The Omani Shamshiir.

Excalibur2025 · 11th May 2025, 10:09 PM

The picture of the Mwinyi Mkuu is actually here in Zanzibar. Most of the older people who knew about the history of Zanzibar have passed away and a lot of the archives were destroyed. So it's difficult to know what the picture was based on. Stonetown itself is a very small and compact town so there used to be people who knew the oral history of these things, including people who knew the royal family and life before the revolution. In fact, back in the 90s, in the house where the picture is there was a former servant who still lived in the mansion who was nearly a hundred years old, so had lived most of his life in Zanzibar when it was a Sultanate.

Excalibur2025 · 21st May 2025, 05:09 PM

Sayyid Majid bin Saïd al-Busaidi: first Sultan of Zanzibar (when Oman and Zanzibar became separate realms). Shown with his ceremonial shamshir.

Excalibur2025 · 22nd May 2025, 03:10 PM

After a bit of research it appears that Rumaliza is the gentleman on the (viewer's) left in the photo posted above. He is the one wearing the lighter coloured robes.

I've found a larger copy of that photo online which shows the hilt of his shamshir. I've also found a photo of Rumaliza and Sayyid Sir Hamad bin Thuwaini Al-Busaid, both displaying their ceremonial shamshirs. Both photos had watermarks and were copyrighted so I decided not to post them. I have a few more historical photos (of sultans etc.) from here in my ancestral family mansion in Zanzibar which I may post at a later date.

Excalibur2025 · 23rd May 2025, 10:14 PM

Two photos of Sayyid Sir Khalifa II bin Harub Al-Busaidi, the ninth Sultan of Zanzibar (r. 9 December 1911– 9 October 1960), one presumably near the beginning of his reign and the second on his silver jubilee. Both of course show him holding his ceremonial shamshir.

Excalibur2025 · 30th May 2025, 12:08 PM

I found a bit more information about the Mwinyi Mkuu. It turns out that the caption of the picture was wrong - the people depicted were not from the 15th century:

"Mwinyi Mkuu, the 'Great Owner', last descendant of the Shirazi sultans who preceded the Omani Sultanate, together with his son. He died in 1865 and his son soon thereafter."

https://zanzibarhistory.org/Palatial_Zanzibar.htm

I'd be interested to know if there are any photographs of the type of nimcha he is seen with.

Jim McDougall · 1st June 2025, 09:10 PM

Mwinyi Mkuu (Muhammed bin Ahmed al Alawi, 1785-1865) was the last of the line of Shaziri rulers in Zanzibar.
Mkuu was a Tanzanian term for hereditary ruler.

The Shazadas were dynastic rulers of Persian origin so this dynasty appears to be from Persian settlers there c. 10th c. +

From the illustration the sword referred to has the familiar peak at the pommel seen on 'Zanzibar' versions of 'nimcha'......however the crossguard is notably that of a Persian shamshir. The shamshir was a prevalent sword form highly favored as a sword of status here much as many other places in the Dar al Islam, so not surprising.

This illustrated example however Im not sure represents a form of nimcha as much as perhaps IMO a notable combination of both Zanzibar nimcha and Persian guard.

Excalibur2025 · 3rd June 2025, 10:57 AM

I just wondered, what was each type of sword used for and who would have used it?

It seems like the shamshir was an effective sword for cavalry and also used as a badge of office for royals and senior military commanders. The kattara also seems to have had a ceremonial function, but was it also used for fighting? And I assume the nimcha was used used by rank and file foot soldiers?

TVV · 3rd June 2025, 11:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Excalibur2025

I just wondered, what was each type of sword used for and who would have used it?

It seems like the shamshir was an effective sword for cavalry and also used as a badge of office for royals and senior military commanders. The kattara also seems to have had a ceremonial function, but was it also used for fighting? And I assume the nimcha was used used by rank and file foot soldiers?

These are good questions. Swords in Oman and Zanzibar may have indeed been used to denote status and/or rank.

Stephane Pradines has suggested that the shamshirs in Oman and along Eastern Africa were reserved for persons of very high rank, such as sultans, emirs and viziers. There is a photo in Hales that shows a vizier from the Comoros with a shamshir. This may explain their relative rarity.

The cylindrical hilt saif is the sword most likely to have been the rank and file sword. It is the most common, including in museum collections. For more on that sword I recommend "Ancient Weapons of Oman" by Vincenzo Clarizia, Vol.1 where all the edged weapons are discussed.

