Lloyd Mathews
Encyclopedia
Sir Lloyd William Mathews KCMG, CB (7 March 1850 – 11 October 1901) was a British naval officer, politician
and abolitionist. Mathews joined the Royal Navy
as a cadet at the age of 13 and progressed through the ranks to lieutenant
. He was involved with the Third Anglo-Ashanti War of 1873–4, afterwards being stationed in East Africa
for the suppression of the slave trade. In 1877 he was seconded from the navy to Sultan Barghash
of Zanzibar
in order to form a European-style army; he would remain in the employ of the government of Zanzibar for the rest of his life. His army quickly reached 6,300 men and was used in several expeditions to suppress the slave trade and rebellions against the Zanzibar government.
Mathews retired from the Royal Navy in 1881 and was appointed Brigadier-General of Zanzibar. There followed more expeditions to the African mainland, including a failed attempt to stop German expansion in East Africa. In October 1891 Mathews was appointed First Minister
to the Zanzibar government, a position in which he was "irremovable by the sultan". During this time Mathews was a keen abolitionist and promoted this cause to the Sultans he worked with. This resulted in the prohibiting of the slave trade in Zanzibar's dominions in 1890 and the abolition of slavery in 1897. Mathews was appointed the British Consul-General for East Africa in 1891 but declined to take up the position, remaining in Zanzibar instead.
Mathews and his troops also played a key role in the ending of the Anglo-Zanzibar War
of 1896 which erupted out of an attempt to bypass the requirement that new Sultans must be vetted by the British consul. During his time as first minister Mathews continued to be involved with the military and was part of two large campaigns, one to Witu
and another to Mwele.
Mathews was decorated by several governments, receiving appointments as a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George, Companion of the Order of the Bath and as a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George from the British government and membership in the Prussia
n Order of the Crown
. Zanzibar also rewarded him and he was a member of the Grand Order of Hamondieh and a first class member of the Order of the Brilliant Star of Zanzibar
. Mathews died of malaria
in Zanzibar on 11 October 1901.
on Madeira
on 7 March 1850. His father, Captain William Matthews was Welsh, and his mother Jane Wallis Penfold, was the daughter of William Penfold and Sarah Gilbert. Her sister, Augusta Jane Robley nee Penfold was the author of a famous book about the flora and fauna of Madeira, which is now in the Natural History Museum. Mathews became a cadet of the Royal Navy
in 1863 and was appointed a midshipman
on 23 September 1866. From 1868 he was stationed in the Mediterranean but his first active service was during the Third Anglo-Ashanti War of 1873–4 where he qualified for the campaign medal. He was promoted to lieutenant
on 31 March 1874. On 27 August 1875 Mathews was posted to , a depot ship and the Royal Navy headquarters for East Africa
, to assist in the suppression of the slave trade in the area. Whilst onboard he drilled his own troops, captured several slave dhow
s and was commended for his actions by the Admiralty.
of Zanzibar to form a European-style army which could be used to enforce Zanzibar's control over its mainland possessions. The army had traditionally been composed entirely of Arab
s and Persians
but Mathews opened up recruitment to the African majority on the island and had 300 recruits
in training by the end of the year. In addition, Mathews employed some unorthodox recruitment methods such as purchasing slaves from their masters, using inmates from the prison and recruiting from Africans rescued from the slavers. In June 1877, at the instigation of John Kirk
, the explorer and friend of the Sultan, the British government sent a shipment of 500 modern rifles and ammunition as a gift with which to arm the troops. Mathews introduced a new uniform
for the troops consisting of a red cap, short black jackets and white trousers for the enlisted ranks and dark blue frock coats and trousers with gold and silver lace for the Arab officers. The latter was possibly modelled on the Royal Navy officers uniform
with which he was familiar. The army grew quickly; by the 1880s Mathews would command 1,300 men, his forces eventually numbering 1,000 regulars and 5,000 irregulars
.
