Aarva

Scroll.in ·For the curious

How 19th Century Goans Who Arrived in Zanzibar Became One of East Africa’s Wealthiest Communities

by Selma Carvalho

Published 2026-06-17 03:00:00+00:00

How did the Goan families of 19th-century Zanzibar find prosperity in such a violent and divided world?

0:00 / 14:20 · Narrator Sulafat

Context

In a piece for Scroll.in published today, Selma Carvalho revisits the 1880s to see how Goan migrants established themselves in Zanzibar. This history moves past the typical success story of a wealthy diaspora to confront the friction of the era. It looks at legal disputes and casual violence, alongside the uncomfortable attitudes these migrants held toward the local Black population. The narrative weighs the cost of belonging in a colonial society, tracing how early prejudices and the blurring lines of servitude shaped a community’s identity.

Show notes

A historical account of the Goan community’s social and legal standing in late 19th-century Zanzibar, reconstructed through consular reports, court records, and labor contracts. It documents the community’s navigation of a violent colonial landscape, detailing their professional ascent alongside instances of racial prejudice and the exploitation of enslaved labor. The narrative examines the internal hierarchies and jurisdictional conflicts that shaped Goan life in East Africa.

Read on Scroll.in →