Tanzania, History

Trading contacts between Arabia and the east African coast existe by the 1st. century AD and there are indications of connections with India. After the arrival of the Portuguese at the end of the 15th. century, the position of the Arbas gradually undermined. But the Portuguese made little attempt to penetrate into the interior and as a result had an alliance with the Arabs until the French appeared with the interest of the slave trade in the 19th. century. In their constant search for slaves, Arab traders began to penetrate further into the interior toward Lake Nyasa.

The first Europeans to show the interest in Tanganyika in the 19th. century were the missionariesof the Church Missionary Society followed by the activities of David LIvingstonesin 1866 .

Zanzibar ; Portuguese and Omani domination

Africans are known to have inhabitedboth zanzibar and Pemba islands possibly before the birth of Christ. Thus it is possible that the preent African inhabitantsof the former Sultanate consist i) of the descendantsof these ancient natives, ii)descendants of the ex-slaves andiii) of Africans who have attained Zanzibar citizenshipincluding the migratory labour force which comes and goes according to the season.Early visitors of Zanzibar and Pemba included Persians,Hidus, Jews, Arabs,Phoenicians and possibly Assyrrians. ancient African aettlers ,therefore, had contact with differnt cultures and had to adopt their economic, social, political method of organisations. The last population breakdown on an ethnic basis was made in 1958 and gave a summary of population figures as follows : Afro-arab-279,935 ; Asians other than arabs - 18,334; Europeans-507; and others-335. Arabs alone were about 47,000.