HISTORY OF MAFIA A SHORT HISTORY OF MAFIA BY PETER BYRNE The Periplus of the Erythraean Sea, (Indian Ocean) written in approximately AD50, describes a well established trade route, linking Arabia with Azania, as the east coast of Africa was known in the Graeco-Roman era. The principal port of trade was Mocha (or Merku and Mark a) in present day Yemen, and the last port in Azania was Rhapta, lying some two courses (a sailing measure, possibly tacks) from the island of Menouthesias, itself 300 stadia - a measure of distance equivalent to about 50 km - from the coast. Menouthesias was...a low island covered with trees in which are rivers.... according to the Periplus. And Rhapta lay to the south...beside and to the east of a cape with a river... according to a separate source, Ptolemy, in his famous Geographia. The locations of both Menouthesias and Rhapta have confounded scholars since the Periplus was first translated in 1912. Some scholars argue that Zanzibar or Pemba may be the fabled Menouthesias with Rhapta somwehere between Bagamoyo and Dar es Salaam. The trade links to Mocha indicate that the Sabaeans, ancestors of the Yemenis, claimed ancient right to overlordship of the Azania coast, although this is believed to have been an arrangement to reduce trade competition rather than the result of conquest. Rhapta and its hinterland was governed, undoubtedly tenuously, by these people, believed to be the Ma afir, a tribe of Himyaritic stock. The control from the Ma afir may explain the name of Mafia. It is not too fanciful to suggest that Mafia is the Menouthesias of the ancients and Rhapta was in the area of Kilwa. Ptolemy located Rhapta at 8 South (where the Delta lies) and near a big river ; these geographical descriptions and the mention of many crocodiles in the old writings certainly support the possibility of the Rufiji Delta as Cape Rhapton. The respected archaeologist Neville Chittick believed this was possible and at his death in 1984 was investigating the Rufiji Delta for evidence of the lost metropolis of Rhapta. A Persian family, apparently from the town of Shiraz in Persia, led by Ali ibn Sultan al Husayn ben Ali settled in Kilwa in AD975. The Kilwa Chronicle states that he purchased Kilwa from the ruling chief for a great quantity of cloth (sufficient to encircle the island!). Bashat, one of his seven sons, settled in Mafia to govern under this new Kilwa Sultanate and he is thought to have established the towns of Kua and possibly Kisimani Mafia, although Chittick dated the ruins there to the early 11th Century, later then Bashat would have lived. Kilwa prospered from the gold and ivory trades, tariffs on cargoes, and as a source of pitch and resin as it is a convenient port for victualling and re-caulking ships. Here the literature is vague: Did Kilwa already exist as a significant port (Rhapta)? How did this new settler from Shiraz assume such economic and political power so quickly? It is hard to believe that Kilwa was not already prosperous and therefore attractive to the Persians, who stepped into or complemented an economic and power vacuum, possibly because the Yemenis were itinerant trader-sailors and did not settle. It is certainly an exceptionally good port for a sailor, with an entrance that is easily negotiated and a superb History & Culture Page 12
PEOPLE AND TRADITIONS The population of Mafia was 33,000 at the last census in 1988 and is now over 45,000 (the results of 2002 Census), located in fishing and farming villages and small homesteads all over the main island, and the large islets of Jibondo, Juani and Chole. The first people to settle Mafia were the wambwera, from the Rufiji Delta. The excavations in the Rufiji, on Koma Island and the Mafia archipelago conclude that Iron Age settlements were first established between 400 and 800 AD. The present site of Kinasi Lodge is thought to be one of these settlements. After its occupation by the Sultanate of Kilwa, there was a gradual influx of people from further south as well as slaves owned by the settlers and traders who followed. Excerpts from a passage in Dr Baumann s famous report on Mafia (Baumann, O. (1896) Mafia Island The Geographical Society of Leipzig) best describes the social evolution of Mafia and its extraordinary histroy of cultural inflow: The Wambwera are the oldest of the inhabitants of Mafia, and are similar to the coast Swahilis between Kisiju and the mouth of the Rufiji. The name is derived from the village of Mbwera, situated in the delta, opposite to Kisimani Mafia, whence they emigrated long ago. They are dark coloured, and do not differ in dress and mode of life from the coast Swahilis. They belong to the Sunni sect..they are a peaceable and contented people, and delight in agriculture and cattle tending. They have known no war for a long time. Even cases of youthful quarrels are rare. They live under petty chiefs. The Shatri are very old inhabitants of Mafia, of which they represent the nobility to an extent. They are the main inhabitants of Chole, and they also live at Kipingwi and Kipandeni, possessing estates all over the island. They call themselves Sharifu (ie descendents of the Prophet) and derive their descent from Hadhramout (Yemen). They are of the same line as the Shatri of Barawa, Siu (near Lamu) and Wasin, with whom they are related by marriage. Their emigration