List of sultans on the Comoros

Several sultanates on the Comoros, an archipelago in the Indian Ocean with an ethnically complex mix, were founded after the introduction of Islam into the area in the 15th century. Other uses depending on the island could also be styled fani, mfaume and ntibe. Unlike sultans in many other Arab nations, these sultans had little real power. At one time alone on the island of Ndzuwani or Nzwani (today Anjouan), 40 fanis and other chiefs shared power of the island; Ngazidja (today Grand Comore) was at many times divided into 11 sultanates. This article addresses the major ones.

Sultan Said Ali bin Said Omar of Grande Comore (1897)

The term Shirazis (derived from the former Persian capital Shiraz) is a reference to Iranian roots, in some dynasties. The sultans of Hamamvu (Washirazi sultans) is a surviving dynasty that claims origins in Persia line and carries an extant connection to the Washirazi people of the East African Coast.

The following five cities have been collectively proposed as a UNESCO World Heritage site:

• 1. Mutsamudu
  2. Domoni
  3. Itsandra
  4. Iconi
  5. Moroni

They have not yet been inscribed as such.

Sultans of and on Ndzuwani (Anjouan)

Names and Dates taken from John Stewart's African States and Rulers (2005).^[1]

#	Name	Reign Start	Reign End	Notes
1	Muhammad I	c. 1500	c. 1506	Founder
2	Hassan	c. 1506	?	-
3	Muhammad II	?	?	–
4	Msindra	?	?
5	Alimah I	?	c. 1590	First female sultan of Anjouan. Otherwise known as Halima.
6	Sayid Alawi	c. 1590	c. 1605	Regent
7	Hussein	c. 1605	c. 1610	–
8	Sayid Idarus	c. 1610	c. 1619	Regent
9	Sayid Abu Bakr	c. 1619	c. 1632	Regent
10	Alimah II	c. 1632	c. 1676	Second female sultan of Anjouan. Also known as Halima II.
11	Alimah III	c. 1676	c. 1711	Third female sultan of Anjouan. Also known as Halima III.
12	Sheikh Salim	c. 1711	1741	–
13	Sheikh Ahmad	1741	1782	Also known as Said Ahmad.
14	Abdallah I	1782	1788	–
15	Alimah IV	1788	1792	Fourth female sultan of Anjouan. Also known as Halimah IV.
–	Abdallah I	1792	1796	Second reign
16	Alawi I	1796	1816	Also known as Mwinye Fani
17	Abdallah II bin Alawi	1816	1832	–
18	Ali	1832	1833	Also known as Ali bin Salim
–	Abdallah II bin Alawi	1833	1836	Second reign
19	Alawi II	1836	1837	Also known as Saidi Alawi bin Abdallah
20	Salim I	1837	1852	Also known as Salim bin Alawi
21	Abdallah III	1852	February 1891	Also known as Saidi Abdallah bin Salim. The Sultanate of Anjouan became part of the Mayotte Protectorate in 1866.^[1]
22	Salim II	February 1891	2 April 1891	Also known as Salim bin Abdallah
24	Said Omar	2 April 1891	14 April 1892	Also known as Saidi Omar bin Said Hasan
25	Said Ali	14 April 1892	25 July 1912	Also known as Said Ali bin Said Omar

Sultans of and on Mayotte

Names and Dates taken from John Stewart's African States and Rulers (3rd edition, 2006).^[2]

Mayotte was conquered by the Sultanate of Anjouan in 1835, after which it was ruled by Anjouani qadis (governors) until 1841 when it became a protectorate under the French.^[2]

#	Name	Reign Start	Reign End	Notes
1	Hassan I	c. 1515	c. 1530
2	Muhammad	c. 1530	c. 1550
3	Isa	c. 1550	c. 1590
4	Amina	c. 1590	c. 1596	Queen Regent
5	Bwana Fuma ibn Ali	c. 1596	c. 1620	Regent
6	Ali I	c. 1620	c. 1640
7	Umar	c. 1640	c. 1680
8	Ali II	c. 1680	c. 1700
9	Aisa	c. 1700	c. 1714	Queen Regent
10	Monavo Fani	c. 1714	c. 1720	Queen Regent
11	Abu Bakr	c. 1720	1727
12	Salim I	1727	1752
13	Bwana Kombo I	1752	1790
14	Salim II	1790	1807
15	Salih	1807	1817
19	Ahmad	1817	1829
20	Bwana Kombo II	1829	1832
21	Andrianametaka	1832	19 November 1835
–	Umar	19 November 1835	c. 1838	Anjouan Qadi
–	Adriantsuli	c. 1838	25 March 1841	Anjouan Qadi

Sultans on Ngazidja (Grande Comore)

