- Islam in Tanzania
Islam is, as of 2007, the largest religion (or may be the second afterChristianity [Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia: Tanzania -Population] ) inTanzania with 35% of the population of the mainland (Tanganyika ) beingMuslim and more than 99% of the population inZanzibar are Muslims too. [ [https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/tz.html The World Factbook - Tanzania] ]History
The earliest concrete evidence of Muslim presence in
East Africa is the foundation of amosque in Shanga on Pate Island where gold, silver and copper coins dated from 830 were found during an excavation in the 1980s. The oldest intact building inEast Africa is theKizimkazi Mosque in southernZanzibar dated from 1007. It appears that Islam was widespread in theIndian Ocean area by the 14th century. WhenIbn Battuta visited theEast Africa n littoral in 1332 he reported that he felt at home because of Islam in the area. The coastal population was largely Muslim, and Arabic was the language of literature and trade. The whole of the Indian Ocean seemed to be a "Muslim sea". Muslims controlled the trade and established coastal settlements inSoutheast Asia ,India andEast Africa .Islam was spread mainly through trade activities along the East African coast, not through conquest and territorial expansion as was partly the case in
North Africa , but remained an urban littoral phenomenon for a long time. When the violent Portuguese intrusions in the coastal areas occurred in the 16th century, Islam was already well established there and almost all the ruling families had ties of kinship withArabia ,Persia , India and evenSoutheast Asia owing to their maritime contacts and political connections with the northern and eastern parts of the Indian Ocean. In the end of the 17th century and beginning of the 18th century the coastal Muslims managed to oust the Portuguese with the help ofOman . TheOman is gradually increased their political influence until the end of the 19th century when Europeans arrived at the coast ofEast Africa .During the time when
Oman dominated the coast politically, the spread of Islam intensified also in the interior ofEast Africa . Trade contacts with peoples in the interior, especially theNyamwezi , gained importance and places like Tabora inNyamwezi territory and Ujiji atLake Tanganyika became important centers in the ever-increasing trade in slaves and ivory. Many chiefs, even in parts ofUganda , converted to Islam and cooperated with the coastal Muslims. Trade served to spread not only Islam, but also theSwahili language and culture. Before the establishment ofGerman East Africa in the 1880s the influence of the Swahilis was mainly limited to the areas along the caravan routes and around their destinations.References
ee also
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Islam by country
*Tanzania
*Islam in Zanzibar External links
* [http://www.law.emory.edu/IFL/legal/tanzania.htm Islamic family law in Tanzania]
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