One of the first tasks for the new army was to suppress the smuggling of slaves from Pangani
on the mainland to the island of Pemba
, north of Zanzibar. The troops completed this mission, capturing several slavers and hindering the trade. Mathews retired from the Royal Navy in June 1881 and was appointed Brigadier-General of Zanzibar. In 1880, the Sultan dispatched a military force under Mathews to bring his unruly African mainland territories under control. Mathews' expedition was initially intended to reach Unyanyembe
but his men refused to march inland and, when made to do so, deserted in large numbers. The expedition ended instead at Mamboya where a 60-man garrison was established. This had been reduced to a mere handful of men by the mid-1880s but the expedition proved that the Sultan was serious about maintaining control of all of his possessions. Mathews' men were also involved in several expeditions to halt the land-based slave trade which had developed once the seas became too heavily policed for the traders.
In 1881 Mathews' old vessel, the , had been made seaworthy once more and was captained by Charles J Brownrigg. This vessel and her crew made several patrols aimed at hindering the slave trade and, on 3 December 1881, caught up with a slave dhow
captained by Hindi bin Hattam. This dhow had around 100 slaves on board and was transporting them between Pemba and Zanzibar. Captain Brownrigg led a boarding party to release the slaves but bin Hattam's men then attacked the sailors, killing Brownrigg and his party before sailing away. Mathews led a force to Wete
on Pemba and, after a short battle, took a mortally wounded bin Hattem prisoner before returning to Zanzibar.
Mathews returned to the African mainland territories once more in 1884 when he landed with a force which intended to establish further garrisons there to dissuade German territorial claims. This attempt ultimately failed when five German warships steamed into Zanzibar Town harbour and threatened the Sultan into signing away the territories which would later form German East Africa
. Further territories were ceded to the German East Africa Company in 1888 but unrest amongst the locals against them prevented them from taking control and Mathews was dispatched with 100 men to restore order. Finding around 8,000 people gathered against the German administrators Mathews was forced to return with his men to Zanzibar. He landed once again with more troops but found himself subject to death threats and that his troops would not obey his orders and so returned again to Zanzibar.
In October 1891, upon the formation of the first constitutional government in Zanzibar, Mathews was appointed First Minister
, despite some hostility from Sultan Ali bin Said
. In this capacity Mathews was "irremovable by the sultan" and answerable only to the Sultan and the British Consul
. His position was so strong that one missionary
on the island is quoted as saying that his powers defied "analytical examination" and that Mathews really could say "L'état est moi" (I am the state). Mathews was also known as the "Strong man of Zanzibar". The principal departments of government were mostly run by Britons or British Indians and Mathews' approval was required before they could be removed from office. Mathews was rewarded by the Zanzibar government for his role with his appointment as a first class member of the Order of the Brilliant Star of Zanzibar
, which he was granted licence by Queen Victoria to accept and wear on 17 May 1886. Mathews used his position to suppress slavery in the country and in 1889 convinced the Sultan to issue a decree purchasing the freedom of all slaves who had taken refuge in his dominions and, from 1890, the prohibiting the slave trade. On 1 February 1891 Mathews was appointed Her Majesty's Commissioner
and Consul-General to the British Sphere of Influence in East Africa. He never took up the post and instead chose to remain in Zanzibar.
Mathews was rewarded for his service in Zanzibar by the British government which appointed him a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George in 1880 and a Companion of the Order of the Bath on 24 May 1889. Despite becoming renowned in East Africa as a man who ran a fair administration and was strict with criminals, unhappiness with effective British rule and his halting of the slave trade led some Arabs to petition the Sultan for his removal in 1892. In 1893 Mathews purchased the island of Changuu
for the government. He intended it to be used as a prison but it never housed prisoners and was instead used to quarantine
yellow fever
cases before its present use as a conservation area for giant tortoise
s. Mathews was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George in 1894. He was also awarded membership of the Order of the Crown
by the German government.
Matters came to a head when Khalid bin Barghash
attempted to take control of the palace in Zanzibar Town upon the death of his uncle in August 1896, despite failing to gain the consent of the British consul there. Mathews opposed this succession and, with British agreement, called up 900 soldiers in an attempt to prevent it. This situation eventually led to the Anglo-Zanzibar War
and Mathews, with the support of Admiral
Harry Rawson
and five vessels of the Royal Navy, bombarded the palace and secured the end of Khalid's administration. Mathews' helped to arrange the succession of a pro-British Sultan, Hamoud bin Mohammed
, as Khalid's successor. Mathews continued his reforms after the war, abolishing slavery in 1897 and establishing new farms to grow produce using Western techniques. He was appointed a member of the Grand Order of Hamondieh of Zanzibar and was permitted to accept and wear the decoration on 25 August 1897.
