Podcast Summary: Le Cours de l'Histoire – "Humanitaire, histoires d'aide et d'ingérence 2/4 : Coloniser Zanzibar, le subterfuge humanitaire"

Podcast: Le Cours de l'Histoire, France Culture
Host: Xavier Mauduit
Guest/Expert: Raphaël Cherriot, historien, auteur de Intervention d’humanité, la répression de la traite des esclaves à Zanzibar
Air Date: 23 September 2025
Theme: Exploring the complex relationship between humanitarian intervention, the suppression of slave trading in Zanzibar, and the expansion of imperial power, notably British, under the guise of humanitarian motives.

Overview

This episode delves deep into the history of Zanzibar in the 19th century: its key role in the East African slave trade, the emergence of humanitarian intervention as a political and legal concept, and the intertwining of British anti-slavery efforts and imperial expansion. Through interviews, historical documents, and expert insights, the program questions whether "humanitarian" motives genuinely drove intervention in Zanzibar, or if they served as a convenient pretext for colonization.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Zanzibar: Geographic and Historical Context (00:41–04:50)

• Zanzibar, an archipelago off the East African coast (now part of Tanzania), became a strategic hub for the slave and spice trades after the sultan of Oman relocated his capital there in the early 19th century.
• The region was characterized by the interplay of Swahili, Omani, and other Indian Ocean cultures, with a long-standing tradition of trade (03:43).
• The sultanate thrived on plantations (especially cloves), reliant on enslaved labor imported from the African interior (04:54).

2. The Nature and Scope of the Slave Trade (04:54–09:03)

• Two primary slave routes: importation for local plantation labor and exportation to the Red Sea, Persian Gulf, and India.
• Notable testimony and photography (e.g., Captain Sullivan, Royal Navy, 1868) illustrate the ambiguous status of "liberated" slaves, often forced into new forms of contract labor for years after "release" (06:07–09:03).
• Quote: "On n'a pas l'impression qu'ils sont libérés du tout, ils sont plutôt dans une position qui nous rappelle celle des esclaves, transporté à bord des bateaux dits négriers dans l'Atlantique." – Xavier Mauduit (06:38).

3. British Abolitionism and Intervention (10:19–17:53)

• British opposition to the slave trade developed after their own withdrawal in 1807, following heavy abolitionist pressure (11:21).
• A distinction between banning the transatlantic trade (1807), abolishing slavery in colonies (1833), and later interventions in the Indian Ocean world (13:14).
• The Royal Navy policed the seas, but with legal and practical constraints—initially able to board only British ships, expanding later to a more global repression agenda (14:54).
• Description of typical slave ships (boutres) and the logistical difficulties of distinguishing illegal slave trade from “legitimate” commerce (16:11–17:53).

4. Legal and Logistical Complexities of Suppression (17:53–23:07)

• Slave-carrying ships often lacked national flags or proper documentation, complicating legitimate intervention and legal categorization (17:53–21:47).
• Lack of local (Omani or Arab) archival sources makes historical reconstruction heavily reliant on European and especially British documents (22:12–23:32).
• High mortality estimates: for every slave who reached Zanzibar, 3–4 died en route, yielding a devastating human toll (22:12).

5. Historiographical and Archival Dilemmas (23:32–26:19)

• European—primarily British—sources document the intervention, often to sway public opinion (23:32).
• Estimations: East African slave trade between 800,000 and 2 million during the 19th century (25:33).
• A "silence of the archives" on the African and Arab side, compared to the relatively well-documented Atlantic slave trade.

6. Humanitarianism and Its Use (26:32–30:17)

• British interventions were couched in humanitarian rhetoric but often served imperial aims (26:32).
• The "duty to help those in danger at sea" was part of maritime custom and international law, blending genuine humanitarian spirit and self-interest.
• Key Question: Is the "subterfuge humanitaire" (humanitarian subterfuge) a mask for imperial conquest? Historians debate whether abolitionist activism drove imperial engagement or vice versa (28:01).

