Keywords: Zanzibar, Zanzibar Revolution, ORT, Swahili

The 50th anniversary of the Union of Tanganyika and Zanzibar is a historic event, not only and not so much for these two states, but on the scale of the African continent, at least in sub - Saharan Africa.

If we look back over the past half-century, we will see that this is the only active union - NOS state on the continent.

In 1958, the United Arab Republic (Egypt and Syria) was created, but it lasted only three years. Then - another attempt to unite with the participation of the countries of North Africa-Libya and Egypt, as well as Syria: in 1972, the Federation of Arab Republics was formed, which did not begin to function.

I would like to emphasize that during this half - century, unlike most other African states, Tanzania has not experienced a single internal ethnic conflict-and this is in a country where 120 ethnic groups, large and small, live, many of which have their own languages, traditions, and religion. But all of them are united, which I think is important to note, by a single language - Swahili.

I was convinced of this while working as the head of the APN Bureau in Tanzania in 1978-1982. I traveled the country, though not far and wide, but the central, western and northern regions - those that could be reached by car. It was impossible to get further south - to Mozambique - because the roads were as bad as ever...

But I first discovered this much earlier. And not anywhere else, but in Zanzibar-in 1965, a little more than a year after the formation of the Union. Thus, if I may say so, I consider myself to some extent "the same age" as today's anniversary.

Of course, like my Swahili classmate Volodya Ovchinnikov (and there were two of us - Swahili translators in the first group of Soviet military specialists in Zanzibar), the 22 - 23-year-old students, after working on the island for a year, did not feel the significance of the event. Understanding came much later...

I'll share some memories. First of all, this is an introduction to the Zanzibar soldiers, or rather, their answer to my question: "After the unification with Tanganyika, who do you consider yourself?"

And I heard in response: "We are Tanzanians!". I was so impressed at the time. Young soldiers, peasant children, little or no education, witnesses or even participants in the Zanzibar revolution of January 12, 1964, with enthusiasm, I saw it, answered my question in this way. None of them even thought about their "roots".

Meanwhile, while preparing for the trip, I knew that the islands were inhabited, in addition to Arabs (about 10-12% of the population), by Africans-migrants from the continent who had long been assimilated with the local population, as well as the so - called Shirazi-also Africans. Most of them are

* Institute of Oriental Languages at Moscow State University. Since 1970 - Institute of Asian and African Studies (ISAA) MSU (approx. author's note).

The population consisted of indigenous people-Wahadima, Watumbatu and Wapemba (apparently, still a conditional division, in relation to at least the last two groups, which are named after their origin from the nearby islands - Tumbatu (very tiny) and Pemba, which are part of the Zanzibar Archipelago. Exception: wahadimu-residents of the actual island of Zanzibar).

Why am I talking about this? It wasn't until much later that I read somewhere that in America, if you ask anyone, they'll say, " I'm an American!" It doesn't matter if you're Spanish, Mexican, Irish, or anything else...

But where does this" I am a Tanzanian " sound from among the rank - and-file soldiers in Zanzibar, where the sultan's regime was recently overthrown and decades of British rule ended? In 1964, it was a breakthrough, whatever the name of the revolutionary coup in Zanzibar today, it was the desire of Zanzibarians to build a new life.

By the way, we celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Zanzibar Revolution in the magazine "Asia and Africa Today" with a separate publication in N 1-2014 ¹.

I believe that the then President of Tanzania, Julius Nyerere (1922 - 1999), played a huge role in strengthening the union relations. A wise and far-sighted politician, he, working with the leaders of the revolutionary Zanzibar, agreed to the broad autonomy of the islands within the framework of the union state, which became for many subsequent years, up to the present day, the basis of its viability.

The idea of the union was then supported by many young Zanzibar leaders, most notably Abdullah Kassim Hanga (1932-1969)² and some others in the Afro-Shirazi Party and its Youth League ³. An important role was played, oddly enough, it may sound, and propaganda and educational work among the population, including military personnel (in the army there was an institute of political commissars). How did this manifest itself?

I felt the euphoria about the revolution and then unification with Tanganyika, the enthusiasm of the population, and saw it firsthand in Zanzibar. Very bright - at gatherings of townspeople, where villagers also came. I am referring to mass rallies on various occasions - the anniversary of the Revolution, Union Day, anniversaries of the establishment of TANU (in the continental part of the country) and Afro-Shirazi parties, Muslim and Christian holidays. They were held mainly in the capital - on Mnazi Mmoja Square (cyax. - One palm tree), with a capacity of at least 15-20 thousand people (which is quite a lot when the population of the island part of the country was 300 thousand people in the early 1960s).