. This led to open rebellion at Konjoro in February of that year when the younger Mbaruk attacked Zanzibari troops under Arthur Raikes
, one of Mathews' officers. Mathews was part of an Anglo-Zanzibari expedition sent to quell it, which consisted of 310 British sailors, 50 Royal Marines, 54 Sudanese and 164 Zanzibari troops. Konjoro was destroyed and the leaders fled to Gazi where the older Mbaruk failed to turn them over. Another force, under Admiral Rawson, with 400 British marines and sailors, was sent after them. This further expedition failed to capture the ringleaders and a third expedition was organised by Rawson with 220 sailors, 80 marines, 60 Sudanese and 50 Zanzibaris, which destroyed Mwele. During the latter action Mathews was wounded in the shoulder.
to justice. Nine warships and three transports carrying 800 sailors and marines, 150 Imperial British East Africa Company
(IBEA) Indian police, 200 Zanzibari and 50 Sudanese troops were sent, defeating the Sultan and establishing a British protectorate. The IBEA was given control of the area and established a force of 250 Indian police to maintain the peace. The police were withdrawn in July 1893 following threats of violence from the new Sultan of Witu, Oman, and another expedition was dispatched to the region. This consisted of three warships: , HMS Sparrow and the Zanzibari ship HHS Barawa. The latter carried Mathews with 125 Askaris and 50 Sudanese under Brigadier-General Hatch of the Zanzibar army.
Mathews and an escort force went to Witu where, on 31 July, they removed the flag of the IBEA company and replaced it with the red flag of Zanzibar, before destroying several villages and causing Oman to retreat into the forests. The British troops then withdrew, having suffered heavily from malaria, but the Sudanese and Zanzibari troops remained. A further expedition was sent of 140 sailors and 85 other troops but Oman died soon after and a more pliable sultan, Omar bin Hamid, was appointed to govern on behalf of Zanzibar, bringing the affair to a close. In return for this action, Mathews received the British East and West Africa
campaign medal
.
in Zanzibar on 11 October 1901 and was buried with full military honours
in the British cemetery outside Zanzibar Town. His successor as first minister was A.S. Rogers. Changuu island, which Mathews bought for a prison, now has a restaurant named in his honour and also a church. Mathews House, at the Western end of Zanzibar Town, is also named for him.
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
and abolitionist. Mathews joined the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
as a cadet at the age of 13 and progressed through the ranks to lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
. He was involved with the Third Anglo-Ashanti War of 1873–4, afterwards being stationed in East Africa
East Africa
East Africa or Eastern Africa is the easterly region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. In the UN scheme of geographic regions, 19 territories constitute Eastern Africa:...
for the suppression of the slave trade. In 1877 he was seconded from the navy to Sultan Barghash
Barghash bin Said of Zanzibar
Sayyid Barghash bin Said Al-Busaid, GCMG, GCTE , son of Said bin Sultan,was the second Sultan of Zanzibar. Barghash ruled Zanzibar from October 7, 1870 to March 26, 1888....
of Zanzibar
Zanzibar
Zanzibar ,Persian: زنگبار, from suffix bār: "coast" and Zangi: "bruin" ; is a semi-autonomous part of Tanzania, in East Africa. It comprises the Zanzibar Archipelago in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of the mainland, and consists of numerous small islands and two large ones: Unguja , and Pemba...
in order to form a European-style army; he would remain in the employ of the government of Zanzibar for the rest of his life. His army quickly reached 6,300 men and was used in several expeditions to suppress the slave trade and rebellions against the Zanzibar government.
