Coastweek– Many books have been written about the history of Zanzibar from 1850 to 1900, but these books focus almost entirely on the role of the European powers and their relationship with the Sultans.
Left out of these histories is any mention of the important role played by Indian merchants and politicians.
This new book attempts to fill in the missing information by looking at the role of Indians during this complex period of Zanzibar history.
The main character in this intriguing book is a man named Peera Dewjee.He was born in India in 1841 and lived until 1904. Much of his life was spent in Zanzibar during the years when European nations were taking an active interest in Zanzibar and the eastern coast of Africa.
He started out as a lowly labourer for Sultan Barghash and over the years rose to become a prominent advisor to four different Sultans.
Although raised in India, Peera Dewjee was a Muslim belonging to the sect called Nizari Ismaili.
More at the Source: Coastweek – The most from the coast
Ismailimail 