I enjoyed reading your comment about Kutch and Kutchis in the December special issue.
Perhaps as far back as the time of Mohenja Daro and Harappa in the first and second millennium BC, Indian sea-borne traders had contacts with East Africa through the monsoon winds.
Sometime during the first millennium immigrants from Gujarat had settled in Zanzibar, Tanga, Kilwa, Bagamoyo and other coastal areas of East Africa and were engaged in an extensive trade using dhows.
It is believed that in 1498 when Vasco da Gama passed through Zanzibar on his way to India he took with him a couple of Indians to help in the journey – one of whom was a Gujarati pilot who navigated him to Calicut.
The Sultan of Zanzibar greatly valued the contribution of Indian merchants some of whom were appointed to important administrative posts in the Government.
Other well-known personalities were Ibji Sivji, Sivjee Haji, Alidina Visram (about whom I will say more) and Sir Tharia Topan who all contributed in economic and social development of the country. The latter progressed from a stowaway and a sweeper to a wealthy trader then to Knighthood and finally as the Sultan’s Chief Administrator and most trusted Adviser.
Jairam Sivji was the banker to many European, Arab and Indian business houses. Thus, he gave a great impetus to the trade of Zanzibar, which was, in the beginning negligible, but in due course, became so great as to make Zanzibar the entrepot of the whole East African commerce.
The Hindus followed by Muslims, formed an influential lobby and inasmuch as they emerged as the single largest community of India in Zanzibar and in Tanganyika. They held important positions during the reign of Sultans and virtually controlled the revenue-yielding departments of the Sultanate.
It is worthy to be remembered that in those days India used to manufacture Brocade, which was exported to East Africa.
Alidina Visram an Ismaili Khoja whom I mentioned earlier born in Kera, 22 kilometres from Bhuj arrived in 1863 at the age of 12 and over the years built large fortune. He sponsored schools and hospitals (Alidina Visram School in Mombasa) and gave much to the charity. In 1916 a street was named after him in Kampala.
(Sir) JK Chande
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, By email