Sultans of Bambao

Reign (start)	Reign (end)	Name	Variations	Notes
c. ???	c. ???	Ngoma Mrahafu
c. ???	c. ???	Mwasi Pirusa
c. ???	c. ???	Fum Mbavu Inkwaba
c. ???	c. ???	Mwenye Mji wa Mwenye Mambo
c.???	c.???	Inye wa Mantsi
c.???	c.???	Mwenye Mji wa Mwanze
c.???	c.???	Tambavu mna Muhame wa Saidi
c.???	c.???	Tambavu Inkwaba
c.??	c.???	Fum Nau wa Kori Dozi		He was the first ruler of Bamboa to be given the title (Sultan) Tibe, i.e. Paramount ruler of the island.
c.???	c.???	Mwenye Mji wa Mvunza Panga
c.???	c.???	Mla Nau		Second ruler with the hegemonic title Sultan tibe.
c.??	c.??	Fozi Wa
c.???	c.???	Suja Oma Inkwaba
c.???	c.???	Nyau wa Faume		First female ruler of Bamboa.
c.???	c.???	Bamba Oma wa Ju Mamba		He ruled a second after Ahmed bin Shekhe Ngome's first ruling period.
c.???	c.???	Ahmed bin Shekhe Ngome		The fourth ruler to styled Sultan tibe. He ruled a second time after Mamba's brief second ruling period which was then again interrupted by a brief period of rule under Saidi Bakari followed by his third ruling period. (A possible explanation is a period of anarchy with multiple rulers).
c.???	c.???	Saidi Bakari
c.???	c.???	Mwenye Mambo
c.???	c.???	Ju Mamba
c.???/1874?	c.???/???	Mohamed bin Ahmed		He ruled twice in the 1800s the second time after Abdallah bin Saidi Hamza's first ruling period.
c.???	c.???
c.???	c.???
c.???	c.???
c.???	c.???
c.???	c.???
c.???	c.???	shah waPantat jumbu Kulup

Sultans of Itsandra

Styled "Mfaume" (in Shingazidja) or Mfalme (in Kiswahili)

• Fey Owa Mbaya
• Fey Mwenza
• Fey Jumbe
• Ju Mwamba Pirusa
• Zombe Ilingo
• Nguzo waInehili
• Tibe waKanzu
• Mkongo
• Mna Musa Hibu
• Muhammadi Saidi
• Mvunza Panga
• Fey Beja waWabeja(f)
• Fum Nau waKori Dozi
• Fey Fumu
• Bwana Fumu
• Fey Fumu (2nd time)
• Bwana Fumu (2nd time)
• Fey Fumu (3rd time)
• Fum Mbavu
• Musa Fumu waFey Fumu
• Tibe Bamba
• Musa Fumu waFey Fumu (2nd time)
• Tibe Bamba (2nd time)
• Musa Fumu waFey Fumu (3rd time)
• Tibe Bamba (3rd time)
• Musa Fumu waFey Fumu (4th time) (d. c.1883)
• Tibe Bamba (4th time)
• Kalega

Sultans of Mitsamihuli

Styled "Mfaume/Mfalme"

• Mahame Msahi
• Fozi waMahame
• Mbantsi
• Ju Mambu Madi waMusa Fumu
• Jumbe Fumu Mfaume waDomba (possibly ruled jointly with Kori Dazi)
• Kori Dazi
• Jumbe Fumu Mfaume waDomba (as sole Mfaume)
• Tambavu waJumbe Fumu
• Fozi
• Suja Fumu Mbamba (possibly ruled jointly with Mba Fumu wa Jumbe Fumu)
• Mba Fumu waJumbe Fumu
• Mba Fumu waTambwe (possibly ruled jointly with Jumbe Fumu wa Jumbe Mfumu)
• Jumbe Fumu waJumbe Mfumu
• Mbandhi waBwana Haji (possibly ruled jointly with Abdallah bin Ahmad)
• Abdallah bin Ahmed
• Bwana Fumu (reign ended c.1886)
• mukou

Sultans of Washili

Styled "Mfaume/Mfalme"

• Mohama Mdume waBeja
• Fey Zinda waMawana
• Fey Zinda waMakasara
• Tambwe Musa Fumu
• Tambwe waHabadi (possibly co-ruler with Mfaume Tambwe Musa Fumu)
• Jumbe Fumu waMbala Bwani
• Tambwe No Fumu waMba Nau (d. 1815)
• Jumwamba Mwenye Majini
• Mba Fumu waSuja Fumu Bamba
• Shekhe Salim (possibly co-ruler with Mfaume Mba Fumu waShuja Fumu Bamba)
• Mavunzanga
• Tibe Mbe
• Abudu

Mukou

Sultans of Bajini

Styled "Mfaume/Mfalme"

