Chapter 17 – Dar es Salaam
February 1, 1865, Dar es Salaam.
In Swahili, "Dar es Salaam" means "Haven of Peace." In later times, it would become Tanzania's largest city and port, the nation's economic and cultural center, and a crucial port in East Africa. It would also become the capital of the Dar es Salaam region, a city of greenery year-round, featuring bits and pieces of well-preserved Western and Arabic architecture. Once a stop on the Maritime Silk Road, it was visited by the Chinese explorer Zheng He during the Ming Dynasty.
For now, with the Suez Canal still closed, Dar es Salaam stood as a waypoint for ships sailing from Europe to Asia. Countless merchants docked here to restock and take on fresh water. Portuguese and Dutch traders conducted business in the region, encouraged by the Sultanate of Zanzibar to venture inland in search of slaves and ivory. The land also grew cloves, among other valuable local products. Upon returning from Asia, European traders often stopped here to buy ivory or cloves, then sold them in Europe for bigger profits.
Today's temperature hovered around 30 degrees Celsius. A salty ocean breeze blew in from the Indian Ocean, gently swaying the coconut palms, while the waves lapped at the white beach sand. Standing on the shore and gazing out to sea, one could see a large fleet sailing steadily closer over the horizon, flying the Dutch flag. Guided by pilots, they entered Dar es Salaam's harbor.
A fully armed contingent of over two thousand disembarked from the ships onto the docks—this was the German colonial team employed by the Hexingen Bank. Their leader was an old Prussian officer recently retired from the army, and many of those under his command were veterans who had served in the Prussian army and fought in the Second Schleswig War. The second-in-command was a longtime mercenary who had roamed the Asian seas, once active in the Dutch East Indies. For the most part, though, they were unemployed men from the German regions. Armed with secondhand Prussian army weapons, they'd been sent to Africa for colonial activities.
A colonial group of this size, carrying "modern" weapons, alarmed the Sultanate of Zanzibar. In those days, such a force could conquer a small nation outright. The Sultanate was an Arab-ruled state in East Africa, descended from the Omani Empire. At its height, Oman had seized the area around the island of Zanzibar and controlled sections of the East African coast. Directly across from Zanzibar was Dar es Salaam, its core territory. Having once been a dominant power in the Indian Ocean, Zanzibar had repeatedly dealt with Western colonizers, including the Portuguese, and recognized how formidable they could be. Seeing the colonists from Hexingen land in port, the Sultan didn't dare act rashly and sent envoys to make contact.
At this time, Europeans generally looked down on smaller non-European states like Zanzibar, considering them uncivilized. Yet mindful of their mission from their employer, they saw no need to provoke trouble. The colonial team's representative went to meet the Sultan in his palace, where the Sultan laid on a banquet and cautiously probed their intentions.
"May I ask your name, sir?" asked the Sultan.
The group's leader responded, "Your Highness may call me Yalman."
"Lord Yalman, are you Dutch? Your appearance doesn't quite match the other Dutchmen. And yet you arrived on Dutch ships, so I'm unsure of where you come from."
"We are from the mighty Kingdom of Prussia, in the German region. We sailed here aboard a ship belonging to the Netherlands."
The Sultan frowned. He had heard of the Germans, but Prussia was unfamiliar, so he looked to his foreign minister. At the Sultan's cue, the minister whispered in his ear, "Your Highness, Prussia is one of the stronger countries in Europe. They reportedly have a powerful army, although not a navy like Portugal or England. We've seen very few Prussian merchants here."
"Hm," the Sultan thought. So these newcomers were not just anyone. He couldn't casually offend them—Portugal was strong enough already, and if Prussia was a major European power, it must be on par. "Then what is your purpose in Zanzibar? We're only a small country with no outstanding resources."
"Your Highness, our Prussian team has come in good faith," said Yalman. "We plan to develop agriculture in Tanganyika. We will not threaten your control of Zanzibar."
Zanzibar's Sultan certainly didn't trust European reassurances, so he probed further: "Tanganyika's land isn't as good as you might imagine, especially inland with its abundance of lions and wild beasts—more beasts than humans. Even our state can't fully exploit the interior. I fear your long journey may lead to disappointment."
"Your Highness needn't worry," Yalman replied. "Frankly, we're here to build farms inland, growing tobacco and some tropical plants in high demand in Europe. That's our only reason for choosing this place."
Still uneasy, the Sultan asked, "Though I don't mind if you develop the interior, we have substantial interests there—slaves, ivory—things we won't easily give up. How do you ensure you won't harm the Zanzibar peoples' interests?"
"Your Highness, I promise not to interfere with your operations. In fact, we'd be happy to cooperate and sign an agreement. We intend to clear the wild beasts and the tribes in the wilderness, which have some value, but not enough to concern us. We can sell them to you if you like. We'll be followed by more colonists, so resisting us accomplishes nothing, but cooperation benefits us all," Yalman said, making his position clear.
Recalling the two-thousand "elite" men at the harbor, the Sultan felt alarm bells in his mind. He tried to keep calm: "Lord Yalman, peaceful development is our wish, too. But I must say, with such a large force stationed in plain sight, no ruler could rest easily."
Seeing the Sultan's subdued tone, Yalman sneered privately and offered reassurance: "Don't worry, Your Highness. To show our sincerity, we'll leave in about two weeks and won't remain in Dar es Salaam for long. Of course, with your support, we could depart even sooner."
Such an obvious hint made the Sultan nod readily, though inside it pained him. "You are too kind, sir. We'll do our best to help our 'friends,'" he said.
"Your Highness needn't fret," Yalman continued. "We just need to prepare some gear for wilderness camping. Naturally we can't live out in the open."
Relieved at Yalman's words, the Sultan hurriedly replied, "We can provide a bit more assistance if needed."
Unexpectedly, Yalman answered without hesitation: "As a matter of fact, there is something else we need."
"Here it comes," the Sultan thought, steeling himself for extortion.
"Future shipments of goods and people will need to pass through your ports, so we'd like your help in providing convenient access."
So that was it. Already braced for this, the Sultan responded carefully: "We can let you use a designated section of the port, but you cannot permanently station troops in our harbors or within Zanzibar itself. And any port workers from your country must be unarmed."
Yalman recognized they'd more or less reached an agreement. "Very well, although we do need to protect our staff. We'll station twenty armed men to ensure their safety."
Hearing it was only twenty men, the Sultan agreed. Although Zanzibar was small, it wasn't totally powerless. His main worry was risking mutual destruction if he fought the Prussians, thereby inviting the Portuguese to take advantage. Since the Prussians' demands didn't threaten Zanzibar's rule, he could accept them—particularly with a couple of thousand guns aimed at him. Fighting or not, Zanzibar would suffer. At least the Prussians seemed willing to limit their demands; otherwise, the Sultan might have fought to the death rather than let them march through Zanzibar into the interior.
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