Seyyid Said was the prince of Oman from the Busaid family. He was born in 1791, after the death of his father Seyyid Said Ibn Ahamed who was killed in a rival battle. Seyyid Said gained the throne in 1804 when he was 13 years old. He came to power after the death of his father Seyyid Sultan Ibn Ahmed who was killed in the naval battle in the Indian Ocean.

He ruled jointly with his elder brother for two years but their cousin called Bedr- ibn Saif held the real power. In July 1806, Seyyid Said knowing that Bedr-Ibn Saif was planning to murder him and his brother, he plugged a knife into the regent to death.

Following this Seyyid Said gained complete power of Oman. But he had three major problems namely, the enemies at home and Pirates at sea. Others in East Africa for example the Mazrui who came to power after the Portuguese regime and were against any foreign rule.

His home problems were solved by himself but he had to rely on the British Navy to get rid of pirates on the sea.

After power consolidation, Seyyid Said transferred his Capital from Muscat to the East African Coast in 1840. It should be noted that Seyyid Said sent a fleet carrying 40,000 men, which tried to capture the towns and on the third attempt they captured the coastal towns. By 1840, the Arabs had established their empire along the Coast.

From the above points, Seyyid Said was a ruthless determined young man and the ablest of all the Busaidi rulers.

Reasons why Seyyid Said transferred his capital from Muscat to Zanzibar

East Africa had better natural resources than Oman for example minerals like Gold, copper, iron among others

Oman was a semi -desert region compared to the tropical East Africa.

East Africa had many deep natural harbours where many Ocean on going ships, steamers, canoes, boats could anchor.

East Africa was a stretch of land facing the Indian Ocean and therefore Zanzibar stood good chances of becoming an international harbour.

Zanzibar just as the main land of East Africa had better climatic conditions favourable for clove plantation.

East Africa was potential source of cheap labour to work in clove plantation which would bring in more revenue.

He believed that he would control the East African coast and its favourable trade if he moved into Zanzibar. It’s no wonder that at one time he was quoted saying “I am nothing but a merchant”.

East Africa was also much politically safe than Oman, which was under the threat of increasing number of robbers.

Zanzibar was a strategic point for defence reasons, trade and peace. He wanted to control the Indian Ocean trade while using Zanzibar as a base.

Zanzibar’s position as an island gave it the security from the mainland naval attacks.

He was a commercial prince than a political one, therefore he wanted to develop and monopolise the profits of the East African coastal trade since he felt that he can do better if he is at the coast.

He thought that the people at home are going to wage revenge against him because he killed his cousin brother among others.

He feared the supporters of Bedir Ibn Saif his cousin whom he had killed.

He wanted to have a firm control of the coast having defeated the Mazrui.

He feared that the Mazrui might ally with the Portuguese to recapture the coastal states.

He wanted to use Zanzibar to monitor the activities of the sea pirates in the Indian Ocean.

The coast had fresh and sweet water as opposed to the desert conditions in Oman.

He wanted to obtain taxes from European ships, which docked at the coast.

Zanzibar being an Island coast was safe from enemies.

In conclusion therefore, Seyyid’s decision to make Zanzibar his commercial centre was mainly based on commercial transactions especially due to strategic location of Zanzibar, its good climate, natural harbours and fertile soils.

The political, social and economic development of Zanzibar during Seyyid Said’s rule

Politically, Seyyid Said used both diplomacy and force to bring about a successful conclusion of struggle between the Busaidi family and the Mazrui family.

He brought about some unity to the coastal towns ending the bitter conflicts among them.

He signed treaties with the British to stop slave trade and replaced it with legitimate trade.

He opened up Zanzibar as a base for European activities that is Explorers, traders, Missionaries among others

He gave security to the local people for he believed that security was a necessary fact if trade was to be improved.

Socially, he encouraged the spread of Islam.

He led to the increase of slave trade and this brought much suffering and misery.

His rule attracted foreign businessmen for example Europeans, Arabs and Indians.

In addition to the above, population doubled at the coast leading to further problems.

As a result of the influx of population, new mixed cultures were introduced at the coast during his reign.

He encouraged the spread of Koranic schools at the coast which reduced illiteracy.

He encouraged also the spread of Swahili as a language and it was emphasised as a medium of communication.

Economically, Zanzibar became a great outlet for East African trade when Seyyid Said moved his capital in 1840.

All imports and exports to and from the main land passed through Zanzibar where custom duties were collected.

He invited the French, British, German and American traders to stay in Zanzibar and develop trade for instance in 1833 a commercial treaty was signed with U.S.A.

Still he signed other treaties to strengthen the trade like in 1839 with Britain and in 1844 a treaty was signed with France also. These treaties were a way of obtaining foreign recognition and confirmation of his position as a ruler of Zanzibar.

Zanzibar was connected to Tanzania trade routes that is Tabora –Ujiji route which had branches to Katanga and Karagwe. These encouraged trade as commodities of that region could be easily collected, Zanzibar acting as a collection centre handling imports like guns, gunpowder, brass and exports like ivory, slaves among others

He sent caravans into the interior of East Africa to get ivory and slaves. They could penetrate into the interior. It’s said, during his reign slave trade and it’s abuses increased at a high rate.

Zanzibar became a great trade market in the 19^th century.

Large plantations of coconut and cloves were established at the coast. It’s also said that Seyyid Said himself started his own plantations.

He also signed treaties with the interior chiefs for example chief Fundikira of Nyamwezi and such treaties created peace in the interior and this led to prosperity in trade.

How the coming of Seyyid Said affected slave trade in East Africa.

In 1822, Britain signed the Moresby Treaty with Seyyid Said while he was still in Muscat. The Treaty limited the slave trade to Seyyid Said’s territories in Oman and East Africa. Slaves were not supposed to be transported from East Africa to other parts of the world. This limited the number of slaves a little bit on East Africa.

To limit the slave trade further, in 1845 Britain signed the Hamerton Treaty with Seyyid Said in Zanzibar. This treaty limited the slave trade to only East Africa. Slaves would be no longer transported to Oman or elsewhere. This further limited the slave trade.

But it should be noted that Seyyid Said’s settlement in Zanzibar increased very much the trade in slaves since Arabs needed many slaves to work on their clove plantations on Zanzibar and Pemba Islands and in many coastal settlements. Arab and Swahili traders then entered the interior in great numbers and hunted for slaves. They travelled as far as Buganda where they reached in 1844 in search of slaves.

Before 1870, they reached as far as Bunyoro in the same bid. The work of these Arabs and Swahili slaves traders was made easy by the African rulers who only sold their people.

The British set up a slaves rehabilitation scheme. Slaves found being transported were seized. They were given to missionaries who looked after them in Zanzibar.

By the time Seyyid Said died on 1856, the slave trade was very limited. But the Arab and Swahili traders hated him for ruining their profitable trade. But Seyyid Said saw that if he resisted the British, they could deport him. So to agree with them was to safeguard his rule.

In 1873, the slave trade was outlawed in East Africa by Britain. A church was built on the slave market site in Zanzibar. It was Sultan Bargash who was then ruling in the Zanzibar, Seyyid Said had died.

Finally, it should be stressed that even the African chiefs were responsible for the slave trade. They sold some of their subjects to the Arab and Swahili slave traders. They also launched wars on the weaker tribes, captured some of their people and sold them to the Arabs and Swahili. Therefore, the slave trade is blamed also on the African rulers and some of their people.