Modes of production,

 

                          Modes of production, according to Marx and Angles (1967) defined as for individual of production is a definite from of expressing their life. A definite deal with the they produce and how they produce, including the productive forces like labor, instrument, raw materials between humans in the production of goods.

                        Modes of production, refers to the varied ways that human being collectively produce the means of substance in order to survive and enhance social being. Marx believe that human history could be characterized by the dominant modes of production, so in short modes of production it means to the specific economic system, Ingrams  (1967).

                        Modes of production as in terms of the interaction of the relations and force of production, that is the system of ownership  of the relations and force of production and the level of development of the letter though interaction of production formed the foundation of all social systems from any other social, economic, ideological and political relations among the people in a particular area. Thus productive forces including human labours and means of production, example tools, productive machinery, commercial and industrial building,  infrastructures, technical knowledge, materials, plants, animals and exploitable land Carol  & et ell (1991)..

                      Generally, modes of production refers to the relationship between the productive forces that are used in production activities including human labour and means of production.

Zanzibar formally known as Stone Town became one of the largest and wealthiest cities in East Africa. With the coming of Omani rule, there was the existence of forced land redistribution as all of the most fertile land was handed over to Omani aristocrats who enslaved the African farmers who worked the land. Every year, hundreds of dhows would sail across the Indian Ocean from Arabia, Persia and India with the monsoon winds blowing in from the northeast, bringing iron, cloth and sugar. When the monsoon winds shifted to the southwest in March or April, the traders would leave, with their ships packed full of tortoiseshell, copper, cloves, coir, coconuts, rice, ivory and palm oil, Carol  & et ell (1991).

Thus the following were the modes of production that were operated during the 19 century in Zanzibar.

                        Feudalism mode of production, feudalism existed in various places of Africa but some of the common area in which feudalism existed was Zanzabar. Feudalism was existing around the cost of East African coast especially in Zanzibar in which it was known as Umwinyi. In this region the Wamwinyi who controlled the productive force such as land, serfs and tenants monopolized by political and economic power. The serfs and tenants were given land by Wamwinyi (feudal lords), in Zanzibar feudalism existed for long time ago. The Mwinyi Mkuu was the greatest landlord and ruled Zanzibar with the help of the Shaha in Unguja and Diwan in Pemba. He had Shekua who usually, collected rent from the serfs. Shekua was also responsible for recruiting labours who worked for Mwinyi mkuu in the land under his control, Marx and Engles (1967).

So the following are the features of feudalism mode of production in Zanzibar.

                          Exitence of classes, feudalism in Zanzibar was classified into two main classes which are landlords or land owners and tenants, in which the landlord or Mwinyi mkuu was the overall leader in feudal system in Zanzibar who owned land and provided it to the tenants who were given for production and after production they required to pay to the Mwinyi mkuu. These classes divided in two groups wchich are poor people and rich people that means rich people were few in number like Mwinyi mkuu, Sheha, Diwan and Shekua but the poor people were large in number like tenants or serfs who produce for benefits of Mwinyi mkuu. So feudalism in Zanzibar was exploitative in nature, Sinclair (2005).

                          Rent in kinds, the serfs regulary had to deliver the quantities of his products to the landlords. The products could be in form of cloves,  coconut and palm oil because tenants were landless but the land was Under the Mwinyi mkuu. Thus the tenants were no way to run out apart from taking land to the  Mwinyi mkuu in order to produce and finally pay the certain amount of the products to the land owner, Marx and Engles (1967).