Mathews retired from the Royal Navy in 1881 and was appointed Brigadier-General of Zanzibar. There followed more expeditions to the African mainland, including a failed attempt to stop German expansion in East Africa. In October 1891 Mathews was appointed First Minister
First Minister
A First Minister is the leader of a government cabinet.-Canada:In Canada, "First Ministers" is a collective term that refers to all Canadian first ministers of the Crown, otherwise known as heads of government, including the Prime Minister of Canada and the provincial and territorial premiers...
to the Zanzibar government, a position in which he was "irremovable by the sultan". During this time Mathews was a keen abolitionist and promoted this cause to the Sultans he worked with. This resulted in the prohibiting of the slave trade in Zanzibar's dominions in 1890 and the abolition of slavery in 1897. Mathews was appointed the British Consul-General for East Africa in 1891 but declined to take up the position, remaining in Zanzibar instead.
Mathews and his troops also played a key role in the ending of the Anglo-Zanzibar War
Anglo-Zanzibar War
The Anglo-Zanzibar War was fought between the United Kingdom and Zanzibar on 27 August 1896. The conflict lasted 38 minutes and is the shortest war in history. The immediate cause of the war was the death of the pro-British Sultan Hamad bin Thuwaini on 25 August 1896 and the subsequent succession...
of 1896 which erupted out of an attempt to bypass the requirement that new Sultans must be vetted by the British consul. During his time as first minister Mathews continued to be involved with the military and was part of two large campaigns, one to Witu
Witu
Witu may refer to*Wituland*Vitu language *Wiru :**Wiru people**Wiru language...
and another to Mwele.
Mathews was decorated by several governments, receiving appointments as a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George, Companion of the Order of the Bath and as a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George from the British government and membership in the Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
n Order of the Crown
Order of the Crown (Prussia)
The Order of the Crown was Prussia's lowest ranking order of chivalry. Instituted in 1861 as an award equal in rank to the Order of the Red Eagle, it could only be awarded to commissioned officers , but there was a medal associated with the order which could be earned by non-commissioned officers...
. Zanzibar also rewarded him and he was a member of the Grand Order of Hamondieh and a first class member of the Order of the Brilliant Star of Zanzibar
Order of the Brilliant Star of Zanzibar
The Order of the Brilliant Star of Zanzibar was a decoration awarded by the Sultan of Zanzibar. It was in use from its inception on 22 December 1875 to the overthrow of the Sultanate on 12 January 1964. The decoration had two grades, the first of which was usually awarded to foreign heads of...
. Mathews died of malaria
Malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...
in Zanzibar on 11 October 1901.
Early life and career
Mathews was born at FunchalFunchal
Funchal is the largest city, the municipal seat and the capital of Portugal's Autonomous Region of Madeira. The city has a population of 112,015 and has been the capital of Madeira for more than five centuries.-Etymology:...
on Madeira
Madeira
Madeira is a Portuguese archipelago that lies between and , just under 400 km north of Tenerife, Canary Islands, in the north Atlantic Ocean and an outermost region of the European Union...
on 7 March 1850. His father, Captain William Matthews was Welsh, and his mother Jane Wallis Penfold, was the daughter of William Penfold and Sarah Gilbert. Her sister, Augusta Jane Robley nee Penfold was the author of a famous book about the flora and fauna of Madeira, which is now in the Natural History Museum. Mathews became a cadet of the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
in 1863 and was appointed a midshipman
Midshipman
A midshipman is an officer cadet, or a commissioned officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Kenya...
on 23 September 1866. From 1868 he was stationed in the Mediterranean but his first active service was during the Third Anglo-Ashanti War of 1873–4 where he qualified for the campaign medal. He was promoted to lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
on 31 March 1874. On 27 August 1875 Mathews was posted to , a depot ship and the Royal Navy headquarters for East Africa
East Africa
East Africa or Eastern Africa is the easterly region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. In the UN scheme of geographic regions, 19 territories constitute Eastern Africa:...
, to assist in the suppression of the slave trade in the area. Whilst onboard he drilled his own troops, captured several slave dhow
Dhow
Dhow is the generic name of a number of traditional sailing vessels with one or more masts with lateen sails used in the Red Sea and Indian Ocean region. Some historians believe the dhow was invented by Arabs but this is disputed by some others. Dhows typically weigh 300 to 500 tons, and have a...
s and was commended for his actions by the Admiralty.
