Zanj Empire
Encyclopedia
The Zenj Empire was established in 980
AD by Ali ibn Hasan of the Shirazi Dynasty. The founding of the empire was also based on a joint venture that entailed Persians
and Shabankara Kurds
. The Shabankara Persians, specifically, were from the Shiraz
region in southern Iran
.
The Zanj
Empire was the successor state to the Kilwa Empire
first built by the Bazrangids
. Evidence from East African traditions, chronicles, coins, and architecture indicate that the Barzangids were succeeded by the Shirazi Dynasty. Moreover, statements from a European traveler, Joao de Barros, and reports from Muslim travelers/geographers imply of such a succession happening.
The extent of the Zanj Empire entailed the entire coast of Lamu
in the north to Sofala
in the south. The empire fell in 1513 AD to the Arabs who came from Oman
. Today, citizens of the Zanzibar
archipelago and the Swahili
(Lindi
to Mombasa
and Malindi
) coast of East Africa call themselves "Shirazi
". Even a main political party in Zanzibar was called the "Afro-Shirazi Party
". Moreover, the very foundation of the modern town of Zanzibar (the stone town center) was laid during the late reign of Shirazi Dynasty.
980
Year 980 was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* Otto II renounces his claim to Lorraine.* The Viking ring castle of Trelleborg is constructed in Denmark....
AD by Ali ibn Hasan of the Shirazi Dynasty. The founding of the empire was also based on a joint venture that entailed 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...
and Shabankara Kurds
Kurdish people
The Kurdish people, or Kurds , are an Iranian people native to the Middle East, mostly inhabiting a region known as Kurdistan, which includes adjacent parts of Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey...
. The Shabankara Persians, specifically, were from the Shiraz
Shiraz
Shiraz may refer to:* Shiraz, Iran, a city in Iran* Shiraz County, an administrative subdivision of Iran* Vosketap, Armenia, formerly called ShirazPeople:* Hovhannes Shiraz, Armenian poet* Ara Shiraz, Armenian sculptor...
region in southern Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
.
The Zanj
Zanj
Zanj was a name used by medieval Arab geographers to refer to both a certain portion of the coast of East Africa and its inhabitants, Bantu-speaking peoples called the Zanj...
Empire was the successor state to the Kilwa Empire
Kilwa Empire
The Kilwa Empire was part of a larger empire built by the Iranian Bazrangids. It became an independent geopolitical entity after Ardashir I of the Sassanid Empire conquered its parent Bazrangi state in southern Persia in AD 224. Emperor Ardashir's successor, Shapur I, annexed the southern shores of...
first built by the Bazrangids
Bazrangids
The Bazrangids were the local rulers of Persis and Carmania as clients of the Arsacids . They were expelled from their original home in the Middle East by the Parthians. Gocihr, the last king of the Bazrangids, was deposed by King Papag in 205 AD.-External links:*...
. Evidence from East African traditions, chronicles, coins, and architecture indicate that the Barzangids were succeeded by the Shirazi Dynasty. Moreover, statements from a European traveler, Joao de Barros, and reports from Muslim travelers/geographers imply of such a succession happening.
The extent of the Zanj Empire entailed the entire coast of Lamu
Lamu
-Threats to Lamu:In a 2010 report titled Saving Our Vanishing Heritage, Global Heritage Fund identified Lamu as one of 12 worldwide sites most "On the Verge" of irreparable loss and damage, citing insufficient management and development pressure as primary causes.- See also :* Juma and the Magic...
in the north to Sofala
Sofala
Sofala, at present known as Nova Sofala, used to be the chief seaport of the Monomotapa Kingdom, whose capital was at Mount Fura. It is located on the Sofala Bank in Sofala Province of Mozambique.-History:...
in the south. The empire fell in 1513 AD to the Arabs who came from Oman
Oman
Oman , officially called the Sultanate of Oman , is an Arab state in southwest Asia on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by the United Arab Emirates to the northwest, Saudi Arabia to the west, and Yemen to the southwest. The coast is formed by the Arabian Sea on the...
. Today, citizens of the 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...
archipelago and the Swahili
Swahili people
The Swahili people are a Bantu ethnic group and culture found in East Africa, mainly in the coastal regions and the islands of Kenya, Tanzania and north Mozambique. According to JoshuaProject, the Swahili number in at around 1,328,000. The name Swahili is derived from the Arabic word Sawahil,...
(Lindi
Lindi
Lindi is a coastal town located at the far end of the Lindi Bay, on the Indian Ocean in southeastern Tanzania. The town is 450 kilometers south of Dar es Salaam and 105 kilometers north of Mtwara, the southernmost coastal town in Tanzania, and gives its name to the surrounding Lindi Region, one...
to Mombasa
Mombasa
Mombasa is the second-largest city in Kenya. Lying next to the Indian Ocean, it has a major port and an international airport. The city also serves as the centre of the coastal tourism industry....
and Malindi
Malindi
Malindi is a town on Malindi Bay at the mouth of the Galana River, lying on the Indian Ocean coast of Kenya. It is 120 kilometres northeast of Mombasa. The population of Malindi is 117,735 . It is the capital of the Malindi District.Tourism is the major industry in Malindi. The city is...
) coast of East Africa call themselves "Shirazi
Shirazi (ethnic group)
The Shirazi are a sub-group of the Swahili people living on the Swahili Coast of East Africa, especially on the islands of Zanzibar, Pemba and Comoros. Local traditions about their origin claim they are descended from merchant princes from Shiraz in Persia who settled along the Swahili Coast....
". Even a main political party in Zanzibar was called the "Afro-Shirazi Party
Afro-Shirazi Party
The Afro-Shirazi Party was the union between the mostly Shiraz Party and the mostly African Afro Party in the island of Zanzibar. The formation of ASP led to the ouster of the Arabs from power with the Zanzibar Revolution in 1964. The party joined with the Tanganyika African National Union to...
". Moreover, the very foundation of the modern town of Zanzibar (the stone town center) was laid during the late reign of Shirazi Dynasty.
Sources
- Periplus Maris Erythraei (translated and edited by Lionel Casson). Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1989.
- Reusch, Richard. History of East Africa. New York: Ungar, 1961.
- Gervase, Matthew (edited by Matthew Gervase and Oliver Roland). The East African Coast until the Coming of the Portuguese, History of East Africa. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1963.