The President of Zanzibar often spoke at these rallies,

he is also the first Vice - President of Tanzania, Abeid Karume. I can attest - a bright speaker, like many African leaders in general, he was able to attract and ignite the audience. Manju-that's what the Zanzibarans called it ⁴. Translated from Swahili - velmi voluble, "nightingale", if in a simple way. Such meetings-rallies, organized during the day, ended in the evening, as a rule, with dances and folk festivals.

Even more enthusiastic was the visit to Zanzibar by Tanzanian President J. R. R. Tolkien.Nyerere in early January 1966-on the eve of the 2nd anniversary of the revolution. I was a witness and wrote about it in the pamphlet " J. R. R. Tolkien.Nyerere is the first president of a free Tanzania. " ⁵

Just one point in this regard: Nyerere's visit to the village of Makunduchi-in the south of the island, his performance there and the jubilation of the local population. Nyerere spoke Swahili. Which is natural. But the point is different! Residents of Makunduchi and its environs speak a dialect very far from Swahili. At least I didn't understand anything. The same picture was observed later in Mkokotoni, a village in the north of the island. And the people there spoke their own language, but not like in Makunduchi! Now imagine - on an island with a length of no more than 90 km, and in its widest place - less than 40 km, the multi-lingual population is united by Swahili, just like on the continent!

Being part of the Union, Zanzibar went its own way in many directions. He survived the cult of personality-a process that began during my lifetime and ended on April 7, 1972 with the murder of its chairman A. Karume at the headquarters of his own party; maintained close ties, including in the military sphere, with the USSR, the GDR and the PRC; reoriented himself to cooperation with China during the years of Soviet-Chinese ideological confrontation and "cultural revolution" (the islands even had their own Red Guards).

And for all that, the allied relations with Dar es Salaam did not undergo any significant changes. Moreover, the second President of the United Republic was a Zanzibari, Ali Hassan Mwinyi (1985-1995), after Nyerere left office in 1985.

I remember Mwigny as a young and energetic man from 1965 to 1966, when he was a member of the Revolutionary Council, the highest authority in new Zanzibar.

^{Beloshapko S. V.} 1 50 years of the revolution in Zanzibar: what was it like? // Asia and Africa today. 2014, N 4, с. 60 - 63. (Behshapko S.V. 50 years of Revolution in Zanzibar: How did it happen? // Aziya i Afrika Segodnya. 2014, N 1) (in Russian)

² In 1960-1961. Hanga studied at the Peoples ' Friendship University named after P. Lumumba in Moscow. He studied Marxism-Leninism. As academician A. B. Davidson told the author, he became the owner of the diploma No. 1 of the UDN graduate. A. K. Hanga became the vice-president and Prime minister of the revolutionary Zanzibar. He was not only a supporter of rapprochement with the USSR, but also an active promoter of communist ideology in Zanzibar. However, Hanga used the acquired knowledge too directly, without refracting it through the prism of Zanzibar reality. So, he intended to create a communist party on the islands, which would include the entire adult population of the country, create collective farms like the Soviet ones, and carry out complete nationalization on the islands. His radical left-wing views were rejected by the more moderate A. Karume, and in 1965 Hanga was transferred to the central government in Dar es Salaam, where he became Minister of Union Affairs. Later, in 1969, the authorities of Zanzibar accused him of "conspiracy", and despite the intercession of J. R. R. Tolkien, he was accused of "conspiracy".In Nyerere, he was arrested and executed. Elena Hanga-TV presenter - his daughter from her marriage to Leah Golden, an employee of the Institute of Africa of the USSR Academy of Sciences (died in 2011).

³ For more information, see: Katsman V. Ya. Tanzania. M., Institute of Africa of the USSR Academy of Sciences, 1967 (in Russian); Teterin O. I. Socio-political development of Zanzibar. Diss.... Candidate of Historical Sciences, Moscow, Institute of Africa of the USSR Academy of Sciences, 1972, pp. 136-143. (Teterin O. I. Zanzibar: Social and political development. PhD Thesis. M., Africa Institute, USSR Academy of Sciences, 1972) (in Russian)

⁴ For more information, see: Teterin O. I. Karume Abeid Amani // History of Africa in biographies / under the general editorship of A. B. Davidson, Moscow, RSUH, 2012, pp. 846-861. (Teterin O. I. Kagimee Abeid Amani / / History of Africa in Biographies / Ed. by Apollon Davidson. M, 2012) (in Russian)

^{Teterin O. I.} 5 "Shikamoo, Mzee!" / / Julius Kambarage Nyerere - the first president of free Tanzania. М, ИАфр РАН, 2010, с. 63 - 73. (Teterin O.I. "Shikamoo, Mzee!" // Julius Kambarage Nyerere - the first President of free Tanzania. M., 2010) (in Russian)

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