Chapter 282 The "Progressive" Sultanate of Zanzibar
October 17, 1870.
Zanzibar Island, Palace of Curiosities.
The Treasure Palace stands at the west end of Stone City and is part of the Sultan Palace. This magnificent building has 40 thick columns, and 60 slaves were buried alive under each column.
Old Said passed away last year. With the support of the East African Kingdom, little Said became the new monarch of the Zanzibar Sultanate. Little Said has a very clear positioning of his abilities. Then Just continue to maintain the political normality of the Zanzibar Sultanate.
"Minister Lemons, what do you mean by this! We Zanzibar people rely on the slave trade to survive. If the slave trade is cancelled, to be honest, I don't care, but the ministers and businessmen below I won’t agree. If I agree to your country’s conditions, I can step down,” Said said bitterly to Lemons, the East African minister in Zanzibar.
"Your Excellency Said, please don't get me wrong. It is not our East African Kingdom that forces Zanzibar to cancel the slave trade. This matter is essentially for the sake of Zanzibar."
Use The royal family of Zanzibar took a sip of coffee from an Oriental teacup imported from the Far East, and Lemons continued unhurriedly. He analyzed it slowly: "Nowadays, the ban on slave trade in Europe is getting stronger and stronger, especially Britain and France. They are the enforcers. We in East Africa don't care much about the attitude of slaves, but we can't influence Europe either." Your country must have felt the public opinion in recent years. The British recently conducted inspections in the Indian Ocean. The intensity of the slave trade is getting bigger and bigger."
Little Said sighed and said: "We also know this, but the people below will not give up the huge benefits of the slave trade. This has a bearing on the superiors. Regarding the livelihood of the people of Zanzibar, even I, the monarch, cannot influence the thoughts of my subjects. Their ideas are contrary to each other, and I, as a monarch, have reached my end!”
“Don’t worry, Mr. Said. Generally speaking, East Africa is still very clear about the national conditions of the Zanzibar Sultanate, and we will not do it either! To put your country in trouble, we in East Africa have prepared a plan for you." Lemons said.
"Oh! I wonder if your country has any good ideas?" Said asked curiously.
“First of all, the slave trade must not continue to exist. Find a time recently to announce the legality of the abolition of the slave trade. First, declare the abolition of slavery from the legal level of the Zanzibar Sultanate.”
“This matter can be handled Come on, is this just in name?”
“Of course not! Since we want to abolish the slave trade, we must put on a full show. Of course, I don’t mean to really abolish the slave trade, but to abolish the slave trade. The mechanics of the trade have become more sophisticated and covert," explains Lemons.
“I don’t know how to do it specifically!” After hearing that Lemons did not really want to abolish slavery in Zanzibar, little Said felt relieved a little.
"The first point has just been mentioned, to abolish the slavery system at the legal level, so that the Zanzibar regime is not legally a slave country. The next step is to package the original slave trade. The slave trade has been boycotted by various countries, but Hiring workers is legal, and all businesses under the control of the Zanzibar Sultanate The slave trading group should turn the slave trade into a legal labor export company, and in its foreign exchanges and business activities, it emphasizes going abroad to earn foreign exchange for "domestic workers". "
"If that's all, Don't worry, Mr. Lemmons, we can still do it," Said said.
Lemons shook his head and said: "Things are not that simple. Since it is a labor export, the slave ship will no longer exist. You must improve the living conditions of the "labor" transport ship, and we will not I ask you to do a good job, at least you can see through it, and let this Before these "laborers" go to the Middle East, they need to wear relatively decent clothes and have a certain amount of space to move around. They can no longer be squeezed into small shelves like goods. "
Hear here small. Said was in trouble: "Mr. Lemons, if nothing else, The cost of clothes alone is not a small sum of money, not to mention giving slaves more space, the number of slaves on the ship will be reduced, and the money will be less. The slave traders will not agree.”
< br>Lemons said: "Clothes can also be reused, as long as It is to give slaves a set of clothes from Zanzibar to the destination, and then take them off after arriving at the destination. They can still use them next time. It does not cost much. As for the reduction in the number of slaves transported and the less money earned, it is still better than being used by others. If the country seizes the opportunity to do business, it will be strong!”
