HISTORY OF ZANZIBAR 



curred during Majid's reign; still he was very 

 friendly with the British. 



After his death in 1870 his brother Barghash 

 took upon himself the duties of ruler, with the con- 

 sent of Khalifa his brother and the British consul. 

 His reign was of great importance to Zanzibar, and 

 England as well ; progress went on rapidly, and 

 trade increased and developed. However, it will 

 be enough for our purpose to just glance at the 

 events of most importance. First of all to be noted 

 is the treaty signed by Barghash in 1873, for the 

 abolition of the slave trade and closing of the public 

 slave markets within his dominions. It required a 

 good deal of tact and firmness on the part of Dr. 

 Kirk (now Sir John Kirk), who had been made 

 consul-general and political agent in 1873, and a 

 few threats from England, to make him give in, as 

 for some time he was influenced by the Arabs, who 

 saw a great loss of fortune to them in thus stopping 

 such a lucrative business ; and again of patience 

 and perseverance on the part of England with the 

 help of her Navy, and by capturing all ships and 

 dhows running with a cargo of slaves, before the 

 trade was finally stopped on the East Coast of Africa, 

 as, of course, a great deal of smuggling went on. 



After the treaty all Arabs holding slaves were 

 entitled to keep them, but they could not acquire 

 any more. However, no British-Indian subjects 

 could possess any at all. 



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