• Mwenye Bamba I
• Bamba Jumbe
• Tambe Mbafu waFum Nau
• Ju Mamba Oma waMba Nau
• Mwambatsi (co-ruler with Mfaume Ju Mamba Oma waMba Nau)
• Mwenye Bamba II
• Bamba Oma
• Suja Oma waTambwe (co-ruler with Mfaume Bamba Oma)
• Shekani (co-ruler with Mfaume Bamba Oma)
• Fumu Oma
• Oma waDari (co-ruler with Mfaume Fumu Oma) (d. 1884))
• Ja Mhaba (f)
• Hashimu bin Ahmed
• Hadija bint Ahmed (f)
• Hashimu bin Ahmed (2nd time)
• 1886–89 uncertain Mfaume or interregnum
• Hashimu bin Ahmed (3rd time)(d. 1889)

Sultans of Hambuu

Styled "Mfaume/Mfalme"

• Beja Mbuyuni
• Nau waMigira
• Nau waMoro
• Fumu Nau
• Yasi Azi
• Demani Mtango
• Fumu Jimba waIdimani
• Mahdi Jimbwa waTangwe
• Dari waMba Nau (co-ruler with Mfaume Mahdi Jimbwa waTangwe
• Jumbe Fumu waSuja Oma Inkwaba
• Suja Oma waTambwe
• Mrunda Mijo
• Fey Mwando waTambwe (co-ruler with Mfaume Mrunda Mijo)
• Bamba Oma waJumamba
• Tambwe waHinye
• Abudu bin Mohamed bin Sultani
• Bamba Oma waOma (co-ruler with Mfaume Abudu bin Mohamed bin Sultani)

Sultans of Hamahame

Styled "Mfaume/Mfalme"

• Nye Hila
• Haji waNo Fumu
• Suja Oma Mshinda Kodo
• Jumbe Fumu Madi
• Bwana Haji Musa
• Simai
• Dari Oma
• Fumu Oma waNasiri
• Suja Oma waFumu
• Mba Fumu waBwana Haji
• Suja Oma Bwana

Sultans of Mbwankuu

The sultan was also styled Mfaume/Mfalme; the only known incumbent (no dates) was: Bwana Fumu.

Sultans of Mbude

Sultans (also styled Mfaume/Mfalme) (no dates available):

• .... – .... Msa Mwinza
• .... – .... Bamba
• .... – .... Lwali
• .... – .... Jumbe Fumu wa Tambwe
• .... – .... Dari Mbamba
• .... – .... Mwandhi Oma wa Jumbe Fumu
• .... – .... Bamba Oma wa Suja Funu
• .... – .... Jumbe Fumu Mna Mango
• .... – .... Bamba wa Madi Jimba
• .... – .... Jumbe Fumu wa Sinai

Sultans of Domba

The sultan was also styled Mfaume/Mfalme; the only known incumbent (no dates) was: Febeja Mambwe.

Sultans of and on Mwali (Mohéli)

• 1830–1842 – Ramanetaka (also Abderremane)(d. 1842)
• 1842–1865 – Raketaka Jombe Sudy (f) (1st time) (c.1836–1878) (after 1851, Jumbe Fatima bint Abderremane)
• 1842–1849 – Regency (Ravao (f), Tsivandini (through 1847))
• 1865–1874 – Mohamed bin Saidi Hamadi Makadara (c.1859–1874)
  • 1865–1868 – Jumbe Fatima bint Abderremane (f), Regent (1st time) (c.1836–1878)
  • 1868–1871 – Joseph Lambert, Duc d'Imerina, Regent (1824–1873)
  • 1871–1874 – Jumbe Fatima bint Abderremane (f), Regent (2nd time) (c.1836–1878)
• 1874–1878 – Jumbe Fatima bint Abderremane (f) (2nd time) (c.1836–1878)
• 1878–1885 – Abderremane bin Saidi Hamadi Makadara (c.1860–1885)
• 1885–1886 – Mohammed Shekhe (b. c.1830)
• 1886–1888 – Marjani bin Abudu Shekhe (b. c.1851)
• 1888–1909 – Salima Machamba bint Saidi Hamadi Makadara (f) (never acceded) (1874–1964)
  • 1888–1889 – Regents (Fadeli bin Othman, Balia Juma (f), Abudu Tsivandini)
  • 1889–1897 – Mahmudu bin Mohamed Makadara, Regent (1863–1898)
• 1909– French colony of Moheli

See also

• List of rulers of Comoros
• List of Sunni Muslim dynasties

Sources and external links

(incomplete; most material still to be worked in)

• Almanach de Bruxelles (now a paying site)
• WorldStatesmen- Comoros

References

1. Stewart, John (2005). African States and Rulers. London: McFarland. pp. 19–20. ISBN 0-7864-2562-8.
2. Stewart, John (2006). African States and Rulers (3rd ed.). London: McFarland. p. 158. ISBN 0-7864-2562-8.