19th century – 19th century
Zanzibar and the East African coast
A sequence of British diplomatic measures aimed at restricting and eventually prohibiting the slave trade in the possessions of the sultan of Zanzibar. The Hamerton Treaty of 1845 limited the trade within the sultan’s dominions, while a decree issued by Seyyid Barghash in 1873 prohibited maritime slave trading. Enforcement remained weak, and clandestine coastal trafficking continued after mainland prohibition in 1876.
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The Story
British efforts to restrict the East African slave trade intensified after Colonel Atkins Hamerton became British consul in Zanzibar in 1841. His negotiations with the sultan produced the Hamerton Treaty of 1845, which sought to confine the slave trade to the sultan’s possessions. The measure had limited practical effect because the sultan’s authority extended across both East Africa and the Arabian peninsula, and because the ruler was unwilling to see the trade stopped.
After Seyyid Said’s death in 1856, the East African half of his empire passed to Seyyid Majid, who remained reluctant to abandon the trade. British pressure increased after the succession of Seyyid Barghash, who issued a decree in 1873 prohibiting all maritime slave trading. The decree marked an important diplomatic success but did not end the wider system that connected the mainland coast, Zanzibar, and Pemba.
Slave trading continued through coastal routes and concealed stations. Traders moved captives between Kilwa and Mombasa, and between Malindi and Zanzibar, using small vessels at night to avoid British naval patrols. Even after prohibition on the mainland in 1876, the sultan and the British lacked the means to enforce the decrees effectively, while plantation agriculture and internal warfare continued to generate demand and supplies.
19th century – 19th century
Zanzibar and the East African coast
A sequence of British diplomatic measures aimed at restricting and eventually prohibiting the slave trade in the possessions of the sultan of Zanzibar. The Hamerton Treaty of 1845 limited the trade within the sultan’s dominions, while a decree issued by Seyyid Barghash in 1873 prohibited maritime slave trading. Enforcement remained weak, and clandestine coastal trafficking continued after mainland prohibition in 1876.
Continue exploring
The Story
British efforts to restrict the East African slave trade intensified after Colonel Atkins Hamerton became British consul in Zanzibar in 1841. His negotiations with the sultan produced the Hamerton Treaty of 1845, which sought to confine the slave trade to the sultan’s possessions. The measure had limited practical effect because the sultan’s authority extended across both East Africa and the Arabian peninsula, and because the ruler was unwilling to see the trade stopped.
After Seyyid Said’s death in 1856, the East African half of his empire passed to Seyyid Majid, who remained reluctant to abandon the trade. British pressure increased after the succession of Seyyid Barghash, who issued a decree in 1873 prohibiting all maritime slave trading. The decree marked an important diplomatic success but did not end the wider system that connected the mainland coast, Zanzibar, and Pemba.
Slave trading continued through coastal routes and concealed stations. Traders moved captives between Kilwa and Mombasa, and between Malindi and Zanzibar, using small vessels at night to avoid British naval patrols. Even after prohibition on the mainland in 1876, the sultan and the British lacked the means to enforce the decrees effectively, while plantation agriculture and internal warfare continued to generate demand and supplies.