Should you open your guide book, you’d probably notice that Zanzibar's pre-colonial history is dismissed in a couple of paragraphs. Indeed, prevailing views have it that “civilization” was brought here by Arab, Indian and European merchants. Though such an hypothesis must have worked wonders in rationalizing the colonization of the local people over the centuries; the islands' early history has a few gripes with it.

The following legend may provide a different perspective of the mutual benefits of the north - south migrations:

Many centuries ago, off the north west coast of Unguja, on the islet of Tumbatu (link to Tumbatu tour page), there lived a King. Though he is remembered today as the Cannibal King, the description is a misnomer, derived from the (Arab) word sahrif, which means 'he who is most pagan'. In fact, The King of Tumbatu never touched a morsel of human flesh; he was simply a most pagan king.

During his reign, some Arab merchants, sailing south along the East African coast, were blown off course by a storm and came to Tumbatu. As was customary in this part of the world, the king offered them his hospitality. He wined and dined them for a month. In response to this generosity however, the merchants captured the king and some of his subjects and took them as slaves to the Arabian Peninsula, where they were very poorly treated.

As slaves, they were converted to Islam, and the king was taken to Mecca by his master. But after completing his Islamic education, he escaped with a group of pilgrims and found himself in Egypt. Here, the king was able to disguise himself as a Nubian and his knowledge of Islam was so deep and so scholarly, he impressed the Egyptians with his holiness.

The king asked about the Nile and was given many different explanations, but when he discovered that it flowed from the south, he realised it was his route home and he started to ride boats and walk along the river. After a couple of years, he arrived at Lake Victoria and realised it was the legendary lake he had heard of from traders. He asked where the sea was and was told it lay to the east and that there were many cities in the region and people traveling in large boats.

The king made his way from Lake Victoria back to the coast of Tanzania, where he was immediately recognised by fisherman and was taken home to Tumbatu. He converted his populace to Islam and became both the religious and the secular leader of the region.

A year or so later, the same group of Arabs, who had previously been lost in the storm, were again carried off course and arrived again at Tumbatu. This time, they were captured by the locals who tied them up because of the Arabs’ treatment of the king. When they were brought before him, the king asked that they be released and allowed to return home. The council debated the issue and asked the king why he had made this recommendation. While these people were not civilised, he explained, they had the saving grace of God and had introduced him to the one true religion. He maintained they should be shown the forgiveness that is due children and the ignorant, and they were sent back to the Arabian Peninsula with gifts for Mecca.

As a rule, archaeologists maintain that a people's capacity for hospitality a is prerequisite to sophistication in a society. If you cannot put up foreign visitors for the night, how you do hope to assimilate the new ideas that are crucial to development? The ancient Greeks recognized this fact, and a breach of hospitality is the start of many Greek tragedies. Indeed, the Trojan War is a testament to the horrible consequences that ensue when the tenets of such hospitality are trespassed.

In the case of the Tumbatu King, it was because of a very deep local tradition of hospitality that the populace was introduced to Islam. Considering that hospitality is a cornerstone of Zanzibari society, it is fitting perhaps that even though the Tumbatu king's hospitality was trespassed, he turned the event around to the advantage of his people.

Though this story cannot be dated to its origins, this coast has been Islamic since the 9th century.

The people living here prior to that time seem to have practiced some mixture of animist African tradition and Zoroastrianism, the ancient Persian religion of fire worship -- the Magi who brought gifts to Christ were Zoroastrian.

Today, the Zoroastrian tradition has been wiped out by a millennium of Islam, with the exception of three days each year around the 20th of July. The festival of Mwaka kogwa -- literally the year is washed -- is the traditional Zoroastrian new year celebration. Zanzibar remains the only place in the world where a traditional Zoroastrian holiday is officially recognised and celebrated by the majority of the population.

Certain regions of Zanzibar, such as Tumbatu, Makunduchi and Kizimkazi, which coincidentally are the oldest parts of the island archaeologically, are the regions most involved in this ritual. The holiday is celebrated by the building of huge bonfires, the staging of sword f ights, transvestitism, and women beating men in public. The celebration is often accompanied by a liberal use of alcohol. Once a year, these people forget for a few hours that they are Muslims and revert to their older tradition. According to a Zanzibar adage, “to sin once a year is perhaps not so bad.”

More and more, archaeologists are coming to recognize that the benefits of the trade between East Africa and the rest of the world was of mutual cultural benefit. Designs that one assumed to have originated in Arabia, Persia or India may have originated in Africa.

For more information, turn to the writings of Dr. Mark Horton of the University of York or to Dr. Felix Chami of the University of Dar es Salaam among others.