Notes on magical practices in Zanzibar and Pemba. The role of the Waganga during colonial times

During the 18th and 19th centuries, the Western Indian Ocean became the heart of new political and economic strategies, which brought onto the scene new protagonists: Europe in first place, with its new emerging National States. Starting from the second half of the 19th century – 1873-1963 – the so called ‘Imperialism’ highly contributed to the transformation of the Swahili groups both in Zanzibar and in East Africa. During German colonial rule, while Swahili often cooperated with local representatives, in rural areas the role of Sufi orders - Qadiriyya and Shadhiliyya - grew among poorer populations. In 1865 the two famous British explorers Burton (1821-1890) and Speke obtained to enter into a town only claiming to be waganga.