Zaramo people
Nation | Active
1 CE to 2215 CE
The Zaramo people, also referred to as Dzalamo or Saramo, are an East African ethnic group found along the coast of Tanzania, particularly in its Pwani Region.
They are the largest ethnic group in and around Dar es Salaam, the capital of Tanzania.
Estimated to be about seven hundred thousand, over ninety-eight percent of them are Muslims, more specifically the Shafi'i school of Sunni Islam.
Their original language is the Zaramo language, a Bantu language belonging to the Niger-Congo family of languages.
However, in contemporary Tanzania, only a few speak it, and most now speak another Bantu language namely Swahili language as their first language, nd have adopted Swahili-Arabic names.
The term Zaramo, in scholarly studies, also reflects a macro-ethnic group
The larger Zaramo group consists of Zaramo proper but, however includes a number of related peoples such as the Kaguru, Kwere, Kutu, Kami, Sagara, Luguru, Ngulu and Vidunda peoples.
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The French Consul in Zanzibar (M. Broquant) receives the final letter sent by Eugène Maizan, during his expedition into tropical Africa, on August 10, 1845.
Maizan, after studies at the École Polytechnique, had been appointed to the rank of lieutenant (enseigne de vaisseau) by order of King Louis Philippe I on January 1, 1840.
Upon returning from a campaign made in the waters of East Africa, in late 1843 Maizan had conceived the project to explore the lakes of the East African interior, journeying from east to west from Zanzibar.
The campaign took place in 1843 aboard the corvette La Dordogne under the command of Captain Charles Guillain.
In 1844, once his mission was accepted by the relevant ministries, Maizan had gone to Bourbon, where he boarded the corvette Berceau commanded by Captain Joseph Romain-Desfossés.
This ship went to install the new consul to the Omani sultanate, M. Broquant.
Initially, the plan was to begin the exploration of tropical Africa from Zanzibar.
Maizan's plan was to journey to Lake Chad, then try to find the source of the White Nile.
He would then, after passing the Niger, return to Europe through the Sahara.
The Société Orientale de France (Oriental Society of France), of which he was a member, had tasked him with a few questions that he should strive to answer during his journey.
Landing on Zanzibar Island at the end of 1844, Maizan had spent more than eight months at the here in order to learn Kisawahili, during which he had changed his plans and regularly increased his baggage.
Maizan ultimately left the island in haste, having seen a French vessel entering the harbor and fearing that he would be recalled.
He had visited the coast three times before finally landing.
The Bania caste (an occupational Indian community of merchants, bankers, money-lenders, dealers in grains or in spices who have strong commercial interests in the region) feared that the French were occupying the region, and Maizan was wrongly believed to have been sent to prepare for the arrival of the French troops.
They had probably used their influence to push Maizan to leave the island quickly.
The Sultan had offered Maizan an armed guard of forty musketeers, but Maizan declined in his haste to depart.
The explorer made landfall in Bagamoyo (opposite Zanzibar), the then traveled to Dege la Mhora plateau, accompanied only by Frédérique, a man from Madagascar or the Comoros, and a few other followers.
Initially, Maizan had planned to take a caravan of merchants' ivory, but changed his mind given the amount of baggage.
During his journey, he had been warned that P'hazi Mazungera (or Mzŭngéra), the chief of the Wakamba subtribe of the Wazaramo, wanted him.
To better prepare for their journey and learn about what to expect in the land, the expedition spent a few days on the coast.
Maizan then decided to make a big detour to avoid the territories of the bloodthirsty leader who seemed to have bad intentions towards him.
After two days of walking (to cover in a direct line a distance equal to three days of travel), Maizan stopped in the village of Daguétamohor.
It was from this village that he sent the letter to the French consul in Zanzibar, M. Broquant asking him to send his baggage.
He had entrusted this task to a servant who betrayed him and gave the location of Maizan's camp to Mazungera.
The African leader came upon the French at the end of July 1845 at the village of Dege la Mhora.
Maizan was initially taken in by Mazungera's false hospitality, but after a few days, Mazungera accused Maizan of giving gifts to other chiefs. Frédérique was saved by Mazungera's wife, but Maizan apparently did not have the presence of mind to touch her.
Manzugera, falsely believing that Maizan was carrying treasure, had tortured him to find out where it was hidden.
His arms were bound around a pole to which his legs and head were secured with rope.
Manzugera's son Hembé cut off Maizan's limbs and genitals, then cut his throat and beheaded him, interrupting the throat-cutting to sharpen the knife in front of Maizan before killing him.
Frédérique subsequently disappears from Zanzibar, and reportedly flees to Marungu on Lake Tanganyika.
The French consul arranges to collect the material left by the unfortunate explorer.
Maizan, after studies at the École Polytechnique, had been appointed to the rank of lieutenant (enseigne de vaisseau) by order of King Louis Philippe I on January 1, 1840.
Upon returning from a campaign made in the waters of East Africa, in late 1843 Maizan had conceived the project to explore the lakes of the East African interior, journeying from east to west from Zanzibar.
The campaign took place in 1843 aboard the corvette La Dordogne under the command of Captain Charles Guillain.
In 1844, once his mission was accepted by the relevant ministries, Maizan had gone to Bourbon, where he boarded the corvette Berceau commanded by Captain Joseph Romain-Desfossés.
