Chapter 58: The Conspiracy

Chapter 58: The Conspiracy

Sultanate of Zanzibar

Since the establishment of the East African Colony, relations between the East African Colony and the Sultanate of Zanzibar had been fairly amicable. The East African Colony expanded into the western interior of East Africa. Although this impacted the traditional trade routes of the Arab merchants, the East African Colony showed no interest in indigenous slaves or ivory. After each new land conquest, the East African Colony would bring indigenous people, ivory, and other goods to the Dar es Salaam port for trade with merchants from various nations.

Unlike the Arab caravans, who had to negotiate with the Bantu tribes in the interior, the East African Colony took a more direct approach. Every time they expanded, large numbers of indigenous people would fall into the hands of the Colony. Naturally, the East African Colony did not keep these people but instead drove the slave prices down. Arab merchants could simply wait at the port for the goods to be delivered, and all they needed to do was exchange food and other products.

However, the East African Colony's actions were causing dissatisfaction among certain individuals, represented by Bagash bin Said, the brother of Sultan Majid bin Said, who belonged to the progressive faction of the Sultanate of Zanzibar. This situation can be traced back to the contemporary Sultan of Zanzibar, Majid bin Said. Sultan Majid was the sixth son of Sayyid bin Sultan, the former king of Oman. Sayyid bin Sultan was a powerful figure who once led the Omani Empire to its peak and conquered Zanzibar. After his death, Majid competed for the throne with his third brother, Suweini bin Said. However, Suweini was more skilled and took the throne of Oman, while Majid declared himself the Sultan of Zanzibar, separating Zanzibar from the Omani Empire and making it an independent state.

During his reign, Sultan Majid used the controversial Indian Ocean slave trade to consolidate his power and accumulate wealth. During this time, Bagash bin Said (also a son of Sayyid bin Sultan) attempted to seize the throne but failed and was exiled to Mumbai for two years. The problem arose because Bagash opposed the slave trade. He advocated for the abolition of slavery and was interested in Western science and technology. He wanted to promote Zanzibar's development through infrastructure. The East African Colony, however, was eager to export the indigenous people, so the large-scale shipping of slaves appeared to Bagash to be aiding and abetting the evil.

Dar es Salaam Port, Bagash bin Said's House

"Everyone, we can no longer sit back and do nothing. If we do, Zanzibar will have no future!" Bagash bin Said shouted angrily, his eyes bloodshot.

"Majid bin Said is getting senile, and with the help of the Germans from the East African Colony, the situation is worsening. Majid's involvement in the slave trade is a step backward in history. All the great powers of the world have already abolished slavery. If we don't end the slave trade, how can Zanzibar integrate into the civilized world? Stagnation will only result in being left behind by time."

The people sitting below him were Bagash's trusted allies. They had witnessed the strength of Western civilization and industrialization and were among the more enlightened individuals in the Arab world (perhaps influenced by the British behind the Omani Empire).

"You're right, Your Highness, but relying on our own power alone, it will be difficult to deal with the German armed forces of the East African Colony," said a Zanzibar Sultanate officer.

"If we don't act, who will carry the banner for the future of Zanzibar? Even if the road is difficult, we must face it bravely. We can no longer rely on Majid; he is only interested in indulgence and is addicted to stimulants." Bagash bin Said said firmly.

"But, Your Highness, if we cannot convince the Sultan to stand with us, the forces we can mobilize will be very limited!" said a young officer.

"What does that matter? We represent civilization! Sultan Majid relies on the slave trade to amass wealth, and this is inherently detestable. Once we raise our voice, we can certainly awaken the people of Zanzibar and rally them to overthrow the slave trade," said a well-dressed youth.

"Are you out of your mind? Do you think that you can change Zanzibar with such naïve ideas? Political struggle is not a game!" shouted one officer angrily.

"I think some people are too scared to sacrifice for the great cause of Zanzibar. They're afraid of death and want to live comfortably!" another officer retorted.

"You brat, do you know what you're saying? I was one of those who followed His Highness to oppose the Sultan's old regime long ago, unlike you who just talks big and pees his pants when things get serious!" an officer yelled.

"What's that! Resorting to personal attacks because you can't make your point?"

And so, they argued back and forth.

Bagash bin Said stared grimly at his subordinates, who were bickering amongst themselves. He slammed his hand down on the table, making a loud "bang," instantly quieting everyone.

"Enough! You've been arguing all day, what kind of behavior is this? Is this how you're supposed to behave?" Bagash bin Said scolded.

"Solving problems isn't about using your mouths; it's about using ability and methods. Instead of venting your frustration and attacking each other, why not think of a way forward? Let's gather our ideas and come up with a solution."

Everyone fell silent.

Seeing that no one had anything to say, Bagash bin Said spoke earnestly, "Don't I know the danger? But we have no choice. Failure is not something to fear. Even if we fail, it's only temporary. Just like when we were forced into exile in India, didn't we come back stronger?"

He continued, "We must abolish the slave trade, and we need to be prepared. First, we must cut off Majid's supply chain—the route and the source of slaves provided by the East African Colony. Second, we need to overthrow Majid's rule. Only by doing this can we bring Zanzibar into the modern world. This time, we cannot allow ourselves to retreat in disgrace like last time."

"We already control a sizable army, and this is our advantage. If we can swiftly eliminate Majid and his followers, we can take control of the Zanzibar Sultanate."

"I've done some research on the East African Colony. According to intelligence from Portuguese and British merchants, aside from 2,000 retired Prussian soldiers (in reality, only a little over 1,000), the rest are farmers brought in from East Asia."

"As long as we gain the upper hand in Zanzibar, we can quickly assemble a professional army of more than 4,000 men and even temporarily conscript some citizens to deal with the farmers from the East African Colony. Four thousand against two thousand, the advantage is on our side."

After hearing Bagash bin Said's plan, an officer spoke up, "Your Highness, what about Sultan Majid? If we succeed, do we..."

He made a shape with his hand like a gun, pointing to his head and making a shooting gesture.

Bagash bin Said shook his head. "That is the way of barbarians. European monarchs often fight politically, but they never persecute the losers. Even Napoleon, an ambitious man, was exiled in the end. No one has ever killed a defeated ruler. And we're not like them, we don't have the backing of the British."

Officer Abdullah spoke up, "Your Highness, we can't be too soft. What if Sultan Majid comes back?"

Bagash bin Said replied, "Enough, I've made my decision. There is no room for discussion. When the time comes, we'll exile him to another country. I've heard that he has a good relationship with the Sultanate of Oman. We'll send him there. Anyway, he's old and won't be able to return to cause trouble. He's not like us, with the British backing us."

And so, a conspiracy against the East African Colony and Sultan Majid bin Said of Zanzibar was set in motion.

If the officials of the East African Colony had known about their plan, they would have been baffled. What kind of thinking is this? The slave trade wasn't even started by us. We're just making a little extra money, and now we're being targeted. It's truly an unjust disaster. This was a family matter for them, but they insisted on dragging outsiders into it. How could they have the audacity to call the East African Colony the villain? We're only helping them!

Logically, it doesn't make sense at all! Even today, the officials of the East African Colony still don't understand the reasoning of these Arabs.

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