took place several centuries ago, and they are thought to be the Moors referrred to in Shirazi and Portuguese chronicles..they are a mixture of Arab and Negro types. Their custom is to build mosques on their estates and bury their dead in walled graves with memorials like a type of pyramid. In addition to the above mentioned old settlers, the slave population plays a great part. A large proportion of these came originally from the Rufiji District where they were sold cheaply owing to locust invasions. They belong to the tribes of the south..being chiefly Nyasa and Yao. Most of them are the property of the Shatris and a few of the Wambwera. Probably soon after after the occupation of Seyyid Said (Salton of Oman), a number of Muscat Arabs settled on the island. Some of them founded a village near Kisimani Mafia and intermarried with the native women..a few genuine Muscat Arabs live on Chole Island and near Kirongwe. History & Culture Page 13
Since some years Suri fishermen from the Persian Gulf have settled on Mafia. Shihiri and persons from Hadhramout and Makalla are to be found on the island, of whom some are owners of estates, and others shopkeepers on Chole Island. Swahili from Malindi have settled on the south coast near ChemChem for two generations only. They are well off, possess estates and are of similar status to the Shatris. In Baleni there is a small colony of Comorians. there are 22 Indian traders on the island. They operate only in connection with firms in Zanzibar, and periodically return home with their profits. History & Culture Page 14
LOCAL ECONOMY AND VILLAGE LIFE The majority of Mafia inhabitants live in small villages scattered along the coast and interior of Mafia Island itself and on the other islands nearby (Chole, Jibondo, Juani and Banja). Typically villagers have a number of sources of income and subsistence: fishing amongst the members of a family, including crop farming, permanent tree crops and skilled work (carpenters, weavers, sailmakers, etc). The farms are smallholdings, growing plots of cassava, rice, pigeon pea, pineapples, pawpaws and beans; it is typical to also find cashew, coconut and mango trees on each household s land. Farmed areas are usually surrounded by woodland, grassland or coconut plantations. Low-lying areas (mbuga) are adapted to upland rice (a variety that is not paddied under water, as in Asia). Large areas of the island - especially the south and northern sides - are planted to coconuts, mostly by pre-world War II German settlers and descendents of Omani Arab, Shatri, Shirazi and Baluchi pioneers. These provide work for many inhabitants and a source of cash income, especially during the dry season when most coconuts are harvested and home-grown food is in short supply. The north-east of the island is covered by a dense coral rag forest - Mrora Forest - which is protected. The north-central area is an undulating plateau that has spectacular baobabs, doum palms and Euphorbia. Guests of Kinasi can make an excursion to any of the island villlages, where the people are welcoming and friendly. We offer both road and boat with guides. The people of the villages of the islands of Chole, Juani and Jibondo are engaged in a variety of activities from boat building to animal husbandry. Small scale farming (rice, cassava, fruits) is practiced on fertile soils and fishing and fish drying contributes to their income. History & Culture Page 15
ARCHAELOGICAL SITES GENERAL The Kua Ruins, across the Bay from Kinasi, is an archaeological site from the 12th Century, established by settlers from Kilwa.The principle mosque, with its superb mihrab and the Great House are interesting features.there are many giant baobab trees throughout the area which also offers lovely views of Chole Bay. All over the ruins you can readily dig up pottery shards, some dating hundreds of years to Chinese and Persian origins. Guided excursions are also arranged to the islands and village communities of Chole and Jibondo.The boat building on both these islands is justly famous throughout East Africa. All traditional methods are used with hand tools and hand forged nails to create the jahazis, dhows, mashuas and ngalawas you will see in Mafia. Ropes are hand woven from coir (coconut fibre) and sails sewn from rough cotton sheeting (madrouf) There are also ruins of early settlements on Chole, which was the capital of Mafia until the 20th Century. At Kisimani Mafia an old town has been submerged. This was fully excavated in the 1970s. Kisimani Mafia is at the far south-western tip of Mafia and is an all day excursion. Kirongwe village famous for its clay pots, Jimbo for its ukili mats, Mrora Forest, Ras Mbizi coconut plantation and Kitoni, the oldest settled area on the main island. On Chole Island and at the mosque near Kinasi the giant flying fox (Pteropus) can be seen in roosts. KISIMANI MAFIA (FROM CHITTICK,1974) The early colonists of the coast of East Africa evidently had a preference for the islands, presumably because they were easier to defend. The islands in the Mafia group have several remains of the settlements of these Arab or Shirazi immigrants, of which those near the western tip of the island, Ras Kisimani, appear to be the earliest. The locality, which at the present day possesses only a few houses among plantations of coconuts and cassava, is now