"You are right about this, but the slave trade is a spontaneous behavior of merchants, and they also have to calculate the cost. I am afraid that many people will not implement it properly, especially the system of our Zanzibar Sultanate, which leads us to treat these traders It’s not very restrictive,” Said Jr. said.
It would be nice if the Sultanate of Zanzibar could collect some taxes from these slave traders, and the Sultanate of Zanzibar itself was involved in the slave trade, and the royal family was the beneficiary of the slave trade. In other words, the senior officials of the Zanzibar Sultanate are the largest slave traders in the Indian Ocean.
Lemons said with a smile: "Your Excellency Said, as long as the Sultanate of Zanzibar can supervise the execution of its own citizens, it will be fine. The slave trade is a hugely profitable industry, and you don't make a lot of money at all. It doesn't cost much to buy a slave some clothes. We in East Africa can help you with this, but We can provide mechanized-produced clothes at a cost price." "That being said, Zanzibar citizens have flexibility. They can be Zanzibar citizens, but they can also be Omani citizens, or even Ottoman citizens. It’s difficult to define its identity, so how can it be regulated?” Said Jr. asked rhetorically.
“This matter is easy to handle. Learn from East Africa in establishing a household registration system and determine the identity of Zanzibar citizens. If you don’t agree to become a Zanzibar citizen, don’t force it, but something happened. , you can just shift the responsibility to other countries, including Oman and Ottoman. But the ugly thing is ahead, we will help you with this household registration system, don't try to be clever," Lemons said.
"Household registration system?"
"Yes, issuing identity certificates to residents can effectively screen the behavior of your Zanzibar nationals at sea."
"I guess the ministers will not agree. Executed." Said said, shaking his head. He didn't think his men would accept this suggestion.
“It is the will of the East African Kingdom to implement even if it is not implemented. For the smooth progress of these plans, our East African Kingdom will strengthen the garrison strength of the Zanzibar Sultanate. At the same time, because the British seized the ship a few days ago, incident, we believe that the current situation of the Sultanate of Zanzibar is somewhat dangerous. For the strategic security of the East African Kingdom, the defense of the Sultanate of Zanzibar will also be included in the military defense system of the East African Kingdom. "
said. With so much, East Africa's true intentions have been revealed. Zanzibar Island is related to the strategic security of the East African coast. Naturally, it is impossible to allow Zanzibar Island to stay outside the East African defense system.
Little Said's face was a little ugly, but he held it back. In fact, East Africa has always had troops stationed in the Sultanate of Zanzibar, and it was just near the palace. There were only a few hundred people, but little Said would not joke with his own safety. .
“I wonder how your country plans to strengthen the military force in Zanzibar?”
“The important ports and strategic locations on Zanzibar Island are all included in this plan. We The number of troops will be increased to 3,000, and the artillery units will also be taken over by the East African Artillery Force," Lemons read out the East African decision.
"Then...okay! We fully accept the East African Kingdom's decision." Little Said couldn't be tough in the end.
Lemons smiled and patted Said on the shoulder and said: "Don't worry, East Africa has strengthened Zanzibar's defense force mainly to deal with foreign countries, not against the Sudan of Zanzibar. As for the country itself, old Said was an old friend of ours in East Africa, and we in East Africa still support the rule of the Zanzibar royal family.”
Lemons gave little Said a reassurance, which was also a verbal commitment to the continued existence of the Zanzibar Sultanate.
……
October 21, 1870.
After Lemons gave "friendly" persuasion to the ministers of Zanzibar, the Sultanate of Zanzibar agreed to all the requirements of the East African Kingdom.
On the same day, the Sultanate of Zanzibar issued legal provisions, completely announcing the abolition of slavery and all slaves gaining free status. At the same time, the Sultanate of Zanzibar would no longer engage in slave trade and prohibited the officialdom of the Sultanate of Zanzibar. and private slave trade practices.
At the same time, East Africa has also begun to plan the defense work of the Zanzibar Sultanate, integrating Zanzibar Island into the East African defense system, increasing the number of troops stationed on Zanzibar Island, and rebuilding port defenses.
After the slaves in the Sultanate of Zanzibar regained their freedom, they signed employment agreements with their former masters. At the same time, a large number of registered "labor service companies" appeared in the Sultanate of Zanzibar the next day. The company provides labor services to the Middle East and other regions.
(End of this chapter)