Why did Seyid Said transfer his capital (operational base) from Muscat to Zanzibar in 1840?

Why did Seyid Said transfer his capital (operational base) from Muscat to Zanzibar in 1840?

  • Zanzibar supported his effort to capture Mombasa.
  • Zanzibar was good and pleasant, with a good climate, unlike Muscat, which was hot and dry.




  • Zanzibar had good (deep-water) harbors in which ships could anchor. Her water was also clean.
  • He wanted to control Indian Ocean trade and the towns of the east African coast.
  • Zanzibar‟s position was convenient for trade with the mainland and with Mombasa.
  • Zanzibar’s good climate and fertile soil favored the cultivation of cloves, which were used as spices.
  • Being an island, Zanzibar assured the Oman Arabs of protection

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