Commander in Chief of Zanzibar
In August 1877, Mathews was seconded from the Navy to Sultan BarghashBarghash bin Said of Zanzibar
Sayyid Barghash bin Said Al-Busaid, GCMG, GCTE , son of Said bin Sultan,was the second Sultan of Zanzibar. Barghash ruled Zanzibar from October 7, 1870 to March 26, 1888....
of Zanzibar to form a European-style army which could be used to enforce Zanzibar's control over its mainland possessions. The army had traditionally been composed entirely of Arab
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
s and Persians
Persian people
The Persian people are part of the Iranian peoples who speak the modern Persian language and closely akin Iranian dialects and languages. The origin of the ethnic Iranian/Persian peoples are traced to the Ancient Iranian peoples, who were part of the ancient Indo-Iranians and themselves part of...
but Mathews opened up recruitment to the African majority on the island and had 300 recruits
Army recruit
Recruit or army recruit is a term often colloquially used to refer to the lowest military rank in various armed services. It usually implies that the soldier so labeled has not yet completed basic training....
in training by the end of the year. In addition, Mathews employed some unorthodox recruitment methods such as purchasing slaves from their masters, using inmates from the prison and recruiting from Africans rescued from the slavers. In June 1877, at the instigation of John Kirk
John Kirk (explorer)
Sir John Kirk was a Scottish physician, naturalist, companion to explorer David Livingstone, and British administrator in Zanzibar. He was born in Barry, near Arbroath, Scotland and is buried in St. Nicholas's churchyard in Sevenoaks, Kent, England. He earned his medical degree from the...
, the explorer and friend of the Sultan, the British government sent a shipment of 500 modern rifles and ammunition as a gift with which to arm the troops. Mathews introduced a new uniform
Uniform
A uniform is a set of standard clothing worn by members of an organization while participating in that organization's activity. Modern uniforms are worn by armed forces and paramilitary organizations such as police, emergency services, security guards, in some workplaces and schools and by inmates...
for the troops consisting of a red cap, short black jackets and white trousers for the enlisted ranks and dark blue frock coats and trousers with gold and silver lace for the Arab officers. The latter was possibly modelled on the Royal Navy officers uniform
Royal Navy uniform
The uniforms of the Royal Navy have evolved gradually since the first uniform regulations for officers were issued in 1748. The predominant colours of Royal Navy uniforms are navy blue and white...
with which he was familiar. The army grew quickly; by the 1880s Mathews would command 1,300 men, his forces eventually numbering 1,000 regulars and 5,000 irregulars
Irregular military
Irregular military refers to any non-standard military. Being defined by exclusion, there is significant variance in what comes under the term. It can refer to the type of military organization, or to the type of tactics used....
.
One of the first tasks for the new army was to suppress the smuggling of slaves from Pangani
Pangani
Pangani is one of the eight districts of Tanga Region in Tanzania. It is bordered to the North by the Muheza District, to the East by the Indian Ocean, to the South by the Pwani Region and to the West by the Handeni District.The center is Pangani....
on the mainland to the island of Pemba
Pemba, Tanzania
Pemba Island, known as "The Green Island" in Arabic , is an island forming part of the Zanzibar archipelago, lying off the east coast of Africa in the Indian Ocean. It is situated about 50 kilometres to the north of the Unguja . In 1964 Zanzibar was united with the former colony of Tanganyika to...
, north of Zanzibar. The troops completed this mission, capturing several slavers and hindering the trade. Mathews retired from the Royal Navy in June 1881 and was appointed Brigadier-General of Zanzibar. In 1880, the Sultan dispatched a military force under Mathews to bring his unruly African mainland territories under control. Mathews' expedition was initially intended to reach Unyanyembe
Unyanyembe
Unyanyembe is a town in Tanzania . It was one of the locations visited by Henry Morton Stanley during his search for Dr Livingstone. The town is located in the Shinyanga Region.-See also:Vicariate Apostolic of Unyanyembe...
but his men refused to march inland and, when made to do so, deserted in large numbers. The expedition ended instead at Mamboya where a 60-man garrison was established. This had been reduced to a mere handful of men by the mid-1880s but the expedition proved that the Sultan was serious about maintaining control of all of his possessions. Mathews' men were also involved in several expeditions to halt the land-based slave trade which had developed once the seas became too heavily policed for the traders.