Notable Quote:

"C'est le cas de la lutte contre la traite dans l'océan Indien. C'est parce que les abolitionnistes se mobilisent à Londres... que le pouvoir impérial britannique se remobilise." – Xavier Mauduit (29:10)

7. Humanitarian Concepts and International Law (36:54–44:15)

• "Intervention d’humanité" as both a legal and moral concept, drawn from the work of jurist Antoine Rougier (1910).
  • Quote (from Rougier): “Elle le contrôlera pour se préparer à le dominer. Ainsi, l’intervention d’humanité apparaît comme un moyen juridique ingénieux d’entamer peu à peu l’indépendance d’un État...” (38:01)
• The rise of “crimes contre l’humanité” (crimes against humanity) and debates in international law over the legitimacy of intervention (51:25–52:44).
• The blurred line between humanitarian ideals and the pretext for domination and semi-sovereignty (39:06–41:10).

8. Race, Justification, and European Ideology (44:15–45:32)

• Discussion of how the humanitarian imperative was entangled with notions of civilizational and racial hierarchy prevalent in 19th-century Europe.
• Recognition that even within abolitionist movements, universalist ideals coexisted with hierarchy and exclusion.

9. Iconic Moments and Public Sentiment (46:03–50:24)

• The famous encounter between Stanley and Livingstone dramatized; Livingstone’s role as humanitarian abolitionist, Stanley’s as a driver of imperial expansion (46:03–50:24).
• Public narratives of rescue and civilizational mission galvanized imperial projects.

10. Results and Legacy: Abolition, Colonial Rule, and Aftermath (54:33–57:35)

• In 1890, Zanzibar became a British protectorate—imperial control realized (54:33).
• Despite abolitionist victories in law (formal abolition in 1909 for the protectorat), exploitative relations and forms of coercion continued up until independence in the 1960s.
• The tension between rhetoric and realities: humanitarian arguments justified intervention, but the social order, exploitation, and authority structures persisted.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Humanitarian Subterfuge:
  • "Les consuls français de l’époque qui disent... la lutte contre la traite pour les britanniques les sert bien et leur sert à étendre leur influence impériale..." – Xavier Mauduit (28:01)
• On Archival Gaps:
  • “Nous n’avons aucune archive au Mani. Les Arabes n’ont pas conservé des livres de bord comme le faisaient les marchands français, anglais...” – M. Marissal (22:12)
• On the Notion of Humanity:
  • “Cette notion d’intervention d’humanité... c’est pour parler de l’intervention en Grèce en 1827... de l’intervention française au Liban... de l’intervention américaine à Cuba...” – Xavier Mauduit (39:06)
• On the Paradox of Universalism and Hierarchy:
  • “Ce sont des Européens qui vont amener... cette notion de droit de l’humanité... contre cette vision de hiérarchie entre les peuples et les races qui se développe au moment où la colonisation se développe.” – Xavier Mauduit (44:21)
• On the Endurance of Exploitation:
  • "C'est une longue transition, il ne faut pas imaginer que la révolution abolitionniste... a mené à un système où tous les hommes sont considérés de naissance comme libres et égaux en droit." – Xavier Mauduit (56:51)

Timestamps of Key Segments

• 00:41–04:50 – Introduction to Zanzibar’s geography, history, and Omani influence
• 04:54–09:03 – The structure of the regional slave trade; the ambiguous status of liberated slaves
• 10:48–17:53 – British abolitionism, legal frameworks, and naval enforcement
• 22:12–23:07 – Difficulty in source material and lack of Arab/Omani archives
• 26:32–30:17 – The rhetoric versus reality of humanitarian intervention
• 36:54–41:10 – "Intervention d’humanité," legal precedents, and the evolution of international law
• 44:15–45:32 – The role of racial hierarchy and universalist ideals
• 46:03–50:24 – The Livingstone-Stanley encounter as imperial humanitarian narrative
• 54:33–56:38 – The establishment of Zanzibar as a protectorate and enduring legacies of exploitation

Conclusion

The episode expertly unpacks the complex overlap of humanitarian narrative, abolitionist fervor, maritime law, archival politics, and imperial ambition. While British intervention in Zanzibar is recounted as part human rights crusade and part imperial conquest, the discussion offers a nuanced picture—demonstrating that the two were deeply entangled, catalyzed by evolving public sentiment, expanding legal justifications, and high-stakes international competition. The history of Zanzibar stands as both exemplar and cautionary tale of "humanitarian" imperialism, whose legacies persist well past formal abolition.

Recommended for: Historians, students of humanitarian studies and colonialism, and anyone interested in the roots and contradictions of humanitarian intervention in global history.