called Kisimani Mafia. It seems, however, that the original name was simply Mafia, the island is itself Chole Shamba and the present Chole island termed Chole Mjini, by which names they have been known to the inhabitants until very recently, if not until the present day. At Ras Kisimani deep water extends close to the shore, and all ships sailing up and down the coast pass very close to the cape. The shelving beach is protected from the north-east monsoon, and to some extent from the effects of the south-east also. Fresh water is available at no great depth, so that all in all the position is favorable for a trading town. Baumann recommended that the port and administrative headquarters should be transferred here in German times, but his advice was not followed. The Kilwa Chronicle tells us that the sons of Ali ibn al-hussein, first Sultan of Kilwa, settled on Mafia, and it is probable that, if the tradition is correct, they established themselves at Kisimani. Mafia remained subject to Kilwa for many centuries, but probably enjoyed periods of independence, notably at the end of the 14th Century when Sulaiman ibn al-hussein may have established himself as ruler of the island after his expulsion from Kilwa, and perhaps at the end of the 15th Century, to which date the coins of Da ud ibn al-hasan, who does not appear among the recorded sultans of Kilwa, may be ascribed. The surviving ruins at Kisimani Mafia, which considering the former importance of the place, are not History & Culture Page 16
very impressive, were studied by Chittick in 1973. They are mentioned by Baumann, who records a tradition, evidently correct, that they are older than those at Kua on Juani Island. Revington relates a tradition that the town was built by the Wadibri and a story of a quarrel with the people of Kua. Piggott gives the name of the earliest inhabitants as Wadebuli and contradicts the story of remains of buildings being visible below the sea and also records another version of the story of the quarrel with Kua. Voeltzkow recounts the findings of treasure at the site in 1847. Walker, in his first publication of coins of Kilwa type, describes many which almost certainly came form Kisimani Mafia, as pointed out by Freeman-Renville. The latter briefly describes the remains to be seen in the cliff and on the shore, as well as the pottery found on the surface, and analyses the finds of coins. The settlement was situated on the south side of Ras Kisimani, the northern end being about a kilometer from the tip of the cape. There are traces of buildings and occupation debris for a distance of some 400 metres along the shore and the town seems to have extended inland at least 250 metres. The only building of which much remains standing is a ruined mosque, which is thought to be of later date than the main period of occupation of the site, and is situated to the south-west of the main area of settlement. This is a simple, rather plain building, unusually long in proportion to its width. There was probably a central row of pillars, but no trace of these is visible, the body of the mosque being encumbered with debris. The western and southern walls have collapsed; the eastern wall is pierced by two arched doorways, above which are long slots for reinforcing beams. Between the doors is a sizeable cupboard in the thickness of the wall, with arched top, and formerly with a shelf at mid-height. In the north (qibla) wall are two small, very narrow windows above, and to the side of, the mihrab. The mihrab itself is enclosed in a rectangular frame of cut stone; the arch is recessed in the usual fashion. To judge by the quantity of debris, the roof was of stone. Part of the mihrab of a second mosque survives, but the rest of the building has quite disappeared. This mosque is situated some distance to the west of the first, and was hidden in very thick bush. The lower part of the mihrab is ornamented with miniature square pilasters which resemble those of the excavated mosque and with which it is likely to be contemporary and so of 15th century date. The stub of a finely cut five-sided pilaster with a moulded base can also be seen; this must have supported the inner part of the mihrab arch. The false arches which rest on the square pilasters are surmounted by a frieze of very unusual and perhaps unique design. The dome of the mihrab is lacking; the floor is of hard white plaster. Nearby are some graves, almost completely destroyed. The shore is littered with pottery, including eastern Mediterranean or Persian sgraffiato ware, celadon, blue and green-glazed Islamic ware, white Chinese porcelain and blue-and white ware; many coins have also been found. There is also much broken stonework on the beach, as well as massive blocks of solid masonry, perhaps part of the foundations of buildings. Three wells are visible, one of which stands to a height of some two metres, the soil in which it was sunk having evidently been washed away. There is also much evidence of erosion in the cliff behind, where up to two metres of stratified deposits can be seen; various stone walls can also be observed in the section. Erosion continues; coconut trees which have recently fallen on to the beach may be seen all along this coast. The big well from which Mafia derives its name, is now on the beach and no longer used. History & Culture Page 17