In 1881 Mathews' old vessel, the , had been made seaworthy once more and was captained by Charles J Brownrigg. This vessel and her crew made several patrols aimed at hindering the slave trade and, on 3 December 1881, caught up with a slave dhow
Dhow
Dhow is the generic name of a number of traditional sailing vessels with one or more masts with lateen sails used in the Red Sea and Indian Ocean region. Some historians believe the dhow was invented by Arabs but this is disputed by some others. Dhows typically weigh 300 to 500 tons, and have a...
captained by Hindi bin Hattam. This dhow had around 100 slaves on board and was transporting them between Pemba and Zanzibar. Captain Brownrigg led a boarding party to release the slaves but bin Hattam's men then attacked the sailors, killing Brownrigg and his party before sailing away. Mathews led a force to Wete
Wete
Wete is a city located on the Tanzanian island of Pemba and it is the capital of Pemba North region. It lies on the northwest coast. Immediately to the south of it is the small island of Matambwe, site of the ruins of a medieval town....
on Pemba and, after a short battle, took a mortally wounded bin Hattem prisoner before returning to Zanzibar.
Mathews returned to the African mainland territories once more in 1884 when he landed with a force which intended to establish further garrisons there to dissuade German territorial claims. This attempt ultimately failed when five German warships steamed into Zanzibar Town harbour and threatened the Sultan into signing away the territories which would later form German East Africa
German East Africa
German East Africa was a German colony in East Africa, which included what are now :Burundi, :Rwanda and Tanganyika . Its area was , nearly three times the size of Germany today....
. Further territories were ceded to the German East Africa Company in 1888 but unrest amongst the locals against them prevented them from taking control and Mathews was dispatched with 100 men to restore order. Finding around 8,000 people gathered against the German administrators Mathews was forced to return with his men to Zanzibar. He landed once again with more troops but found himself subject to death threats and that his troops would not obey his orders and so returned again to Zanzibar.
First Minister
First Minister
A First Minister is the leader of a government cabinet.-Canada:In Canada, "First Ministers" is a collective term that refers to all Canadian first ministers of the Crown, otherwise known as heads of government, including the Prime Minister of Canada and the provincial and territorial premiers...
, despite some hostility from Sultan Ali bin Said
Ali bin Said of Zanzibar
Sayyid Ali bin Said Al-Busaid, GCSI, was the fourth Sultan of Zanzibar. He ruled Zanzibar from February 13, 1890 to March 5, 1893, and was succeeded by his nephew, Hamad bin Thuwaini Al-Busaid.-Titles:...
. In this capacity Mathews was "irremovable by the sultan" and answerable only to the Sultan and the British Consul
Consul
Consul was the highest elected office of the Roman Republic and an appointive office under the Empire. The title was also used in other city states and also revived in modern states, notably in the First French Republic...
. His position was so strong that one missionary
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
on the island is quoted as saying that his powers defied "analytical examination" and that Mathews really could say "L'état est moi" (I am the state). Mathews was also known as the "Strong man of Zanzibar". The principal departments of government were mostly run by Britons or British Indians and Mathews' approval was required before they could be removed from office. Mathews was rewarded by the Zanzibar government for his role with his appointment as a first class member of the Order of the Brilliant Star of Zanzibar
Order of the Brilliant Star of Zanzibar
The Order of the Brilliant Star of Zanzibar was a decoration awarded by the Sultan of Zanzibar. It was in use from its inception on 22 December 1875 to the overthrow of the Sultanate on 12 January 1964. The decoration had two grades, the first of which was usually awarded to foreign heads of...
, which he was granted licence by Queen Victoria to accept and wear on 17 May 1886. Mathews used his position to suppress slavery in the country and in 1889 convinced the Sultan to issue a decree purchasing the freedom of all slaves who had taken refuge in his dominions and, from 1890, the prohibiting the slave trade. On 1 February 1891 Mathews was appointed Her Majesty's Commissioner
Commissioner
Commissioner is in principle the title given to a member of a commission or to an individual who has been given a commission ....
and Consul-General to the British Sphere of Influence in East Africa. He never took up the post and instead chose to remain in Zanzibar.
