HISTORY OF ZIWANA
The earliest inhabitants of the Ziwani Islands are the Akafula who were hunter-gatherers. The Akafula are scientifically called pygmies and are a people who are 150 cm (4ft. 11 in). The Akafula were nearly brought to the verge of extinction by the migrating Polynesians and the Bantu groups. The Polynesians arrived and settled on the Island of Salamasina in 700 BCE. The next group to arrive were a Bantu tribe called the Ziwani who arrived in the 7th century from East Africa as they were fleeing Arab slave traders. The settled on the main Island in Likulu and Kumpoto Counties. Several other Bantu tribes escaping slavery also settled on the main island, however the Ziwani people were the strongest, they learnt to create weapons out of iron and build out of stone. By the 11th century the Ziwani people had conquered all the other Bantu tribes and created the Ziwani Confederacy.
The Ziwani Confederacy traded with the Salamasina Kingdom, Arab and Indian merchants. Several Arabs settled in Akhdir Island which means green, Khasib Island which means fertile and others settled in Shamal Island which means North. The Arabs contributed greatly to the Ziwani Confederacy as they spread astronomy, horses, writing, advanced weaponry and islam. Through inter-marriages the Ziwani Confederacy united with Akhdir. However, the Khasibi and Shamali Arabs looked on the Ziwani as inferior and attacked Akhdir and the Ziwani Confederacy. For 14 years from 1050 to 1064 the "Alharb Alddamia" or the bloody war was fought. Over 45,000 people died in the conflict. During the war the Salamasina Kingdom had helped the Ziwani Confederacy. In 1064 the Salamasina Kingdom, Khasib and Shamal united with the Ziwani Confederacy to form the Ziwana Dzuko or Empire . Khasib and Shamal were forced to pay reparations to the other states. Ziwana continued to trade with Indians traders and some of them settled on Vihaan which means new beginnings.
The first Europeans to arrive in Ziwana were English and German pirates, over time two settlements appeared and were used as a base of operation. These settlements were Steinenberg and Port Johnstone. In 1624 the Ziwana Empire fell after the death of the Ziwani Emperor Izula I. Ziwana broke up into 5 independent states. In 1665 the French invaded Ziwana, once more the islands united to form the Ziwani Federation. They fought and defeated the French between 1665 and 1680.
In the 18th century missionaries began to arrive in Ziwana, they were met with hostility due to most Ziwani being muslims however slowly several Ziwani people in the Western and Southern cape begun to convert to Christianity followed by the midlands. Salamasina also converted. Schools begun to appear on mainland Ziwana and British traditions begun to spread as more brits arrived. Between 1850 and 1884 Ziwana and the British fought. The British wanted to colonize Ziwana, several English settlers had refused to be ruled by the British Crown and called on the Ziwani King to fight against the British. A 140,000 people died in this war, on May 11th, 1884 Ziwana became a British protectorate. The Ziwani King was exiled to Madagascar. In 1918 Ziwani citizens protested British rule and attacked British soldiers. On 11 June 1921 Ziwana got its independence and became a Federal Constitutional Monarchy. Prince Orama became King of Ziwana. Arabs, Asians, Blacks, Polynesians and white settlers welcomed their king from exile, enthusiastic about being free from British rule. During World War 2 Ziwana fought against Vichy Madagascar and helped the British capture it.