This ship went to install the new consul to the Omani sultanate, M. Broquant.
Initially, the plan was to begin the exploration of tropical Africa from Zanzibar.
Maizan's plan was to journey to Lake Chad, then try to find the source of the White Nile.
He would then, after passing the Niger, return to Europe through the Sahara.
The Société Orientale de France (Oriental Society of France), of which he was a member, had tasked him with a few questions that he should strive to answer during his journey.
Landing on Zanzibar Island at the end of 1844, Maizan had spent more than eight months at the here in order to learn Kisawahili, during which he had changed his plans and regularly increased his baggage.
Maizan ultimately left the island in haste, having seen a French vessel entering the harbor and fearing that he would be recalled.
He had visited the coast three times before finally landing.
The Bania caste (an occupational Indian community of merchants, bankers, money-lenders, dealers in grains or in spices who have strong commercial interests in the region) feared that the French were occupying the region, and Maizan was wrongly believed to have been sent to prepare for the arrival of the French troops.
They had probably used their influence to push Maizan to leave the island quickly.
The Sultan had offered Maizan an armed guard of forty musketeers, but Maizan declined in his haste to depart.
The explorer made landfall in Bagamoyo (opposite Zanzibar), the then traveled to Dege la Mhora plateau, accompanied only by Frédérique, a man from Madagascar or the Comoros, and a few other followers.
Initially, Maizan had planned to take a caravan of merchants' ivory, but changed his mind given the amount of baggage.
During his journey, he had been warned that P'hazi Mazungera (or Mzŭngéra), the chief of the Wakamba subtribe of the Wazaramo, wanted him.
To better prepare for their journey and learn about what to expect in the land, the expedition spent a few days on the coast.
Maizan then decided to make a big detour to avoid the territories of the bloodthirsty leader who seemed to have bad intentions towards him.
After two days of walking (to cover in a direct line a distance equal to three days of travel), Maizan stopped in the village of Daguétamohor.
It was from this village that he sent the letter to the French consul in Zanzibar, M. Broquant asking him to send his baggage.
He had entrusted this task to a servant who betrayed him and gave the location of Maizan's camp to Mazungera.
The African leader came upon the French at the end of July 1845 at the village of Dege la Mhora.
Maizan was initially taken in by Mazungera's false hospitality, but after a few days, Mazungera accused Maizan of giving gifts to other chiefs. Frédérique was saved by Mazungera's wife, but Maizan apparently did not have the presence of mind to touch her.
Manzugera, falsely believing that Maizan was carrying treasure, had tortured him to find out where it was hidden.
His arms were bound around a pole to which his legs and head were secured with rope.
Manzugera's son Hembé cut off Maizan's limbs and genitals, then cut his throat and beheaded him, interrupting the throat-cutting to sharpen the knife in front of Maizan before killing him.
Frédérique subsequently disappears from Zanzibar, and reportedly flees to Marungu on Lake Tanganyika.
The French consul arranges to collect the material left by the unfortunate explorer.
The Naval Division Commander of Bourbon and Madagascar, Joseph Romain-Desfossés, ordered to judge Mazungera under French law, had made several requests to the Sultan of Muscat and Oman to capture the Maizan's murderer.
Not having achieved anything, Romain-Desfossés charged Charles Guillain (who then started to explore the eastern coast of Africa) to remind the Sultan of his commitment to deliver the murderer to the French authorities.
The Sultan sent an army of three hundred to four hundred musketeers after Mazungera, but they discovered that he had fled.
Hembé led his father's tribe into a few days of skirmishes against the Zanzibaris.
The man who had beaten the drum during Maizan's killing was taken into custody and put in chains at Zanzibar, where he eventually died.
Hembé will later tell John Hanning Speke that he had killed Maizan on his father's orders.
Because Mazungera holds a title conferred by the Sultan, Speke, who is favorably disposed toward Africans, will blame Maizan's death on the urging of Arabs who did not want Europeans interfering with the ivory trade.
Speke will assume that Hembé would have been killed if he had disobeyed.
Famed explorer Richard Francis Burton will later comment that the Wazaramo had greatly declined in power and importance since Maizan's death, and that "few murders have been more pregnant in their consequences than that of M. Maizan in East Africa."
Not having achieved anything, Romain-Desfossés charged Charles Guillain (who then started to explore the eastern coast of Africa) to remind the Sultan of his commitment to deliver the murderer to the French authorities.
The Sultan sent an army of three hundred to four hundred musketeers after Mazungera, but they discovered that he had fled.
Hembé led his father's tribe into a few days of skirmishes against the Zanzibaris.
The man who had beaten the drum during Maizan's killing was taken into custody and put in chains at Zanzibar, where he eventually died.
Hembé will later tell John Hanning Speke that he had killed Maizan on his father's orders.
Because Mazungera holds a title conferred by the Sultan, Speke, who is favorably disposed toward Africans, will blame Maizan's death on the urging of Arabs who did not want Europeans interfering with the ivory trade.
Speke will assume that Hembé would have been killed if he had disobeyed.
Famed explorer Richard Francis Burton will later comment that the Wazaramo had greatly declined in power and importance since Maizan's death, and that "few murders have been more pregnant in their consequences than that of M. Maizan in East Africa."