Waqf (Endowement) System under the Sultanate of Zanzibar: Zanzibar as a model

Abstract

The establishment of the "Sultanate of Zanzibar" in East Africa from the reign of Sayyid Said bin Sultan (1804 -1856) until its fall during the reign of Sultan Jamshid bin Abdullah in 1964 was an important turning point in the history of the region. As a result, many changes occurred in the religious, intellectual, political, social, economic, cultural and scientific aspects. Among them was the introduction of new systems in the East African region, especially the field of waqf management under the Sultanate of Zanzibar. Consequently, these systems contributed positively to bringing about significant changes in the social, religious and economic fields between the various religious communities and the various segments of Zanzibari society at that time, bearing in mind that more than 95% of the population of Zanzibar have been Muslim since the 19th century AD.  From then on, waqf properties represented the utmost importance for the social and economic development of the East African region in general and Zanzibar in particular. ​However, the fall of the Sultanate of Zanzibar under the dominance of the British protection affected the Waqf system negatively, which led to problems that worsened significantly until the end of the Sultanate of Zanzibar in 1964.