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During this period, many Sultans of the Busaidi family ruled. The
name Busaidi is still common in Zanzibar today. Of the Sultans, the
most famous is Seyyid Said bin Sultan, Said the Great. He introduced
cloves to the island, and along with the lucrative slave trade,
garnered himself a very rich empire. So much so, that he decided to
move the Sultanate's capital to Zanzibar from Muscat in the 1840's
Slave trade through Zanzibar as mentioned was very lucrative.
Traders like Tipu Tip were able to make large fortunes. Such fortunes
allowed this trader for example to afford over 30 concubines, with
their children and an official wife and her two children
After the death of Said the Great in 1856, the royal house was left
with numerous power struggles. Faced with the advent of slavery
abolition and jealousy within the family, the British managed to gain
control of much of the island.
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