership, they feared losing this property and hence be driven out of business which led them to rise against the GEACO in order to protect their property.

Socially, the Germans disgraced the holy worshipping places of Muslims at the coast for the mosque were turned into administrative posts and those that survived were entered into by the Germans while putting on their shoes and carrying dogs alongside and given that the majority of people at the coast were Muslims, they opted to revolt in order to fight against the “infidels” who were disrespecting their holy places in what came to be the Abushiri rebellion.

Administratively, the Arab and Swahili traders had became the masters of the coast and hence didn’t want to lose their hegemony. Meanwhile the Germans were determined to destroy Arab and Swahili rule plus their influence on the coast in order to impose their own administration which also led to the Abushiri raising.

It’s also believed that the Germans employed ruthless methods forcing the coastal traders to accept their administration which annoyed the masses who thought of no other alternative than resisting against their rule.

Thus the Abushiri rebellion can be said to have been a nationalistic rising for even some Africans supported the coastal Arab and Swahili people in their struggle against foreign imperialism thus the above circumstances the likes of Abushiri Bin Salim, Matayo Bwana Kheri organized the masses purposely to overthrow the administration of the company.

Like any other African rising, the Abushiri rising was mercilessly suppressed and was disastrous on the side of the coastal people for the Germans seemed determined to stay.

Following the suppression of the rebellion, the German government took over the administration of Tanzania directly from the company for the rebellion was largely against the company’s administration and the oncoming German foreign rule.

Open dislike of the Africans towards the Arabs and the coastal traders was publicly shown for the Germans in addition to their superior weapons were also assisted by some African chiefs for example chief kingo Mkubwa of Zingua supplied troops and guides to enable the Germans to defeat Bwana Kheri. He was rewarded for his work by being made the chief of Usagara. Similarly the Nyamwezi porters served the German forces because the Nyamwezi hated and were traditional rivals with the Swahili and Arab traders and wanted them to be removed so that they could monopolize the long distance trade.

Lastly in December 1889 Abushiri was arrested and killed in Bagamoyo and his death saw the continuation of the resistance by Bwana Kheri who because of severe drought was forced to come to terms with the Germans leading to the end of the Abushir rising in 1890.