Mathews was rewarded for his service in Zanzibar by the British government which appointed him a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George in 1880 and a Companion of the Order of the Bath on 24 May 1889. Despite becoming renowned in East Africa as a man who ran a fair administration and was strict with criminals, unhappiness with effective British rule and his halting of the slave trade led some Arabs to petition the Sultan for his removal in 1892. In 1893 Mathews purchased the island of Changuu
Changuu
Changuu Island is a small island north-west of Stone Town, Unguja, Zanzibar. The island is around long and wide at its broadest point. The island saw use as a prison for rebellious slaves in 1860s and also functioned as a coral mine...
for the government. He intended it to be used as a prison but it never housed prisoners and was instead used to quarantine
Quarantine
Quarantine is compulsory isolation, typically to contain the spread of something considered dangerous, often but not always disease. The word comes from the Italian quarantena, meaning forty-day period....
yellow fever
Yellow fever
Yellow fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic disease. The virus is a 40 to 50 nm enveloped RNA virus with positive sense of the Flaviviridae family....
cases before its present use as a conservation area for giant tortoise
Giant tortoise
Giant tortoises are characteristic reptiles of certain tropical islands. Often reaching enormous size—they can weigh as much as 300 kg and can grow to be 1.3 m long—they live, or lived , in the Seychelles, the Mascarenes and the Galapagos...
s. Mathews was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George in 1894. He was also awarded membership of the Order of the Crown
Order of the Crown (Prussia)
The Order of the Crown was Prussia's lowest ranking order of chivalry. Instituted in 1861 as an award equal in rank to the Order of the Red Eagle, it could only be awarded to commissioned officers , but there was a medal associated with the order which could be earned by non-commissioned officers...
by the German government.
Matters came to a head when Khalid bin Barghash
Khalid bin Barghash of Zanzibar
Sayyid Khalid bin Barghash Al-Busaid was the sixth Sultan of Zanzibar and the eldest son of the second Sultan of Zanzibar, Sayyid Barghash bin Said Al-Busaid. Khalid briefly ruled Zanzibar , seizing power after the sudden death of his cousin Hamad bin Thuwaini of Zanzibar who many suspect was...
attempted to take control of the palace in Zanzibar Town upon the death of his uncle in August 1896, despite failing to gain the consent of the British consul there. Mathews opposed this succession and, with British agreement, called up 900 soldiers in an attempt to prevent it. This situation eventually led to the Anglo-Zanzibar War
Anglo-Zanzibar War
The Anglo-Zanzibar War was fought between the United Kingdom and Zanzibar on 27 August 1896. The conflict lasted 38 minutes and is the shortest war in history. The immediate cause of the war was the death of the pro-British Sultan Hamad bin Thuwaini on 25 August 1896 and the subsequent succession...
and Mathews, with the support of Admiral
Admiral
Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...
Harry Rawson
Harry Rawson
Admiral Sir Harry Holdsworth Rawson, GCB, GCMG RN , is chiefly remembered for overseeing the British Benin Expedition of 1897 that burned and looted the city of the Kingdom of Benin, now in Nigeria...
and five vessels of the Royal Navy, bombarded the palace and secured the end of Khalid's administration. Mathews' helped to arrange the succession of a pro-British Sultan, Hamoud bin Mohammed
Hamoud bin Mohammed of Zanzibar
Sayyid Sir Hamoud bin Mohammed Al-Said, GCSI, was the British-controlled Omani sultan of the protectorate of Zanzibar, who outlawed slavery on the island....
, as Khalid's successor. Mathews continued his reforms after the war, abolishing slavery in 1897 and establishing new farms to grow produce using Western techniques. He was appointed a member of the Grand Order of Hamondieh of Zanzibar and was permitted to accept and wear the decoration on 25 August 1897.
