Majid bin Said of Zanzibar


Sayyid Majid bin Said Al-Busaid was the first Sultan of Zanzibar. He ruled Zanzibar from 19 October 1856 to 7 October 1870.

Life

Sayyid Majid bin Said Al-Busaid was born on 1834 in Zanzibar to Said bin Sultan and an Ethiopian mother.
Majid became Sultan of Zanzibar and Oman on the death of his father, Sayyid Said bin Sultan, but his accession was contested. Following the struggle over the accession to the position of Sultan of Oman, Zanzibar and Oman were divided into two separate principalities, with Majid ruling Zanzibar and his older brother Thuwaini ruling Oman.
His marriage only produced one daughter, Sayyida Khanfora bint Majid. Consequently, Majid was succeeded as Sultan by his brother Barghash. Majid's grandson Ali bin Hamud Al-Busaid later became the 8th Sultan of Zanzibar, while his great-grandson Abdullah bin Khalifa Al-Said was the 10th Sultan.
In 1866, he purchased the former Confederate commerce raider CSS Shenandoah and renamed her El Majidi after himself.

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