Then we get to the "nimchas" and here things get a bit more obscure. In the aforementioned photo in Hales, the vizier's guards are holding nimchas. Here is a link to a thread I started for the purpose of studying these swords in more detail, which show additional photos of people with nimchas (and some other swords):

http://vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=28273

I wonder if the nimcha was in some manner the sword of guards or other officials. At this point, unfortunately I cannot make a conclusion in this regard with any degree of certainty.

11th May 2025, 10:09 PM	#1
Excalibur2025 Member Join Date: Mar 2025 Posts: 23	King of Zanzibar The picture of the Mwinyi Mkuu is actually here in Zanzibar. Most of the older people who knew about the history of Zanzibar have passed away and a lot of the archives were destroyed. So it's difficult to know what the picture was based on. Stonetown itself is a very small and compact town so there used to be people who knew the oral history of these things, including people who knew the royal family and life before the revolution. In fact, back in the 90s, in the house where the picture is there was a former servant who still lived in the mansion who was nearly a hundred years old, so had lived most of his life in Zanzibar when it was a Sultanate.

21st May 2025, 05:09 PM	#2
Excalibur2025 Member Join Date: Mar 2025 Posts: 23	First Sultan of Zanzibar Sayyid Majid bin Saïd al-Busaidi: first Sultan of Zanzibar (when Oman and Zanzibar became separate realms). Shown with his ceremonial shamshir. Attached Images

22nd May 2025, 03:10 PM	#3
Excalibur2025 Member Join Date: Mar 2025 Posts: 23	Rumaliza After a bit of research it appears that Rumaliza is the gentleman on the (viewer's) left in the photo posted above. He is the one wearing the lighter coloured robes. I've found a larger copy of that photo online which shows the hilt of his shamshir. I've also found a photo of Rumaliza and Sayyid Sir Hamad bin Thuwaini Al-Busaid, both displaying their ceremonial shamshirs. Both photos had watermarks and were copyrighted so I decided not to post them. I have a few more historical photos (of sultans etc.) from here in my ancestral family mansion in Zanzibar which I may post at a later date.

23rd May 2025, 10:14 PM	#4
Excalibur2025 Member Join Date: Mar 2025 Posts: 23	Sayyid Sir Khalifa II Two photos of Sayyid Sir Khalifa II bin Harub Al-Busaidi, the ninth Sultan of Zanzibar (r. 9 December 1911– 9 October 1960), one presumably near the beginning of his reign and the second on his silver jubilee. Both of course show him holding his ceremonial shamshir. Attached Images

30th May 2025, 12:08 PM	#5
Excalibur2025 Member Join Date: Mar 2025 Posts: 23	Mwinyi Mkuu I found a bit more information about the Mwinyi Mkuu. It turns out that the caption of the picture was wrong - the people depicted were not from the 15th century: "Mwinyi Mkuu, the 'Great Owner', last descendant of the Shirazi sultans who preceded the Omani Sultanate, together with his son. He died in 1865 and his son soon thereafter." https://zanzibarhistory.org/Palatial_Zanzibar.htm I'd be interested to know if there are any photographs of the type of nimcha he is seen with.

1st June 2025, 09:10 PM	#6
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 10,281	Mwinyi Mkuu (Muhammed bin Ahmed al Alawi, 1785-1865) was the last of the line of Shaziri rulers in Zanzibar. Mkuu was a Tanzanian term for hereditary ruler. The Shazadas were dynastic rulers of Persian origin so this dynasty appears to be from Persian settlers there c. 10th c. + From the illustration the sword referred to has the familiar peak at the pommel seen on 'Zanzibar' versions of 'nimcha'......however the crossguard is notably that of a Persian shamshir. The shamshir was a prevalent sword form highly favored as a sword of status here much as many other places in the Dar al Islam, so not surprising. This illustrated example however Im not sure represents a form of nimcha as much as perhaps IMO a notable combination of both Zanzibar nimcha and Persian guard. Attached Images

3rd June 2025, 10:57 AM	#7
Excalibur2025 Member Join Date: Mar 2025 Posts: 23	Shamshir vs nimcha vs kattara I just wondered, what was each type of sword used for and who would have used it? It seems like the shamshir was an effective sword for cavalry and also used as a badge of office for royals and senior military commanders. The kattara also seems to have had a ceremonial function, but was it also used for fighting? And I assume the nimcha was used used by rank and file foot soldiers?