A History Forgotten, A Revolution Misunderstood

Omani colonialism: from the Southern tip of the Somali coast all the way down to Mozambique, Arabs ruled the coastline. This resulted in the Swahili language for example, which is linguistic proof of their former rule. But Western interpretations of colonialism prove insufficient or inconsiderate of the Omani case. Zanzibar has not yet been discussed as a settler colony; however this paper shows that in fact Zanzibar must be treated as such. I examine the mechanisms behind expansion from the Arabian Gulf down to Zanzibar, contrasting them to European formal expansion into Africa. Also, crucial distinctions are made in regard to race relations, slavery, and metropole-periphery dynamics from the Western variant of settler colonialism. The Zanzibar Revolution of 1964, as the culmination of anti-colonial sentiments, is shown as unique as well; as the posit against the “Mau Mau” revolt of Kenya illustrates. This paper walks through the neglected but vital aspects in which Omani rule in Zanzibar was not colonialism in the common case, contrary to popular perception. Omani rule was in fact a different sort of colonialism – forgotten by both history and theory.