Mwele
In addition to the smaller-scale expeditions described earlier, Mathews embarked on two much larger expeditions to the African mainland during his tenure as first minister, the first at Mwele. The initial rebellion in the area had been led by Mbaruk bin Rashid at Gazi, which Mathews had put down with 1,200 men in 1882. However in 1895 Mbaruk's nephew, Mbaruk bin Rashid, refused to acknowledge the appointment of a new leader at TakaunguTakaungu
Takaungu is a small rural village located on the Kenyan Coast between Mombasa and Malindi, in the Kilifi District, Coast Province. It is 10 kilometres south of the Kilifi town, in the Kikambala division. The town has population of 1500 . Fishing and a local coral quarry are the predominate...
. This led to open rebellion at Konjoro in February of that year when the younger Mbaruk attacked Zanzibari troops under Arthur Raikes
Arthur Raikes
Arthur Edward Harington Raikes was a British army officer.Raikes was born on 5 February 1867 to Reverend Charles Hall Raikes and Charlotte d'Ende Arbuthnot. Raikes served as a Lieutenant in the Wiltshire Regiment before moving to Zanzibar where he was appointed Brigadier-General in the Sultan's...
, one of Mathews' officers. Mathews was part of an Anglo-Zanzibari expedition sent to quell it, which consisted of 310 British sailors, 50 Royal Marines, 54 Sudanese and 164 Zanzibari troops. Konjoro was destroyed and the leaders fled to Gazi where the older Mbaruk failed to turn them over. Another force, under Admiral Rawson, with 400 British marines and sailors, was sent after them. This further expedition failed to capture the ringleaders and a third expedition was organised by Rawson with 220 sailors, 80 marines, 60 Sudanese and 50 Zanzibaris, which destroyed Mwele. During the latter action Mathews was wounded in the shoulder.
Witu
Following the death of a German logger who had been operating illegally, the Sultan of Zanzibar and the British government dispatched an expedition on 20 October 1890 to bring the Sultan of WituWitu
Witu may refer to*Wituland*Vitu language *Wiru :**Wiru people**Wiru language...
to justice. Nine warships and three transports carrying 800 sailors and marines, 150 Imperial British East Africa Company
Imperial British East Africa Company
The Imperial British East Africa Company was the administrator of British East Africa, which was the forerunner of the East Africa Protectorate, later Kenya. The IBEAC was a commercial association founded to develop African trade in the areas controlled by the British colonial power...
(IBEA) Indian police, 200 Zanzibari and 50 Sudanese troops were sent, defeating the Sultan and establishing a British protectorate. The IBEA was given control of the area and established a force of 250 Indian police to maintain the peace. The police were withdrawn in July 1893 following threats of violence from the new Sultan of Witu, Oman, and another expedition was dispatched to the region. This consisted of three warships: , HMS Sparrow and the Zanzibari ship HHS Barawa. The latter carried Mathews with 125 Askaris and 50 Sudanese under Brigadier-General Hatch of the Zanzibar army.
Mathews and an escort force went to Witu where, on 31 July, they removed the flag of the IBEA company and replaced it with the red flag of Zanzibar, before destroying several villages and causing Oman to retreat into the forests. The British troops then withdrew, having suffered heavily from malaria, but the Sudanese and Zanzibari troops remained. A further expedition was sent of 140 sailors and 85 other troops but Oman died soon after and a more pliable sultan, Omar bin Hamid, was appointed to govern on behalf of Zanzibar, bringing the affair to a close. In return for this action, Mathews received the British East and West Africa
East and West Africa Medal
The East and West Africa Medal was a campaign medal approved for issue to officers and men of the British armed forces in East and West Africa. The obverse held a left-facing portrait of Queen Victoria with the inscription "VICTORIA REGINA"...
campaign medal
Campaign medal
A campaign medal is a military decoration which is awarded to a member of the military who serves in a designated military operation or performs duty in a geographical theater...
.
Later life
Mathews died of malariaMalaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...
in Zanzibar on 11 October 1901 and was buried with full military honours
Military funeral
A military funeral is a specially orchestrated funeral given by a country's military for a soldier, sailor, marine or airman who died in battle, a veteran, or other prominent military figures or heads of state. A military funeral may feature guards of honor, the firing of volley shots as a salute,...
in the British cemetery outside Zanzibar Town. His successor as first minister was A.S. Rogers. Changuu island, which Mathews bought for a prison, now has a restaurant named in his honour and also a church. Mathews House, at the Western end of Zanzibar Town, is also named for him.