                        Slavery mode of production, among the profitable economic activity which conducted in Zanzibar slavery was the most important which for economic development in Zanzibar, where by slaves around other parts of East Africa were taken  to the Island Zanzibar or Stone town in that time. Slavery were transported through dhows, canoes and ships where many as possible were packed with no regard for comfort or safety.  Scientific research concludes that about three out of four slaves died before they reached the market where they were to be sold. The causes were hunger, illness or exhaustion after long journeys. Due to the establishment of Oman rule of Sultan Sayyid Said introduced large plantations of cloves and coconut which increased large number of slaves who needed for agricultural activities. From 1839 to 1860, the quantity of exported cloves increased from 565 (1,246 pounds)  to 12,600 kilograms, according to American historian Frederick Cooper. Zanzibar's  changed from being the center of the slave trade to a center of slave keeping which produced notorious figures such as the legendary slave trader Tippu-Tip. It is noted that during 19 century every year about 40,000 - 50,000 slaves were taken to work in plantations in Zanzibar but for unifortunately they work in poor conditions and harsh treatment were upon to them by the Arabs. The  Oman Arabs who ruled Zanzibar had in the words of the American diplomat Dolnald Pertterson a "culture of violence" where brutality force was preferred solution to problems and outland cruel was possible. Despite the fact that Zanzibar was famous world wide for it's species and it's slaves but also the slave market, it influence in humanity and brutality which led to dealth of people and loss of man power in Zanzibar and arround East Africa in large, Marx and Engles (1967).

Thus the following are features of slavery mode of production in Zanzibar.

                       based on exploitation of man by man. Slavery in Zanzibar involved in plantations in why they used as labours who works in cloves, palm oil and coconut. Slaves work under poor conditions for a long time with low payment or no any payment at all, so through these increased the production to the Arabs but with discrimination and surbonation of the Africans natives, Sinclair (2005),

                       Capitalism mode of production, during the 19 century Zanzibar was charactrized with the introduction of plantations agriculture that involved the production of cloves and coconut in which the product used in producing medicine and perfumes. Through plantations in Zanzibar the obtained raw materials were transported in outside countries in for industries that are required to feed the industries even also other materials other materials obtained in from Zanzibar like Ivory, tortoisesshells, cooper that were used in European industries for producing some manufactured goods like clocks and watch. It is agued that the city of Zanzibar during the 19 century become the vast city commercial empire in which European nation started to trade arround the Indian ocean shipping all kinds of goods between different ports in the wide economic network these regional network of trade had long existed. The Indian ocean could even be charactrized as a world  system of it's own prior of European dominant for thousands years prior to the enrollment of cloves plantations that expanded after the industrial revolution but also the open of suez canal in 1869 made shipping between Europe, America, and Zanzibar very fast. Zanzibar was at the heart of this changes as a major part of entre for goods exported from the main land to be traded into the Indian and Antratic ocean, Carol  & et ell (1991)

Thus the following are features of capitalism mode of production in Zanzibar.

                      Existence of classes, historically capitalist society was characterized b two classes between the class of individual or capitalist class which own the means for producing and distributing goods  or owners and working class in exchange for wages with minimal payment or no payment at all the economy was dominated by high class (capitalist) who own and operate Companies and made decision as to the use of resources but the low class existed as labours who works in the high class without payments,  Sinclair (2005).

                    Exploration of raw materials, after industrial revolution there were the increase of large number of merchants who competing in obtaining or searching raw materials like ivory, gold and agricultural products including cloves coconut and palm. That were needed in industries for production of manufacturing goods like medicine and perfumes, Sinclair (2005).

                    Generally, through the changes that occurred in the need of products during the period of feudalism people were producing for the need of consuptions, but during the slavery time the slaves were used as an important commodities that needed in agricultural production cloves and coconut but also during capitalistism the raw materials were needed in large amount in industries so the demand increased. In nutshell all over modes exted during the capitalist mode and modes change due the demands of products at a particular time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reference.

Carol M. & et ell (1991), From Zanzibar to Zagros. A Copal Pendand From Eshnunna: Journal of New Eastern Studies.

Ingrams W.H.  (1967), Zanzibar It's History and People. Pschology Press.

Marx and Engles (1967). The communist Manifesto. Trans. Samuel Moure. Harmondsworth, UK. Penguin.

Sarch C.K (2015). An Archaeology of Plantations Life on Ninteenth - Century Zanzibar: Capitalism and Cloves.

Sinclair p.(2005), Excuvation at Cuumbi Cave on Zanzibar. The African Archaeology Network: Research in Progress.